Advantage and disadvantage of multi-purpose river …

The advantages of multi-purpose river projects are as follows:

1. Water can be stored in the form of reservoirs, which can be used for irrigation purposes.
2. They control or eliminate floods.
3. They help in the generation of electricity which is very much important for the development of the industry.
4. They can improve transportation as part of a canal system.
5. They are excellent for fish breeding and other aquatic species.
6. They also help in inland navigation. Such projects can create navigation facility in the country by developing ferrying services for transportation, raise fleet capacity and thereby can reduce the traffic load on rail and road transport.
7. The water can be used for domestic and industrial purpose.
8. Multi-purpose projects can also facilitate to develop recreation facilities in the form of picnic resorts, holiday resorts etc. which are having much commercial viability nowadays.

The disadvantages of multi-purpose river projects are as follows:

1. They cause large-scale displacement of local communities and submergence of trees and vegetation.
2. Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow, causing excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoirs, adding to the problem of land degradation.
3. Dams fragment rivers, making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate.
4. Dams were constructed to control floods but they have triggered floods, devastating life and property and causing soil erosion.
5. Big dams have been unsuccessful in controlling floods at the time of excessive rainfall.
6. They have induced earthquakes, caused waterborne diseases and pollution due to excessive use of water.