The issue is small vs large dams

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

TN warns stern action against supporters of LTTE

New Delhi: Making a strong case for larger dams, the World Bank has suggested that India should go in for more Bhakra Nangals to increase water availability and reduce power scarcity. “No country has successfully met the water needs of its citizens with smaller dams,” said the Bank’s water expert and country director of Brazil, John Briscoe.

Talking to FE, Mr Briscoe, who was in India recently, said the real issue is small versus large dams. “You can’t solve the problem of a city like Delhi with a small dam,” he said.

Probably the only country where such an experiment was undertaken was in Combodia under Pol Pot, he said, adding it did not work. “You can only water a small field with a two feet dam,” he said.

Making a case for building larger dams, Mr Briscoe said that despite investment in water infrastructure, India can store only relatively small quantities of its fickle rainfall. Whereas arid rich countries like US and Australia have built 5,000 cubic meters of water storage per capita, and middle income countries like South Africa, Mexico, Morocco and China can store about 1,000 cubic meters per capita, India’s dams can store only 200 cubic meters per person.

Also, he added, India can store only about 30 days of rainfall, compared to 900 days in major river basins in arid areas of developed countries.” There are indications that the need for storage will grow in future because of global climate change,” he added.

The other important dimension of bigger dams was hydropower. Mr Briscoe said that whereas industrialised countries harness over 80% of their economically-viable hydropower potential, in India the figure was only 20%. It is unfortunate that India has not been able to harness the Himalayan hydropower sites, which from social and environmental perspectives, were among the most benign in the world, he said.

Pointing to the water-rich north east, Mr Briscoe said “water in the region can be transformed from a curse to a blessing with investment in water infrastructure. The Indian Prime Minister’s recent suggestion for setting up a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) like body for the Brahmaputra needs to considered seriously.” Such a step, he hoped, would also provide greater stimulus to growth in the north-east region.