Movements Against Multipurpose River Projects

Multipurpose River valley projects :- A Multi purpose river valley project is such a scheme which is carried out to fulfill a number of purposes at one and the same time, such as irrigation generation of electricity Flood Control and Fish breeding etc.

Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement: It is a Non - Governmental Organisation (NGO) that mobilized tribal people, farmers, environmentalists and human right activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam built across the Narmada River in Gujarat. It focused on the environmental issues related to trees that would be submerged under the dam water. Recently it has re-focussed the aim to enable poor citizens, especially the outsees to get full rehabilitation facilities from the government. People accepted the pain of displacement believing in the promise of irrigated fields and plentiful harvests.

Movements Against Multi-Purpose ProjectsIn recent years, multi-purpose projects and large dams face several resentment and opposition from public as well as Civil Society because of their multiple adverse effects. Some incidents are given below

Sardar Sarovar Dam project built over Narmada rIver in Gujarat caused large-scale displacement of local community. An NGO named Narmada Bachao Andolan came forward with many environmentalists and social activists demanding proper rehabilitation and ecological protections.

Similarly, massive displacement in Tehri Dam Project on Bhagirathi drew many social movements.

Rihand valley project over Son river in Uttar Pradesh created massive displacement due to which it is facing public agitation.

Farmers were agitated upto a riot when more water of Sabarmati basin, Gujarat, supplied to urban areas over drought areas.

Inter-state water disputes are also common with regard to sharing the costs and benefits of the multi-purpose projects.

Even though dams have their negative impacts, they become an inevitable asset to sustain our progress of development. Intensive industrialisation and urbanisation depend on water for use and energy. Now hydroelectric power contributes 22 per cent of India’s total energy and due to limitation of thermal power projects, hydropower become the hope of future along-with other renewable sources.

Sample Questions

(More Questions for each concept available in Login)

Question : 1

Why was narmada bachaoAndolan started?
A. To build embankments to prevent the flooding of river narmada
B. To clean river narmada
C. To fight for gender equality
D. To help the people displaced by the sardar sarovar dam
Right Option : D
View Explanation

Question : 2

The Krishna - Godavari dispute is due to the objections raised by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments against water diversion by _________________
A. Telangana	B. Kerala	C. Tamil Nadu	D. Maharashtra
Right Option : D
View Explanation