Question

Why do some people oppose dams? Give one reason.

Answer 1

Hint: A dam is a structure that prevents or restricts surface water or subsurface streams from flowing. Dams build reservoirs that not only prevent floods, but also provide water for irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigation. Dams and hydropower are frequently used to generate electricity. A dam can be used to capture and store water as well.

Complete answer:
Opposition to the construction of huge dams stems from social, economic, and environmental concerns, as large dams are built at the maximum cost, causing the economy to suffer and large sections of natural forests to be submerged. The displacement of a large number of indigenous people occurs as a result of the construction of a dam in a hilly terrain prone to earthquakes and landslides.

People oppose the construction of dams because:
- One of the reasons that tribal people or Adivasis in India oppose dam development is the displacement of their villages.
- People are forced to relocate when dams are built because living near them creates a danger zone.
- Dams cause soil erosion and land degradation, to name a few problems.
- Dams also submerge the surrounding terrain and alter the natural flow of rivers.
- Often, tribal communities band together to fight for their rights.

Note: Dams are responsible for upsetting the ecosystem's equilibrium and the interaction between water and land, which took thousands of years to develop. It causes land erosion, which pulls back the sediment load that ordinarily occurs in a river flow and lowers the riverbed, endangering flora and river fauna.