How dams can control floods

How dams can control floods

Article:

1. Mathew Abraham, Principal Scientist from the Indian Council of Agricultural Reseach, highlighted that there should be space for greater storage of water in reservoirs before the onset of monsoon.

Important Analysis:

2. reasons for the Kerala tragedy:

• Poor development plans that have affected the sustainability of the Western Ghats.
• Unprecedented rainfall.
• Some argued that Kochi airport has been built on fields and wetlands adjacent to the Periyar River which swelled to dangerous levels during the floods.
• Opened dams when they were nearly full, causing heavy floods downstream and greatly affecting the lives of the people there.

3. The author highlighted the following benefits of dams after the Kerala tragedy.

• Dams are useful for irrigation and electricity generation.
• Dams are constructed mainly for the purpose of irrigation, power generation, and flood control.
• The large amount of water is stored in reservoirs to ensure greater electricity generation and irrigation.
• However, the role of dams in flood control has always been underestimated.
• In both irrigation and hydel projects, flood control is completely ignored.

4. Space in reservoirs:

• Atmospheric depression that controls wind movement cannot be predicted months in advance.
• It is important that atleast 30% of the storage capacity of dams be kept free before the monsoon
• Kerala receives rainfall mainly during the southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon. These rains are controlled by winds that carry clouds from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

5. Suggestions :

• Internationally, the water level of a reservoir should be kept below a certain level before the onset of the monsoon season.
• Government need to formulate water management policies for reservoirs in such a manner that dams are used to control floods, not cause them
• It is high time to think of non-conventional sources for electricity generation such as solar, wind and tidal power.
• The practice of solar power generation in Kochi airport can be copied in similar large-scale projects by other government agencies.
• The public too should be encouraged to adopt the practice of solar power generation.
• It is also crucial to follow good reservoir water management policies.
• The State Dam Security Authority should be entrusted with the task of water management in reservoirs and with taking decisions in emergency situations.
• The State government, the State Dam Security Authority and the National Water Commission should all be prepared to take bold decisions together on water management so that there are no such devastating floods in the future.