THE PARADOX is perplexing. Bhagwant Singh is a farmer from Punjab, who owns a 2-hectare plot in the Bhakra Canal command area. Though his plot falls under the command area of one of the most iconic dams of Independent India, he depends on a tubewell for irrigation. Similarly, farmers in the Tungabhadra canal command in south India are unaware that the live storage of the Tungabhadra dam has shrunk by over 20 per cent and concomitantly, the canal command area is shrinking. Whenever farmers see their field channels dry, they believe that it is due to drought! So it should not come as a surprise that millions of farmers across command areas of large and medium dams depend on groundwater for irrigation. They neither are aware of the storage position in these dams nor the loss of live storage or sedimentation and age of the dams.
STATIC THINKING
India has 5,264 large dams, and hundreds and thousands of medium and minor dams—a majority of them provide water for irrigation through a maze of canal network. About 64 large dams are 120 years old, 300 large dams are between 70 and 120 years old, and cumulatively, about 600 large dams are at least 55 years old. The scenario will become alarming in 2030, when about 2,000 large dams will be 50-120 years old, as the envisaged benefits from these dams will reduce substantially.
The reason is, as a damages, the live storage capacity designed for reservoirs will not remain static. It changes with time. The live storage of the Krishnarajasagar dam built-in 1931 cannot remain the same in 2020. This is because reservoirs get silted over time.
Denne historien er fra May 01, 2020-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra May 01, 2020-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
