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Ashish Ashish
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October 07, 2009
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Resolved Question

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What are the advantages, disadvantages & environmental impacts of dams? (Pls answer fast)?

I need to know the advantages, disadvantages as well as the environmental impacts of dams (not specific, but in India if possible). I need them for my Std. 12 project. Please give links if possible
Harmony19 by Harmony1...
Member since:
April 03, 2009
Total points:
14,671 (Level 6)

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

When you say dam I take it as a big one which is built for Multi purpose like hydroelectric power, irrigation and drinking water purpose.
The advantages of such dams are:
1. Flood control during heavy rain and water accumulating season. Without the dams flooding may result in the downstream of the river mostly in the plains.
2. During heavy rainy season water just goes to the sea without benefiting anyone. Dams prevent it and the water is used later beneficially.
3. Power can be produced without any pollution. Really a clean energy.
4. Controlled irrigation can be done which will allow the farmer to sow and harvest in time without depending on rain so much.
5. Neighboring cities gets good water throughout the year.
6. employment for the power station people and agriculturist etc.

Disadvantages: When Dams are built government does not really take care of the villagers in that area, which will be affected by the construction. Many villages will be gone under the dam.
If proper care is not taken the silt from the flowing rivers get accumulated in the dams and the capacity of the dams gets reduced in course of time.

Environmental impact. Construction activities can harm the environment by causing noise and pollution.
Huge mass of water collected in one place may cause some weight disturbance to the earth which is not proven but there is a theory going around.
100% 4 Votes

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Other Answers (5)

  • dirocyn by dirocyn
    Member since:
    December 10, 2007
    Total points:
    4,718 (Level 4)
    Advantages: Flood control, hydroelectric power, lakes for recreation and fishing.
    Disadvantages: reduced river flow means no floods to deposit silt on floodplains, makes a better environment for water parasites, a different environment for aquatic life. Also, the lakes will often flood populated areas, so those people will have to be relocated.
    0% 0 Votes
  • oikos by oikos
    Member since:
    October 09, 2007
    Total points:
    209,280 (Level 7)
    There are dams and dams. A dam built for flood control is not going to be anything like one built for water supply. One built for recreation is not going to be managed the same way as one managed for mosquito control. Consider whether you want the reservoir kept full or empty and whether you want the level steady or fluctuating. You can't generalize.
    0% 0 Votes
  • girish by girish
    Member since:
    February 09, 2008
    Total points:
    99 (Level 1)
    Depending on the source of water the advantages of dam come to picture by recycling the water from the dam into electricity. when the water source is less there is more disadvantage of constructing big dams for reservoirs

    Source(s):

    http://ecoaltenergy.blogspot.com/
    0% 0 Votes
  • ? by ?
    Member since:
    September 25, 2009
    Total points:
    338 (Level 2)
    The answer to this question is that it is a knotty exercise to contain a population of 1013662000 people in an area of 3287263.00 square miles through the utilization of the Federal Republic
    0% 0 Votes
  • ? by ?
    Member since:
    October 11, 2009
    Total points:
    114 (Level 1)
    sometimes they are safe

    Source(s):

    just a
    0% 0 Votes

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