Very Short Question and Answers - Multi-purpose River Water Projects

Large-scale projects that use river water for several purposes at once, such as irrigation, drinking water supply, flood control, electricity generation, navigation, fisheries, and recreation.

Irrigation; drinking water supply; hydropower generation; flood control.

Dams, reservoirs, canals, and powerhouses.

A holistic approach to develop and manage water resources so that the needs of people, the economy, and the environment are met sustainably and equitably.

Coordination among sectors like agriculture, power, industry, and domestic supply; sustainability for future generations; equitable distribution among regions and communities.

Linking irrigation systems with hydropower stations so that water releases serve both agriculture and electricity generation.

Harappan drainage and water storage such as the Great Bath, showing advanced urban water management; stepwells (baolis) in Gujarat and Rajasthan, reflecting community-based water storage and cooling.

A barrier built across a river to hold back water and create a reservoir.

Gravity dam: heavy concrete or stone resists water pressure by weight, example Bhakra Nangal on the Satluj. Arch dam: curved design transfers pressure to canyon walls, example Idukki in Kerala. Earthen dam: compacted earth, example Hirakud on the Mahanadi in Odisha. Embankment dam: earth and rock-fill, example Tehri in Uttarakhand.

River Satluj; purposes include irrigation and hydropower (also flood control).

River Mahanadi; state Odisha; purpose irrigation (also flood control and power generation).

Jharkhand and West Bengal; purposes include irrigation, hydropower, flood control, and industrial water supply.

River Narmada; purposes include drinking water supply and irrigation (also hydropower).

River Bhagirathi; purposes include drinking water supply and power generation (also irrigation).

Carries water from the Sutlej and Beas rivers; benefits the state of Rajasthan.

Assured irrigation; renewable hydropower; reliable drinking water supply; flood control.

They store excess monsoon flow in reservoirs and release water in a regulated manner, reducing peak discharge downstream and limiting flood damage.

Reservoirs submerge villages, farmland, and forests, forcing people to move; for example, the Sardar Sarovar Dam displaced thousands and led to the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

Loss of forests and biodiversity due to submergence; alteration of river ecology affecting fish migration and aquatic life.

Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; an IWRM measure is basin-wide coordination with equitable water allocation and joint monitoring across sectors and seasons.