Does India need big dams?
(B.G. Verghese for and Sanjay Sangvai against big dams) Many have labelled the prevailing drought situation as a man-made disaster. Towns and villages over large parts of the country are desperate for water. Many are dependent on periodic tanker supplies ferried across considerable distances. As summer advances, communities may be compelled to migrate unless help comes their way. Rainfall is often erratic and unevenly distributed over space and time. Many regions regularly experience recurrent drought and/or flood as part of their normal hydrological cycle. Droughts, like floods, are therefore no surprise. It can be mitigated, even averted, by drought-proofing and, like flood, must be appropriately managed as and when it occurs. Population growth and development aimed at enhancing the quality of life entails larger water use. This is subjecting India to increasing seasonal and regional water stress, with deteriorating water quality being an aggravating factor. Water conservation at all
