Environmentalists see red over 1,400 check dams in fragile Western Ghats

The Minor Irrigation department has come up with a proposal to build 1,400 check dams in the Western Ghats region of Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada to irrigate small swathes of land and for drinking water purposes. Credit: DH File Photo

Building 1,400 check dams in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats region ‘to hold the water flowing into the sea’ will have disastrous consequences, argue environmentalists.

The proposal was floated recently by the Minor Irrigation Department, which sought funds from the Jal Shakti Ministry for the dams. Ecologists point out that such projects are one of the key factors for rampant landslides reported in the Western Ghats region over the past decade or so.

The dubious concept of ‘preventing the flow of water to the sea’ has ramifications for marine life also.

Speaking to DH, environmentalist A N Yellappa Reddy said that continuing to meddle with fragile eco-system of the Western Ghats was problematic.

“Already the existing mini-hydel projects in the region are causing several problems. Constructing these check dams will worsen them,” he said. Areas around such projects cannot hold the water like forests do, and aggravates the landslide problem.

Moreover, such projects to prevent flow of river water to sea will likely dry up the estuaries and will impact several species of marine life, he said.

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Predicting that the government might construct these check dams at the foothills of the Western Ghats to ‘tap the water’, another environmentalist Shivanand Kalave warned that such structures could be dangerous. Building any dams or check dams required a strong rock base for foundation, which is difficult to find in the Western Ghats region.

“Even if such structures are constructed, they won’t last long as trees and other debris carried out by rain waters will either choke them or wash them away as witnessed during floods a couple of years ago,” he said.

Rather than tapping the sea-bound river water, government should concentrate on diverting flood waters of Krishna and other major rivers to lakes, according to Korase.

When contacted, Minor Irrigation Minister J C Madhuswamy said that the check dams will be restricted to irrigate small swathes of land measuring 50-60 acres, and for drinking water purposes.

“The check dams will come up in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts,” he said, adding that there won’t be any forest land submergence due to the dams.

The check dams, built across streams, will be at a height of five to six feet only and will not cause any environmental problems, he said.