Why Europe is REMOVING Dams But India Keeps Building Them?

Medha Patkar, the renowned activist from the Narmada Bachao Andolan, highlights a striking global divide in dam management policies. While European countries are systematically removing their dams, India continues its ambitious dam construction program.

Fifteen European nations took 542 dams out of their rivers in 2024. Spain alone dismantled 133 dams in a single year, while Norway removed a 106-year-old dam from the Tromsa River following an environmental campaign. This trend reflects Europe's growing understanding that many dams fail to justify their cost-benefit ratio.

The reasons behind Europe's dam removal are compelling. Dams degrade water quality, disrupt fish migration patterns, and destroy forests and agricultural land through flooding. As these structures age, maintenance costs become prohibitively expensive. Additionally, dams pose environmental and tectonic threats, increasing disaster risks.

India presents a completely different picture. From fewer than 300 dams at independence, the country now operates over 5,300 dams with 400 more under construction. This massive expansion aims to address three primary needs: irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation.

However, experts question the cost-effectiveness of this approach. Hydroelectric power contributes only 14% to India's total energy supply. Despite numerous dams on the Narmada River, riverside villages still face annual flooding threats during monsoons.

India faces a critical ageing infrastructure problem. Over 220 major dams are more than 100 years old, while 50+ dams in Madhya Pradesh exceed 75 years. Historical disasters like the 1979 Machu dam collapse, which killed over 2,000 people, demonstrate the catastrophic potential of dam failures.

The Narmada's iconic Mahseer fish has disappeared due to dam construction. The construction of dams has submerged vast forest areas and displaced thousands of people from their ancestral homes. Despite these documented impacts, India shows little inclination toward exploring alternatives to large dams in the foreseeable future.

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