Question

Why large multi purpose project leads to land degradation .Explain?

Answer 1

Large multipurpose dams may lead to land degradation because of the following reasons.

1. It promotes intensive cultivation due to the availability of more water for irrigation. Intensive cultivation and increase in the area of cultivation may strip the land of its natural vegetation causing soil erosion.

2. Large scale irrigation through multipurpose dams increases the salinity of the land, causing land degradation.

3. The building of large dams can cause a lot of environmental problems. It requires the clearing of forests for the building of the dam. Large amount of land gets inundated in order to store the excess river water that is prevented from flowing away. Such steps also cause land degradation.