Dams and Development in India

This book discusses dams and its dynamics of development. Dam as a project of development was pioneered by the US in the 1930s and the success of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) model of USA was replicated all over the world soon after the end of the Second World War. Almost all the rivers of the developing countries were engineered and various dams and Multipurpose River Valley Development (MPRVD) plans were implemented on almost all the big rivers of the world, including India. However, many a projects have failed to fulfil their intended objectives. Thus, this raises the question of the rationality of TVA and its execution in other parts of the world. Viewing these facts, this book argues that the MPRVD scheme was inextricably linked to the political economy of decolonization and nationalism rather than development. The integrated river basin management in India was largely promoted by many scientists, engineers and statesmen, inspired by the United States. The book has vividly described the account of MPRVD on river Mahanadi (Hirakud Dam). The empirical scrutiny has shown that, none of the objectives of the dam were fulfiled even after fifty years of its completion.