Assessing and mitigating the impacts on human health-post dam construction scenario: a case of Indira Sagar dam, M.P.

Abstract

Dams fulfill many developmental objectives of a country such as Energy Sufficiency & Irrigation Potential Enhancement. These achievements are accompanied by some adverse impacts on the environment. Increase in the occurrence of diseases due to the changes in the local ecosystem of the dam site is one such negative impact. This thesis attempts to establish the relationship between the construction of a dam in an Indian context and the resultant increase in the occurrence of diseases in the project area of that dam. The thesis will also propose measures to mitigate this adverse impact. The Indira Sagar Project (ISP) on River Narmada in Madhya Pradesh has been taken up as the case study. The I.S.P. dam is one of the largest river valley projects in India & has the largest reservoir too. The impacts of such large projects on the environment are more pronounced & hence this project was taken up as the case study. Study of the Health Profile of the project area in the pre project as well as the post project scenario revealed an increase in the incidence of Malaria after the construction of the dam. Various literature sources provided with the Causative Factors of Malaria in the context of a dam & their spatial as well as temporal variations. The Field Survey of a few selected villages in the project area confirmed the increase in Malaria occurrence. Interactions with the villagers, local health officials & officials of the project proponent body brought to light the various Malaria Causative Factors present in the Case Study area, the major one being closeness to stagnant water sources where Malaria causing mosquitoes breed. The formation of artificial reservoir by the dam caused large scale water stagnation upstream of the dam. Seepage from the irrigation canals downstream of the dam too caused water stagnation. The identified Causative Factors were analysed statistically through Student T-Static Test & Correlation & linked with the construction of the project. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to gather the opinions of the experts about the magnitude of the contribution of the identified Causative Factors towards increase in Malaria incidence. After having established the relationship between the construction of the dam and increase in the Malaria incidence, mitigation measures were proposed to curb the ill effects of dams on the health of the people living in the project area. A policy framework for a Public Health Action Plan was proposed comprising of a 10 Point program focusing on enhancing the capacity of Rural Public Health Institutions to deal with the increased disease load. Awareness creation among villagers was also kept in focus to promote prevention over cure. The thesis will help in understanding the health implications of river valley projects & enhancing efforts towards their mitigation thus making dams more sustainable in longer run.