Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment of Water Resources Projects
: With Special Reference to Sathanur Reservoir Project (Tamil Nadu)/K.B. Chari,
Richa Sharma and S.A. Abbasi. New Delhi, Discovery Pub., 2005, 2 Vols., xxxi,
724 p., tables, figs., (set). ISBN 81-8356-044-X.
Contents: Vol. I: Preface. Acknowledgement. Part--A: Developing guidelines for the EIA of water resources projects with reference to Sathanur Reservoir Project (Tamil Nadu). Section--I: Introduction. 1. Environmental impact of water resources projects: a general introduction. 2. Study area: section--II: impacts, Upstream. 3. Upstream impacts: section--III: impacts on Reservoir and catchment. 4. Inundation, Seismicity and Hydro-electricity. 5. Sedimentation. 6. Recreation. 7. Health. 8. Aquaculture. 9. Reservoir water quality: Section--IV: impacts, downstream. 10. Impacts of irrigation. 11. Land use. 12. Soil. 13. Agriculture. 14. Ground water quality. 15. Health. 16. Socio-economics. 17. Forestry, industry and water supply.
Vol. II: Preface. Acknowledgement. Part--B: Development and application of geographic information systems with reference to SRPIS (Sathanur Reservoir Project Information System). 18. Geographic information systems: an introduction. 19. SRPIS: an overview. 20. Architecture of SRPIS (user's guide). 21. SRPIS reference guide. 22. SRPIS in future: Part--C: Conclusions and recommendations. 23. Conclusions and recommendations. Bibliography.
"Water resources projects based on large dams have been viewed with extreme emotions from time to time. If Jawaharlal Nehru had famously called them temples of modern India, environmental activists of the 1980s and the 1990s have given the dams much less flattering names. Some have almost dubbed them agents of the World Bank/CIA, out to colonise and plunder the environment of India.
But dams are here to stay, tens of thousands of them are dotting the Indian landscape. And dams are needed if we have to augment the other sources of water and energy without which India can't achieve its deserved place among the economic superpowers of the world. If only we can develop appropriate guidelines to manage these dams in an environmentally sound manner, we can minimize their harmful impact on the environment and maximize the benefits derivable from them.
The present book revolves round a 4-year study of the Sathanur Reservoir Project System (SRPS) situated in the Northeastern Tamil Nadu. The authors have used SRPS as a test case to determine exactly what goes wrong after a large dam is commissioned and how the management strategies can be altered to minimize the adverse environmental impact of the large dams while maximizing the benefits accruable from them.
The book is distinguished by the clarity and lucidity which are the well-acclaimed features of the writings of Prof. Abbasi. A new feather was recently attached to the Professor's already well-embellished cap when the National Design Award in Environmental Engineering was conferred upon him by the institution of Engineers, Kolkata. We hope that this book, which has the two authors' combined professional experience of over 50 years behind it, would contribute to the better environmental management of our resources." (jacket)