What are
Dams?
 |
| (photo – I was on the ship travelling
through the river Irrawaddy, watching
the seagulls flying over me, I wish these beauties will live ever until
the end
of the world. |
Men build dams to
control water. A dam
built across a river or stream stops the water’s flow. Structure
that blocks the flow of a river, stream of waterway is called Dam. Many dams
use the energy of falling water to generate electric power. Some dams are built
to prevent flooding. It can store the river’s extra water and send the
reservoir water back into the river. So, it is good both in raining season and
dry season. Pouring
the concrete for the dam, just one part of its construction, required the work
of approximately 5,000 men for more than two years.
Why Dams dare?
The need for large dams did not become widespread until the
19th century. For the populations of city growth, it demanded and
needed for water and electricity. Engineers began to apply mathematical
formulas and structural theory to make dams safer. Dams tamed raging rivers. In
so doing they eliminated floods, provided people with water and electricity,
and caused dry deserts to yield thriving agricultural crops. Hydroelectric power also
gained importance during the early years of the 20th century. Dams also meant
progress and success in the face of economic hardship. The huge project provided people
with a sense of national pride. In the late 20th century large dams
continued to serve as a source of pride throughout the world and widespread
concern developed over the environmental effects of large dams.
‘No’ for Dams
Although the Dams have provided many benefits to the area,
these also have cause problems. As it flooded, the river spread fertile mud
over the land, which enabled famers to grow plentiful crops. But now farmland
along the rivers is becoming less fertile and productive because it no longer
receives the fertilizing silt from the river’s floodwaters. Farmers have
attempted to use chemical fertilizers instead, but these are not as effective.
Dams are like the cancer cells which eat all the branches
and twigs of the rivers. The beauties of our earth are not complete without the
rivers. But the dams ruined the splendor of our mother nature. Some
nations downriver worried that those Dams plans would interfere with the flow
of the river, either flooding land downriver or changing the nature of the
river. These negative effects on the environment such as flooding certain area
and destroying fish habitats which affects the fishing business of native
villagers.
Rivers in Burma
There are Irrawaddy,
Salween, Chindwin, Sittaung are well-known rivers in Burma. It flows in the
body of Burma. We can imagine their sound of streams and smell their sweet
scent of watercourse. Although we live in Rangoon, away from the Irrawaddy, we
feel her streams flowing into her branches. Our ancestors always told us and
let us be familiar with her important part of in our Burmese history.
When we visited
countries in Burma, we loved to see the river streaming. If we visited by boat
or sampan, we enjoyed watching the river streaming very much. Her sound echoed
poetically by the river. We also loved to watch the seagulls flying beside us
were very beautiful. One of the most fascinating things was the splendor of the
sun which shined over us and her lights spread into the surface of the river
were very unbelievably fantastic coloring.
Why Dams Dare in Burma?
Burma is an agriculture
country. Without water, rice cultivation is impossible during the long dry
season. To improve flood control, navigation and irrigation, and developing
hydroelectric power plants along the rivers became fashionable style to Burma.
There are at least 150 Dams in Burma. Burma's hydro power development activities and plans
include five-year short term plans and a 30-year strategic plan. This involves
generating power for domestic use and exporting to neighboring countries,
especially China, Thailand and India.
What If?
Imagine
our rivers no longer flow free, dams rise up along our rivers to capture water,
they help control flooding and provide electricity, they also have supplied to
pollution of the rivers. If the dams supplies most of our country’s electric
power, factories will have sprung along the rivers to use his power, surely
their wastes pollute the river. If the farmers must use chemical fertilizers to
replace the silt, these too pollute the river.
Dams must be strong enough
to endure the pressure of water against them. They also must be cared for and
repaired. A dam that breaks can cause disaster. If we look on the history, we
will find that in 1889, a dam in Pennsylvania broke and let loose a wall of
water. The water submerged the town of Johnstown, knocking down houses and
killing more than 2,000 people. And nowadays, the Nile no longer flows free
because many dams rise up along the Nile to capture water. Building dams on
rivers for electric power and irrigation can also harm ecosystems around the
rivers.
So, what if those
unseen problems occur, surely I say what is done cannot be undone.
