Why Dams Dare!

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.  - photo by - maungyit)

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 19^th 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.