CBSE Class 10 · Water Resources

Multipurpose River Projects Class 10: Uses, Problems and Dams Map

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Multipurpose river projects are dams whose stored water serves many integrated uses: irrigation, electricity, domestic and industrial supply, flood control, recreation, inland navigation and fish breeding. Nehru called dams the 'temples of modern India'. They are now opposed because they disturb river flow and aquatic life, submerge land, trigger floods, displace people and cause disputes.

Understand Multipurpose River Projects

From ancient hydraulic structures to modern dams. Since ancient times Indians have built dams of stone rubble, reservoirs, embankments and canals. NCERT's box lists examples: Sringaverapura near Allahabad (first century BC) channelled Ganga flood water; dams, lakes and irrigation were built under Chandragupta Maurya; irrigation works existed in Kalinga, Nagarjunakonda, Bennur and Kolhapur; Bhopal Lake (11th century) was one of the largest artificial lakes of its time; and Allauddin Khilji (Khalji) built the Hauz Khas tank in Delhi (13th-14th century) to supply the Siri Fort area. Modern India continued this by building dams in most river basins.

What a dam is. A barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. Most dams have a spillway or weir for water to flow over or through. Dams are classified by structure and materials (timber, embankment or masonry dams) and by height (large and major dams, or low, medium and high dams).

Why 'multipurpose'. Dams were once built only to store river and rainwater for irrigation. Today they serve many integrated uses:

irrigation; electricity generation; water supply for domestic and industrial use;
flood control; recreation; inland navigation; fish breeding.

Examples: the Bhakra-Nangal project in the Sutlej-Beas basin is used for both hydel power and irrigation; the Hirakud project in the Mahanadi basin combines water conservation with flood control. The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada in Gujarat is one of India's largest water projects, covering Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan; it is meant to supply drought-prone and desert areas (18.45 lakh hectares in Gujarat, and the desert districts of Barmer and Jalore in Rajasthan).

'Temples of modern India'. Multipurpose projects, launched after Independence with an integrated water resources management approach, were seen as the vehicle of development that would overcome the handicap of the colonial past. Jawaharlal Nehru called dams the 'temples of modern India' because they would integrate agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and urban growth. The Bhadu folk song of the Damodar valley shows why flood control mattered: the Damodar was called the 'river of sorrow'.

Why they are now opposed.

River ecology: damming affects natural flow, causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation in the reservoir, rockier stream beds and poorer habitats for aquatic life. Dams fragment rivers, making it hard for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.
Submergence: reservoirs on floodplains submerge vegetation and soil, which decompose.
Floods: dams built to control floods have triggered floods because of sedimentation, and big dams have mostly failed to control floods during excessive rainfall. These floods also caused soil erosion, and floodplains lost silt, a natural fertiliser, adding to land degradation.
Other effects: multipurpose projects have induced earthquakes and caused water-borne diseases, pests and pollution from excessive water use.
Cropping change: irrigation led farmers to water-intensive commercial crops, causing salinisation of soil.
Inter-state disputes: e.g., the Krishna-Godavari dispute, in which Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh objected to Maharashtra's plan to divert more water at Koyna for a multipurpose project, reducing downstream flow.

A recent scheme. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana aims to give every farm some means of protective irrigation: 'har khet ko pani' (water to every field) and 'per drop more crop' (water-use efficiency), along with sustainable conservation practices.

Map work (2026-27). Locate and label these eight dams: Salal, Bhakra Nangal, Tehri, Rana Pratap Sagar, Sardar Sarovar, Hirakund, Nagarjun Sagar and Tungabhadra, as shown on NCERT's map 'India: Major Rivers and Dams'. Learn each with its river and state: Salal (Chenab, Jammu and Kashmir), Bhakra Nangal (Sutlej, Himachal Pradesh-Punjab), Tehri (Bhagirathi, Uttarakhand), Rana Pratap Sagar (Chambal, Rajasthan), Sardar Sarovar (Narmada, Gujarat), Hirakund (Mahanadi, Odisha), Nagarjun Sagar (Krishna, Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border), Tungabhadra (Tungabhadra, Karnataka).

Multipurpose River Projects: key facts

Dam (definition): What a barrier across flowing water
Effect obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir
Outlet usually a spillway or weir; Classified by structure/material and by height.
Uses of multipurpose projects: Irrigation, electricity, domestic and industrial water, flood control, recreation, inland navigation, fish breeding; 'Integrated' uses.
NCERT examples: Bhakra-Nangal (Sutlej-Beas): hydel + irrigation; Hirakud (Mahanadi): conservation + flood control; Sardar Sarovar (Narmada, Gujarat): drought-prone areas
Nehru's view: Dams = 'temples of modern India': integrate agriculture and village economy with industrialisation and urban growth
Problems: Poor sediment flow, river fragmentation, submergence, induced floods, loss of silt, earthquakes, water-borne diseases, salinisation, inter-state disputes; Group as ecological, social, economic.
Dams map list: Salal, Bhakra Nangal, Tehri, Rana Pratap Sagar, Sardar Sarovar, Hirakund, Nagarjun Sagar, Tungabhadra; Locate and label (3-mark Geography map question).

What	a barrier across flowing water
Effect	obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir
Outlet	usually a spillway or weir

How to answer Multipurpose River Projects questions

Questions ask for uses of multipurpose projects, why they are called 'temples of modern India', why they face opposition, or map work on the eight dams. Balanced answers show both benefits and costs.

1Define a multipurpose project as a dam whose water serves many integrated uses; list at least four uses.
2Support with an NCERT example: Bhakra-Nangal or Hirakud.
3For opposition, group problems: river ecology, floods and land, health and earthquakes, cropping change, disputes.
4For 'temples of modern India', explain Nehru's reason: linking agriculture with industry and cities.
5For maps, picture the river first, then the state, then mark the dam with a dot and label it.
6In 5-mark answers, end with a balanced judgement or with integrated water resources management.

Multipurpose River Projects in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Benefits and costs of a multipurpose project

Imagine a district debating a proposed dam. Townspeople look forward to electricity and drinking water, while families in the valley fear their fields and homes will be submerged and fishermen downstream worry the river will dry up.

Using NCERT, weigh the benefits and problems of this imagined dam.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

List benefits: power, water supply, irrigation, flood control.
List problems for the valley: submergence of land and vegetation.
List problems downstream: changed flow, poor sediment, fragmented river for fish.
Conclude with a balanced view.

Answer: The dam could supply electricity, drinking water and irrigation, and help control floods, as multipurpose projects are meant to. But the reservoir would submerge land and vegetation in the valley, and downstream the regulated river would carry less sediment and fish would find it harder to migrate. A fair decision must weigh these costs against the gains, not treat the dam as a simple 'temple of progress'.

Memory hook: Every dam gives power upstream and asks a price downstream.

Tricks to remember Multipurpose River Projects

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

I-E-W-F-R-N-F uses
Irrigation, Electricity, Water supply, Flood control, Recreation, Navigation, Fish: 'I Eat Warm Food, Rice, Naan, Fish'.
Use it when: Uses of multipurpose projects.
Dams north to south
Salal, Bhakra, Tehri (Himalayan north); Rana Pratap, Sardar Sarovar (west); Hirakund (east); Nagarjun, Tungabhadra (south).
Use it when: Map work.
Bhakra = Both
Bhakra-Nangal gives Both power and irrigation; Hirakud Holds floods.
Use it when: NCERT examples.

Multipurpose River Projects: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Hirakud's purpose · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The Hirakud project in the Mahanadi basin integrates conservation of water with:
(a) inland navigation
(b) flood control
(c) fish breeding
(d) industrial supply

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT's example: Hirakud combines water conservation with flood control (1 mark).

Answer: (b) flood control

Example 2: Temples of modern India (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Why did Jawaharlal Nehru call dams the 'temples of modern India'? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Multipurpose projects were seen as the vehicle to lead the nation to development, overcoming the handicap of its colonial past (1 mark).
They would integrate development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and urban growth (1 mark).

Answer: Dams were seen as the vehicle to lead India to development after its colonial past. Nehru believed they would integrate agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and the growth of cities.

Example 3: Why dams are opposed (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

'In recent years, multipurpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny and opposition.' Examine the reasons. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Regulated flow causes poor sediment flow, excessive sedimentation in reservoirs, rockier stream beds and poorer aquatic habitats (1 mark).
Dams fragment rivers, hindering migration of aquatic fauna for spawning; reservoirs submerge vegetation and soil (1 mark).
Dams meant to control floods have triggered floods through sedimentation and failed in excessive rain; floodplains lose fertile silt (1 mark).
Projects have induced earthquakes and caused water-borne diseases, pests and pollution; irrigation shifted farmers to water-intensive crops, causing salinisation (1 mark).
They cause inter-state disputes, such as the Krishna-Godavari dispute over Maharashtra's diversion at Koyna (1 mark).

Answer: Damming changes a river's natural flow, so sediment does not move well, reservoirs fill with silt, stream beds become rockier and aquatic habitats worsen. Dams fragment rivers, making it hard for fish to migrate to spawn, and reservoirs submerge vegetation and soil. Ironically, dams built to control floods have triggered floods through sedimentation and failed in heavy rain, while floodplains lose fertile silt. Projects have also induced earthquakes and spread water-borne diseases, pests and pollution, and irrigation has pushed farmers to water-intensive crops, causing salinisation. They also create inter-state disputes, as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh objected to Maharashtra's diversion at Koyna.

Example 4: Assertion-reason: dams and floods · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHOTS / competency

Assertion (A): Some dams built to control floods have actually triggered floods.
Reason (R): Sedimentation in the reservoir reduces its capacity to hold water.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT says dams have triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir; silt filling the reservoir explains A (1 mark).

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Example 5: Case: Sardar Sarovar · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

Read the case and answer the questions.

The Sardar Sarovar Dam, built over the Narmada in Gujarat, is one of India's largest water resource projects, covering four states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is planned to irrigate 18.45 lakh hectares in 15 districts of Gujarat, as well as land in the desert districts of Barmer and Jalore in Rajasthan and a tribal hilly tract of Maharashtra. About 75 per cent of its command area in Gujarat, and all of it in Rajasthan, is drought-prone.

(i) On which river is the Sardar Sarovar Dam built? (1)
(ii) Name the two Rajasthan districts that will benefit. (1)
(iii) Why is such a project especially valuable for this region, and what concern might people raise about it? (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) The Narmada (1 mark).
(ii) Barmer and Jalore (1 mark).
(iii) Most of the command area is drought-prone, so assured water can make it drought-proof through irrigation and supply (1 mark).
(iii) Concerns: submergence of land and vegetation, disturbed river flow and aquatic life, and disputes over sharing water among four states (1 mark).

Answer: (i) The Narmada. (ii) Barmer and Jalore. (iii) Since most of the command area is drought-prone, assured water from the dam could make it drought-proof. But people may worry that the reservoir will submerge land and vegetation, that the river's flow and aquatic life will be disturbed, and that sharing water among four states may cause disputes.

Example 6: Map: locate and label dams · 3 marks · Map workHarder board level

On an outline political map of India, locate and label: (a) Tehri Dam, (b) Nagarjun Sagar Dam, (c) Rana Pratap Sagar Dam. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) Tehri: on the Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand, in the Himalayan foothills north-east of Delhi; dot and label (1 mark).
(b) Nagarjun Sagar: on the Krishna, on the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border; dot and label (1 mark).
(c) Rana Pratap Sagar: on the Chambal in south-east Rajasthan; dot and label (1 mark).

Answer: Tehri (Bhagirathi, Uttarakhand), Nagarjun Sagar (Krishna, Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border) and Rana Pratap Sagar (Chambal, Rajasthan), each marked with a dot and labelled.

Example 7: Integrated uses (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level

Explain with one NCERT example how the uses of impounded water are integrated in a multipurpose project. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

In a multipurpose project the same stored water serves several purposes such as irrigation, power, water supply and flood control (1 mark).
Example: Bhakra-Nangal water in the Sutlej-Beas basin is used for both hydel power and irrigation (1 mark).

Answer: The same stored water is used for several purposes together, such as irrigation, electricity, water supply and flood control. For example, Bhakra-Nangal water in the Sutlej-Beas basin produces hydel power and also irrigates fields.

Where students lose marks in Multipurpose River Projects

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Listing only irrigation and electricity
Students forget the 'multi' in multipurpose.
Wrong working
Dams provide water for irrigation and power.
Right working
Also domestic and industrial supply, flood control, recreation, inland navigation and fish breeding.
Do this: List at least four uses.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Mislocating dams on the map
River and state not learnt together.
Wrong working
Tungabhadra Dam marked in Odisha.
Right working
Tungabhadra is in Karnataka; Hirakund is in Odisha.
Do this: Learn dam-river-state triples.
Usually costs: 1 mark per item.
Mistake: One-sided answers on opposition
Only displacement is mentioned.
Wrong working
Dams are opposed because people lose homes.
Right working
Also sediment loss, fragmented rivers, induced floods, earthquakes, disease, salinisation and disputes.
Do this: Group problems into three or four heads.
Usually costs: 2 marks in 5-mark answers.
Mistake: Attributing 'temples of modern India' to the wrong leader
Quotation confusion.
Wrong working
Gandhiji called dams the temples of modern India.
Right working
Jawaharlal Nehru called them so.
Do this: Nehru and dams go together.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Learn the eight dams with river and state; the Geography map question carries 3 marks.
Use Bhakra-Nangal and Hirakud as your two NCERT examples of integrated uses.
For opposition, use the irony line: dams built to control floods have triggered floods.
Write balanced 5-mark answers: examiners reward both benefits and costs.

Practice questions on Multipurpose River Projects

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which dam is located on the river Mahanadi?
(a) Tehri
(b) Hirakund
(c) Salal
(d) Tungabhadra
Hint
Odisha.
Answer
(b) Hirakund
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
Give two ways in which multipurpose projects harm aquatic life. (2 marks)
Hint
Sediment and migration.
Answer
Regulated flow causes poor sediment flow and rockier stream beds, giving poorer habitats for aquatic life. Dams also fragment rivers, making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.
Q3 · 3 marks · Map workHarder board level
On an outline map of India, locate and label Salal Dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam and Tungabhadra Dam. (3 marks)
Hint
Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir; Narmada in Gujarat; Tungabhadra in Karnataka.
Answer
Salal: on the Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. Sardar Sarovar: on the Narmada in Gujarat. Tungabhadra: on the Tungabhadra in Karnataka. Each marked with a dot and labelled.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose farmers in a newly irrigated area switch from millets to sugarcane and paddy. Predict one ecological consequence, using NCERT. (2 marks)
Hint
Water-intensive crops and soil.
Answer
Irrigation from multipurpose projects has led farmers to water-intensive and commercial crops. Heavy irrigation can cause salinisation of the soil, an ecological consequence that lowers land quality over time.
Q5 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Evaluate the claim that multipurpose projects have been 'temples of modern India'. Present both sides. (5 marks)
Hint
Nehru's hopes and integrated uses; then ecological, flood and social problems.
Answer
In favour: after Independence, multipurpose projects were seen as the vehicle of development; Nehru called them temples of modern India because they would link agriculture and the village economy with industrialisation and urban growth. They provide irrigation, electricity, water supply, flood control, navigation and fish breeding, as Bhakra-Nangal provides power and irrigation and Hirakud helps control floods. Against: they disturb river flow and aquatic habitats, submerge land, have triggered floods through sedimentation, deprived floodplains of silt, induced earthquakes and spread water-borne diseases, encouraged water-intensive crops that salinise soil, and caused inter-state disputes. So they brought real gains but at heavy ecological and social cost.
Q6 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
What does the Krishna-Godavari dispute show about multipurpose projects? (2 marks)
Hint
Koyna diversion.
Answer
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh objected to Maharashtra diverting more water at Koyna for a multipurpose project, since it would reduce downstream flow and harm their agriculture and industry. It shows such projects can cause inter-state conflicts over sharing river water.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.What is a spillway or weir?Show answer
The section of a dam over or through which water is intended to flow.
2.Who called dams 'temples of modern India'?Show answer
Jawaharlal Nehru.
3.Which river is called the 'river of sorrow' in the Bhadu song?Show answer
The Damodar.
4.Which states does the Sardar Sarovar project cover?Show answer
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
5.What are the slogans of PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana?Show answer
'Har khet ko pani' and 'per drop more crop'.
6.On which river is Salal Dam?Show answer
The Chenab.

Multipurpose River Projects: frequently asked questions

What are multipurpose river projects?

Dams whose stored water is used for several integrated purposes: irrigation, electricity, domestic and industrial supply, flood control, recreation, navigation and fish breeding.

What are the disadvantages of multipurpose projects?

They disturb river flow and aquatic life, submerge land, can trigger floods through sedimentation, deprive floodplains of silt, induce earthquakes, spread water-borne diseases, cause salinisation and create inter-state disputes.

Which dams are in the Class 10 map list for 2026-27?

Salal, Bhakra Nangal, Tehri, Rana Pratap Sagar, Sardar Sarovar, Hirakund, Nagarjun Sagar and Tungabhadra, for locating and labelling.

Why are dams called multipurpose projects?

Because the water they store is used for many purposes together, not just irrigation as in the past.