Barrage:

An artificial structure or obstruction placed in river or water course, to increase the depth of
water (to some feet), so that the water can be diverted into canals is called barrage.

Dam:
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. The reservoirs created by dams
not only suppress floods but provide water for various needs to include irrigation, human
consumption, industrial use, aquaculture and navigability.

A dam is also the basic key element for hydropower generation.

A dam is considered to be a more sophisticated barrier than a barrage. A dam is a barrier

of concrete built across a river to create a body of water for a hydroelectric power station
or a reservoir of water and is of greater capacity than a barrage. A barrage is an
obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of water to facilitate irrigation.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dams

Some Advantages of Dams are:

1. Water Stored in dams are used for irrigation.

2. Generation of electricity from the water released through dams.

3. Renewable source of energy. Whenever electricity needed it can generated from the
stored water.

4. No pollution occurs during generation of electricity. Clean source of energy.

5. Hydroelectricity produced by dams does not produce any waste product.

6. The hydroelectricity power plants are long lasting and maintenance cost is low compared
to others.

7. Flood control by holding water.

8. Supply of water to less rainfall areas.

9. Picnic spot (Boating) etc.

Some Disadvantages of Dams are:

1. The cost of construction is very high.

 2. Sometimes takes decades for construction of dams.

3. High standard materials are required to build dams.

4. Regular maintenance of dams is necessary.

5. Relocation of people living in the surrounding areas of dams. Hence loss of farms and
land.

6. The flow of river water is disturbed and may disturb the habitat of wild life.

7. Risk of flood if dams break by earthquake.

Types of Dams
Gravity dam--------Storage dam

Earth dam----------Storage dam

Rockfill dam-------Storage dam

Weir dam---------- Diversion dam

Barrage------------ Diversion dam

Arch dam---------- Storage dam

Buttress dam-------Storage dam

Objectives of River Training:

River-training measures aim at achieving one or more of the following
objectives:
(i) Flood Protection:

Floods cause enormous damage to life and property almost every year.

River training for flood protection (also known as high water training or training for
discharge) can be achieved by one or more of the following methods:
(a) By constructing levees or embankments to confine water in a narrower channel.

(b) By increasing the discharge capacity of natural channels by some suitable methods such as
straightening, widening or deepening.
(c) By constructing reservoirs.

(d) By providing escapes or diversion from rivers.

(ii) Navigation:
The measures to achieve adequate depth of flow in a river for navigation (also known as Tow
water training or training for depth) include dredging the shallow reaches of rivers and using
spurs to contract the river channel and, thus, increase its depth. Canalisation makes a non-
navigable river navigable and is accomplished by building a serk of dams (or weirs) and locks.

(iii) Sediment Control:

River training for sediment control (also known as mean water training or training for
sediment) aims at attaining efficient movement of sediment load for keeping the river channel in
a state of equilibrium. Spurs and pitched islands are normally used for training the river for
sediment.

(iv) Guiding the Flow in River:

Construction of structures (such as head-works or bridges) requires that river in the vicinity of
these structures flows between the abutments of these structures. For this purpose a system of
guide banks (also known as Bells guide bunds) on one or both banks of the river is built.

Sometimes, the flow in a river needs to be deflected away from a bank in order to protect some
portions of the river bank. This is achieved by constructing one or more spurs projecting into the
river from the bank.

(v) Stabilisation of River Channel:

Stability of river banks is achieved by training methods, such as stone pitching or lining of
banks.