Dams

Before I wrote this, I had checked about the use of huge dams in the world.Please go and look out for Dam removals in google. Dams are removed across the world for a free flow of water. Firstly, the myth that huge dams have contributed to agriculture is false. Huge dams in fact have resulted in failure of  water percolation throughout the year.
Cauvery was a river once without huge dams exception to few check dams. The real big dams were built to help in flood management and  hydro electric power production units otherwise called as water mills.
Later in this century, environmentalists have realised that forest lands and agrarian lands didn't benefit with the construction of dams.The colonisers who had huge plantations and hydroelectric power in mind wanted huge dams. In fact, agriculture was secondary to them. When the river was flowing in its natural course, we had six month crops and two minimum crops in a year. Now, one three month crop itself is a question mark. In addition, factories and private industries are benefiting more than a farmer or a forest. Agricultural settlements have become obsolete in these forty odd years across the country with huge dams. In addition, water evaporation in dams is as much as 30 percent in the catchment area. Also, we have a dry course path which would consume more water too.
In the case of Mullaiperiyar dam, out of 142 feet water storage capacity, only 32 feet can be used for agriculture, which is hardly 5tmc of water apart from local rain water harvest.

Coming to traditonal check dams, they are shallow. These dams don't store water instead arrest the pace of the flow. This means that water keeps flowing and in a slow pace. This gives enough time to percolate and eventually resulting in an increase in the recharge of underground water.
Now this is different era too. Governments have privatised water and ready to sell to water purifying distributors Already Karanataka farmers are paying money for irrigation.Now it is time to save the rivers by demolishing dams. And we we can build more check dams.
Water is our birthright.