Environmentalists warn that current government policies on rivers are destroying fragile water ecology. Damns and cannals heat up water, kills the fish and creates serious environmental and social havoc, says The Times of India.

River projects are commonly build with government funds. It is argued that river developoments benefit the common good. However, in light of several repports that have come out over the last few years; river developments usually causes more damage than they do good, benefiting mainly big coorperations and urban areas. Environmentalists argue that government policies on rivers need to be 'democratized' to benefit the common good.