Question : Safety of Dams

(a) whether the Government is working on the safety of dams in the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(b) the steps being taken with a reliable and legally mandated institutional mechanism for the upkeep of large dams;
(c) whether many dams in the country are displaying signs of aging and the measures aim essentially at giving the Centre a role in ensuring the physical wellbeing of large dams, maintenance and inclusion of technical experts; and
(d) whether any laws have been enacted so far and if so, the role of States in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a) to (d) Responsibility for safety of dams, including its operation and maintenance, rests primarily with dam owners which are mostly the State Governments and Central/State Public Sector Units. The details of dam safety conditions, maintenance, repair and renovations are available with the concerned dam owners. Dam owners generally carry out the safety audit (in terms of periodical pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspection) of their dams.
In order to improve the safety and operational performance of select existing dams in the Country, Government of India implemented the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) with funding assistance from the World Bank during April 2012 to March 2021. Under this program, about 223 existing dams located in 7 States have been comprehensively audited and rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 2567 crore.
After completion of DRIP Phase- I program, Govt. of India has now taken up DRIP, Phase-II & III program. The Scheme envisages rehabilitation of 736 dams located in nineteen (19) States with the budget outlay of Rs 10,211 crore. The Scheme is of 10 years duration. DRIP Phase-II has become operational from 12th October 2021. The State/Agency wise number of proposed dams and the estimated cost under this Scheme is given at Annexure.
Further, for ensuring safety of large number of dams in the Country, Union Government has recently enacted the Dam Safety Act 2021 for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dams. The said Act has been notified by the Government of India on 14.12.2021 and has come into effect from 30th December, 2021. The Act aims for preventing dam failure related disasters and provide for institutional mechanism to ensure their safe functioning.
Dam Safety Act provides for constitution/establishment of two national bodies. The first such body is the National Committee on Dam Safety, whose functions include evolving uniform dam safety policies, protocols, and procedures and recommending regulations regarding dam safety standards. The second body is the National Dam Safety Authority, which will function as a regulatory body for ensuring the nationwide implementation of dam safety policies and standards. At the State level, the Act provides for the constitution of State Committee on Dam Safety and the establishment of the State Dam Safety Organization to ensure proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in that State and also to ensure their safe functioning.
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Annexure

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (D) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1460 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 10.02.2022 REGARDING “SAFETY OF DAMS”.

Details of Proposed Dams and the estimated cost, under DRIP Phase-II & Phase-III

SI.No. State / Agency No. of dams Estimated cost (Cr)
1. Andhra Pradesh 31 667
2. Chhattisgarh 5 133
3. Goa 2 58
4. Gujarat 6 400
5. Jharkhand 35 238
6. Karnataka 41 612
7. Kerala 28 316
8. Madhya Pradesh 27 186
9. Maharashtra 167 940
10. Manipur 2 311
11. Meghalaya 6 441
12. Odisha 36 804
13. Punjab 12 442
14. Rajasthan 189 965
15. Tamil Nadu 59 1064
16. Telangana 29 545
17. Uttar Pradesh 39 787
18. Uttarakhand 6 274
19. West Bengal 9 84
20. BBMB 2 230
21. CWC --- 570
22. DVC 5 144
Total 736 10,211