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.

This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written  reply in Lok  Sabha today.

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BY/AS

Annexure

 

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

 

 

(Release ID: 1797336)