1-Aug-2022: Safety of Dams
As per the National Register of Large Dams 2019 compiled by the Central Water Commission based on the information provided by the project authorities, India has 5334 completed and operational large dams while 411 large dams are under construction.
Union Government has enacted the Dam Safety Act 2021, which became effective from 30th December 2021. The Act provides a comprehensive frame work for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all the large dams of the country for ensuring their safe functioning and to avoid dam failure related disasters. The Act also provides for empowered institutional framework for dam safety both at the level of Centre and States and will also help in standardizing and improving uniform dam safety practices across the country.
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. During extreme weather events, especially during the monsoon season, dams are to be operated as per the rule curve and the Operation & Maintenance manual. All the dam owners are required to have O&M manual containing standard operating procedures for their dams/reservoirs in place before commissioning of the dam. Dam Safety Act 2021 also emphasizes the necessity of O&M Manual for every specified dam. As per the Dam Safety Act 2021, every owner of the specified dam shall ensure that a well-documented operation and maintenance manual is kept at each of the specified dam and are followed at all times. Further, every owner of the specified dam shall prepare an Emergency Action Plan for each of their specified dam to deal with any emergency conditions arising at the dams.
Dam Safety Act 2021 is having the provision for setting up empowered institutional framework for dam safety both at the Central and State level. At national level, Central Government has constituted the National Committee on Dam Safety which shall discharge functions to prevent dam failure related disasters and maintain standards of dam safety and evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations.
Further as per the provisions of the Dam Safety Act 2021, State Governments are mandated to constitute the State Committee on Dam Safety which shall ensure proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in that State and ensure their safe functioning.
18-Jul-2022: Implementation of dam safety act, 2021
As per the information provided by the State Governments, 20 States have constituted the State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS) and 16 States have established the State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) in compliance of the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021 within the stipulated deadlines as prescribed in the Act.
The Central Government and the National Dam Safety Authority are pursuing with the State Governments which have not formed the SCDS and SDSO yet. As a result, 3 more States have constituted SCDS and 4 more States have established SDSO after the mandated deadline of June 30, 2022.
7-Apr-2022: Dam Safety
The safety of the dams is the primary responsibility of the dam owners, mainly being State Governments. The Dam Safety Act (DSA), 2021, provides for an institutional framework for prevention of dam failure related disaster through proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dams in India. The DSA, 2021 in no way seeks to alter or dilute the States' ownership of specified dams, or their role in day-to-day operation and management of such dams. The provisions of the Act are aimed at strengthening and empowering the States' own dam safety institutional arrangements, with technical and professional inputs from central institutions.
The DSA, 2021 has a provision for the constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety by the Government of India, consisting of 21 members, which includes seven representatives of the State Governments as Members of the Committee. In parallel to this the States are mandated to constitute State Committee on Dam Safety and State Dam Safety Organization, in which the members are to be nominated by the State Governments concerned.
The water resources projects are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the concerned State Governments as per their own resources and priority. The Land Acquisition (LA) and Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) works of such projects are also carried out by the concerned State Governments as per the applicable Act, Rules or/and guidelines.