India decommission ageing dams

India decommission ageing dams

Subject :Geography

Section: Places in news

Context: Dams have affected new ways of land use and life so much that many societies cannot think of a life beyond them anymore

More on the News:

• Dams, especially the large ones, are highly controversial in India. But the dependence of urban communities on embankments makes it challenging to decommission the ones that have aged or might cause more damage.
• Dams have destroyed vast swathes of natural forests, displaced millions of people, fuelled inter-state conflicts, and are methane-emitting culprits and so on. But they have also changed the world order for Indian civilisations by evolving new ways of farming, urbanisation and industrialisation.
• This is the reason for the poor response from people when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water red-flagged dam safety issues in a report on March 20.
• The Parliamentary Committee has raised concerns over the safety of ageing dams that are more than 100 years old. Of the 5,745 large dams in the country, 5,334 are operational. Of these operational embankments, 234 have outlived their lifespan of 100 years. Some are even older than 300 years.

Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)

• Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) is a project launched by the Government of India in 2012 with the aim of rehabilitating and improving the safety and operational performance of selected dams in India.
• DRIP Phase II is co-financed by World Bank (WB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with US$250 million each.
• It is being implemented by the Central Water Commission (CWC) in association with the concerned state governments.
• The project aims to rehabilitate and improve the safety and operational performance of 223 dams in seven states – Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand.
• A web-based tool called Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application (DHARMA) has been developed to capture important data for all dams and use it for appropriate monitoring and development of rehabilitation protocols.
• Based on the success of DRIP, the Ministry of Jal Shakti initiated another externally funded Scheme DRIP Phase II and Phase III.
• The project includes the rehabilitation and improvement of the dam’s structural and non-structural components, including spillway gates, embankments, and sluices.
• The project also focuses on the strengthening of institutional capacities and the improvement of dam safety monitoring, emergency management, and community-based disaster risk management.
• DRIP is a significant step towards ensuring the safety and sustainability of India’s dams, which play a crucial role in the country’s water management and power generation.

Dam Safety Act, 2021:

• An Act to provide for the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of the specified dam for prevention of dam failure related disasters and to provide for an institutional mechanism to ensure their safe functioning and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• Features of the act:
  • The National Committee on Dam Safety will be constituted and will be chaired by the chairperson, Central Water Commission.
  • Functions of the committee will include formulating policies and regulations regarding dam safety standards and prevention of dam failures, analyzing the causes of major dam failures, and suggesting changes in dam safety practices.
  • National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) to be headed by an officer, not below the rank of an Additional Secretary, to be appointed by the central government.
  • The main task of this authority includes implementing the policies formulated by the National Committee on Dam Safety, resolving issues between State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs), or between an SDSO and any dam owner in that state, specifying regulations for inspection and investigation of dams.
  • The NDSA will also provide accreditation to agencies working on construction, design, and alteration of dams.
  • The act also envisages constituting a State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) whose functions will be to keep perpetual surveillance, inspection, monitoring the operation and maintenance of dams, keeping a database of all dams, and recommending safety measures to owners of dams.
  • The owners of the specified dams are required to provide
    • A dam safety unit in each dam to inspect the dams before and after the monsoon session, and during and after any calamity or sign of distress.
    • An emergency action plan, and carry out risk assessment studies for each dam at specified regular intervals.
    • A comprehensive dam safety evaluation of each dam, at regular intervals, through a panel of experts.