Lok Sabha Question No. 3197 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-21
Subject: Safety Audit of Dams
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Ramdas Chandrabhanji Tadas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3197

## ANSWERED ON 21.12.2023

## SAFETY AUDIT OF DAMS

## †3197.   SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has any robust mechanism for conducting safety audit of dams constructed for multi purposes like irrigation and hydro electricity in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the details of the concerned agency which is conducting periodic safety audit;

(c) the details of such dams which have completed 100 years and pose threat to life and property; and

(d) the details of such dams in Maharashtra against alongwith the action taken for their closure?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a)  &  (b) Responsibility  to  ensure  the  safety  of  dams,  including  their  operation  and  maintenance,  rests primarily with dam owners, which are mostly the State Governments and Central/State Public Sector Units. Dam owners generally carry out the safety inspection (in terms of periodical pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspections) of the dams under their jurisdiction. Some States have also constituted the Dam Safety Review Panel for comprehensive audit of their dams.

As per section 31 of the Dam Safety Act 2021, every owner of a specified dam has been mandated to undertake annually, through their dam safety unit, a pre-monsoon and post- monsoon inspection in respect of each  specified  dam  and  to  forward  the  inspection  report  to  the  concerned  State  Dam  Safety  Organization, which shall analyse the report and provide comments on safety, deficiency and remedial measures, if any, to the owner of the specified dam.

Further, pursuant to the provisions of the Dam Safety Act 2021, the Central Government has constituted the  National  Committee on Dam Safety and established the National Dam Safety Authority for overseeing dam  safety  activities  across  the  country  and  to  evolve  dam  safety  policies  and  recommend  necessary regulations regarding dam safety standards in the country. Also, 28 States and 3 UTs having specified dams have constituted State Committee on Dam Safety and established State Dam Safety Organizations.

Further,  Dam  Safety  Act  also  provides  for  comprehensive  dam  safety  evaluation  of  each  of  the specified dam in the country by an independent panel of experts.

(c) As  per  the  National Register of Large (Specified) Dams, 2023 compiled by the National Dam Safety Authority, there are 234 number of large (specified) dams in India, which are more than 100 years old. The State-wise list of these dams is enclosed as Annexure. However, here it is important to mention that aging of dams is not detrimental to its overall health, provided it is maintained properly and timely repairs are carried out in the structure ensuring its structural intactness, safety features and operation.

(d) In  Maharashtra,  there  are  44  dams,  which  are  more  than  100  years  old. As  per  the  recent  pre  &  post monsoon  inspection  of  the  dams  carried  out  by  the  State,  no  such  dam  has  been  reported  with  serious deficiencies which need to be decommissioned.  Further, remedial measures are also being taken in case of any deficiencies noticed during the pre & post-monsoon inspection of the dams on priority.

No proposal has been received from Maharashtra for closure of any such dam.

ANNEXURE  AS REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO 3197 TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  21.12.2023  REGARDING  "SAFETY  AUDIT  OF DAMS"

| Sl. No.   | State/UT                  |   No. of Large dams more than 100 years old (constructed in or before 1922) |
|-----------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andaman and Nicobar       |                                                                           0 |
| 2.        | Andhra Pradesh            |                                                                           6 |
| 3.        | Arunachal Pradesh         |                                                                           0 |
| 4.        | Assam                     |                                                                           0 |
| 5.        | Bihar                     |                                                                           1 |
| 6.        | Chhattisgarh              |                                                                           7 |
| 7.        | Goa                       |                                                                           0 |
| 8.        | Gujarat                   |                                                                          30 |
| 9.        | Haryana                   |                                                                           0 |
| 10.       | Himachal Pradesh          |                                                                           0 |
| 11.       | Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakh |                                                                           0 |
| 12.       | Jharkhand                 |                                                                           0 |
| 13.       | Karnataka                 |                                                                          15 |
| 14.       | Kerala                    |                                                                           1 |
| 15.       | Madhya Pradesh            |                                                                          63 |
| 16.       | Maharashtra               |                                                                          44 |
| 17.       | Manipur                   |                                                                           0 |
| 18.       | Meghalaya                 |                                                                           0 |
| 19.       | Mizoram                   |                                                                           0 |
| 20.       | Nagaland                  |                                                                           0 |
| 21.       | Odisha                    |                                                                           3 |
| 22.       | Punjab                    |                                                                           0 |
| 23.       | Rajasthan                 |                                                                          25 |
| 24.       | Sikkim                    |                                                                           0 |
| 25.       | Tamil Nadu                |                                                                           1 |
| 26.       | Tripura                   |                                                                           0 |
| 27.       | Telangana                 |                                                                          21 |
| 28.       | Uttar Pradesh             |                                                                          17 |
| 29.       | Uttarakhand               |                                                                           0 |
| 30.       | West Bengal               |                                                                           0 |
|           | Total                     |                                                                         234 |

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