Lok Sabha Question No. 143 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-01-29
Subject: Status and Safety of Old Dams
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri G Lakshminarayana, Dr. Byreddy Shabari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 143

ANSWERED ON 29.01.2026

## STATUS AND SAFETY OF OLD DAMS

## 143.     SHRI G LAKSHMINARAYANA:

## Dr. BYREDDY SHABARI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  the  total  number  of  dams  in  the  country  that  are  over  fifty  years  old,  State-wise  and  year  ofcommissioning-wise;

(b)  whether the Government has conducted structural safety audits or vulnerability assessments of these dams and if so, the details thereof along with the number of such dams identified as requiring urgent repair, rehabilitation or modernisation;

(c)  the  details  of  repair  and  rehabilitation  works  carried  out  during  the  last  five  years  under  the  Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) or any other Central/State-funded programme;

(d) the total funds allocated, released and utilised for the said works, State and scheme-wise; and

(e) whether any dams have been identified as unsafe or at risk of failure and if so, the details thereof along with the steps being taken to ensure their safety and to prevent potential hazards?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) As per the National Register of Specified Dams (NRSD), 2025 compiled by the National Dam Safety Authority, there are 1,681 specified dams that are over fifty years old. Comprehensive state-wise details of the  specified  dams,  along  with  their  respective  years  of  commissioning is  accessible  via  the  link: https://dharma.cwc.gov.in/#/national-register-of-specified-dams-(nrsd)-2025

(b) Responsibility for safety of dams, including its operation and maintenance rests primarily with dam owners. In accordance with the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, every owner of a specified dam is mandated to conduct every year a pre-monsoon inspection and post-monsoon inspection of each specified dam under their jurisdiction. As per this compliance, dam owning agencies have reported the pre-monsoon & post-monsoon inspections of about 6524 and 6553 dams respectively for the year 2025.

As an outcome of pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspections, dams are being categorized into three categories on the basis of urgency of repairs/maintenance. Category-III requires minor remedial measures which are rectifiable during the year. Category-II indicates major deficiencies requiring prompt remedial measures and Category-I indicate the most serious deficiencies, which if left unattended, may lead to their failure.

As  per  the  information  provided  by  the  National  Dam  Safety  Authority,  the  post-monsoon  inspection reports of 2025 indicate that three specified dams have been classified under Category-I. These include the Medigadda Barrage in Telangana, the Lower Khajuri Dam in Uttar Pradesh, and the Bokaro Barrage in Jharkhand.

In  addition,  216  dams  have  been  categorized  under  Category-II.  Of  these,  69  specified  dams  are more than fifty years old.

(c) & (d) To improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams across the country along with institutional strengthening for dam  safety, Govt. of India  is  implementing  the  Dam Rehabilitation  and  Improvement  Project  (DRIP),  Phase-II  and  III.  The  scheme  is  of  10  years  duration (2021-2031),  being  implemented  in  two  phases,  each  of  6  years  duration  with  2  years  of  overlap  with external  funding.  The  scheme  envisages  the  rehabilitation  and  safety  enhancement  of  736  dams  spread across 19 States and three Central agencies, with a total financial outlay of Rs. 10,211 crores. DRIP PhaseII has become operational from 12th October 2021, and is being co-financed by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure  and  Investment  Bank  (AIIB). The  financial  outlay  for  Phase  II  is  Rs.  5,107  crores, while Phase III has an allocation of Rs. 5,104 crores.

Rehabilitation  and  improvement  works  under  the  Scheme  aim  to  enhance  dam  safety  and  floodhandling  capacity  through  structural  and  non-structural  measures.  These  include  raising  parapet  walls, improving spillways, preparing O&M Manuals and Emergency Action Plans, repairing or replacing gates and hydro-mechanical components, strengthening dam structures with grouting and seepage control, and upgrading safety facilities such as access roads, lighting, catwalks, and DG sets.

Under  the  ongoing  DRIP-II  Scheme,  rehabilitation  proposals  (called  Project  Screening  Template, PST) of 173 dams amounting to Rs. 4,744 crores have been approved. Contracts amounting to Rs. 2816 crores have been awarded by the various Implementing States/agencies. The total expenditure under DRIPII  scheme  up  to  31 st December 2025 is Rs. 2029 crores. Major physical rehabilitation works have been completed at 35 dams.

State/Agency-wise details  of  funds  allocated  and  expenditure  incurred  under  DRIP-II  Scheme  are given at Annexure.

(e) Based  on  the  post-monsoon  inspection  reports  of  2025,  three  dams  have  been  classified  under Category-I,  reflecting  serious  safety  concerns  and  vulnerabilities  that  pose  significant  risks  and  demand urgent intervention to ensure their continued safe operation. Of these, two Category-I dams namely Lower Khajuri  Dam  in  Uttar  Pradesh  and  the  Bokaro  Barrage  of  the  Damodar  Valley  Corporation  have  been included under the DRIP-II Scheme for rehabilitation and safety enhancement.

With  regard  to  the  third  Category-I  dam,  the  Lakshmi  (Medigadda)  Barrage,  the  State  has  been requested to implement the various preventive and mitigating measures recommended by the National Dam Safety Authority to safeguard the structure's integrity and resilience.

***

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) & (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 143 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 29.01.2026 REGARDING 'STATUS AND SAFETY OF OLD DAMS'.

## State/Agency-wise Fund allocation and Expenditure under DRIP Phase-II

(As on 31

st December 2025)

| S. No.   | State/Agency                 | Latest Fund DRIP-II   | Allocation   | under Expenditure incurred   |
|----------|------------------------------|-----------------------|--------------|------------------------------|
| S. No.   | State/Agency                 | (in Rs. Cr)           |              | (in Rs. Cr)                  |
| 1        | Bhakra Beas Management Board | 70                    |              | 0.04                         |
| 2        | ChhattisgarhWRD              | 170                   |              | 53.34                        |
| 3        | Damodar Valley Corporation   | 44                    |              | 1.17                         |
| 4        | GoaWRD                       | 58                    |              | 0                            |
| 5        | GujratWRD                    | 350                   |              | 245.86                       |
| 6        | KarnatakaWRD                 | 699                   |              | 284.02                       |
| 7        | Kerala SEBL                  | 90                    |              | 59.44                        |
| 8        | KeralaWRD                    | 130                   |              | 45.77                        |
| 9        | MaharashtraWRD               | 379                   |              | 72.72                        |
| 10       | ManipurWRD                   | 98                    |              | 59.72                        |
| 11       | Meghalaya PGCL               | 150                   |              | 67.81                        |
| 12       | Madhya PradeshWRD            | 186                   |              | 33.19                        |
| 13       | OdishaWRD                    | 100                   |              | 37.52                        |
| 14       | PunjabWRD                    | 71                    |              | 0.36                         |
| 15       | RajasthanWRD                 | 503                   |              | 166.17                       |
| 16       | Tamil Nadu GECL              | 260                   |              | 153.32                       |
| 17       | Tamil NaduWRD                | 510                   |              | 280.68                       |
| 18       | TelanganaWRD                 | 100                   |              | 0                            |
| 19       | Uttarakhand JVNL             | 300                   |              | 214.89                       |
| 20       | Uttar Pradesh I&WRD          | 354                   |              | 31.03                        |
| 21       | West Bengal I&WD             | 200                   |              | 53.99                        |
| 22       | CWC                          | 285                   |              | 168.49                       |
|          | Total                        | 5107                  |              | 2029.53                      |

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