A recent study by IISER Bhopal finds 50% loss in reservoir storage across India due to sedimentation. This threatens power generation, flood control, and water security, especially in the Himalayas, Narmada-Tapi basin, and Western Ghats.

• Experts urge sediment management and broader safety measures to avert disasters and resource crises.

About Dams

• Definition: A dam is a barrier built across a river or stream to store, divert, or regulate water. The stored water forms a reservoir used for irrigation, power generation, flood control, navigation, drinking water, etc. 

Important Data on Dams in India

• Number of Large Dams: India has more than 5,200 large dams, making it the third-highest in the world after China and the USA. 
  • These dams form the backbone of irrigation, water supply, power generation, and flood control.
• Storage Capacity: Collectively, Indian dams have a gross storage capacity of about 330 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is crucial for agriculture, food security, drinking water, and industrial needs.
• Aging Structures: By 2030, nearly 80% of India’s large dams will be more than 50 years old. Currently, over 200 dams are already more than 100 years old. Aging reduces structural integrity, increases maintenance costs, and makes dams vulnerable to failure under extreme stress conditions.
• Sedimentation Loss: A United Nations assessment warns that about 3,700 dams in India may lose nearly 26% of their original storage capacity by 2050 due to sediment accumulation. 
  • This will reduce irrigation potential, worsen water scarcity, and increase the risk of floods.

About Dam Failure

• A dam failure refers to the structural or operational collapse of a dam, resulting in the uncontrolled release of impounded water. It can cause loss of life, destruction of property, ecological damage, and disruption of livelihoods.

Causes of Dam Failures

• Natural Causes: Extreme rainfall, floods, cloudbursts, earthquakes, landslides.
  • Climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
• Structural / Design Failures: Inadequate spillway capacity.
  • Poor design assumptions about maximum flood or seismic load.
  • Aging infrastructure.
• Operational & Maintenance Issues: Lack of timely inspections and repairs.
  • Siltation reduces reservoir capacity.
  • Poor communication and absence of early warning systems.
• Human / Administrative Factors: Corruption, negligence, poor monitoring.
  • Failure in coordination between dam authorities and disaster management agencies.

Concerns Associated with Dam Safety in India

• Aging Infrastructure: Many dams have outlived their design life spans, raising concerns about structural deterioration, reduced efficiency, and the increased likelihood of failures if not rehabilitated in time.
• Seismic Vulnerability: Several dams are located in earthquake-prone zones, exposing them to seismic shocks. 
  • For instance, the 2001 Bhuj earthquake led to foundation liquefaction at the Chang Dam in Gujarat, highlighting the dangers of seismic events.
• Flood and Overtopping Risks: Rising instances of glacial lake outbursts, cloudbursts, and extreme rainfall events can overwhelm dams. 
  • The Chungthang Dam in Sikkim was washed away in 2023 due to a sudden glacial flood, showing the vulnerability of Himalayan dams.
• Sedimentation: Accumulation of sediments reduces reservoir storage capacity and efficiency, damages hydropower turbines, and increases structural pressure, thereby raising the chances of overtopping and eventual collapse.
• Financial Constraints: Many states face budgetary shortages, leading to irregular inspections, poor maintenance, and delays in dam rehabilitation works, thereby increasing risks.
• Non-Compliance with Recommendations: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of the Gandhi Sagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh highlighted that the State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) failed to implement corrective measures recommended by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
• High Human Vulnerability: Millions of people live downstream of major dams, making dam safety not just a technical issue but a humanitarian concern. A failure could cause massive loss of lives, property, and livelihoods.

Initiatives for Dam Safety in India

• Dam Safety Act, 2021:  With India being the third-largest dam-owning nation and nearly 80% of its large dams set to cross 50 years of age by 2030, the Dam Safety Act, 2021 marks a landmark step towards ensuring structural integrity, disaster preparedness, and public safety in water infrastructure.
  • Purpose: The Dam Safety Act, 2021 aims to ensure the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of specified dams in India to prevent catastrophic failures and safeguard lives and property. 
  • Before this Act, dam safety was guided by non-binding guidelines of the Central Water Commission (CWC).
• Institutional Framework:
  • National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS): Formulates safety policies, guidelines, and standards for dam management across India.
  • National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA): Functions as a regulatory authority to implement dam safety policies, ensure compliance, and resolve inter-state disputes related to dam operations.
  • State Committees on Dam Safety (SCDS) and State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs): Conduct inspections and enforce dam safety at the state level, ensuring local accountability.
  • Stakeholder Responsibilities: Dams in India are owned and managed by State Governments, State Departments, Boards, Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), and Private Agencies. All stakeholders are mandated to comply with dam safety standards.
  • Enforcement Provisions: The Act requires dam owners to set up Dam Safety Units (DSUs), prepare Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), and carry out Comprehensive Safety Evaluations (CSEs) at regular intervals. Violations under the Act may lead to penalties, fines, or imprisonment up to two years, making it a strict framework for accountability.
• National Register of Large Dams (NRLD): Maintained by the Central Water Commission (CWC), this register compiles comprehensive data on all large dams in India, enabling effective policy planning, monitoring, and safety assessment.
• Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP): Currently in its second and third phases, DRIP covers 736 dams across 19 states. Supported by loans from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), it focuses on modernising old dams, improving safety protocols, and training officials.
• National Centre for Earthquake Safety of Dams: Located at the Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, the centre focuses on structural and seismic safety of dams and promotes research on earthquake-resistant design technologies.
• India Water Resources Information System (WRIS): A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based platform providing a single-window solution for real-time data on dams, catchments, and water resources, helping in informed decision-making.
• Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application (DHARMA): A digital application that records vital data on dam performance and maintenance, paving the way for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in predicting dam failures and planning preventive measures.
• Seismic Hazard Analysis Information System (SHAISYS): A specialised tool developed to assess seismic forces and their implications for dam safety, ensuring proactive preparation in earthquake-prone zones.
• Dam Safety Review Panels (DSRPs): Several states have set up these independent expert panels to conduct comprehensive audits of dams and recommend remedial actions to enhance their safety standards.

Key National and International Institutions for Dam Safety and Governance

• Indian National Committee on Large Dams (INCOLD): India’s representative body within ICOLD, INCOLD promotes international collaboration and helps adopt global best practices for Indian dam safety.
• International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD, 1928): A non-governmental international body that provides a forum for sharing technical expertise, knowledge exchange, and safety standards in dam engineering worldwide.
• World Commission on Dams (WCD, 1998): Established by the World Bank and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), WCD evaluates the global effectiveness of large dams and develops international guidelines for planning, construction, and decommissioning.

Global Best Practices and Innovations in Dam Safety

• United States of America (USA): Maintains a National Inventory of Dams (NID) and mandates periodic inspections by the Army Corps of Engineers, ensuring transparency and accountability in dam safety.
• Japan: With its high seismic activity, Japan has pioneered earthquake-resistant dam designs and advanced monitoring systems, setting global benchmarks in disaster-resilient infrastructure.
• China: Employs sediment flushing technologies and large-scale catchment afforestation in river basins like the Yellow River, helping to extend dam life and maintain storage capacity.
• European Union (EU): Incorporates dam safety into environmental directives, ensuring safety standards align with biodiversity conservation and ecological balance.
• Japan’s Sub-Surface Dams: Innovative underground dams in Japan capture groundwater near the surface, preventing land submergence, evaporation losses, and sedimentation, while also reducing the risk of catastrophic dam failures.

Way Forward

• Decommissioning Unsafe Dams: Aging and unsafe dams should be systematically decommissioned or retrofitted to minimise risks, with clear plans for resettlement and downstream safety.
• Modern Engineering Standards: All new dams should adopt state-of-the-art designs with multi-hazard resilience, taking into account seismic, climatic, and hydrological factors.
• Technology Integration: Broader use of GIS, AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and remote sensing technologies can enable real-time monitoring and predictive early warning systems.
• Catchment Area Management: Large-scale afforestation, soil conservation, and check dams in catchment areas can reduce sediment inflows, thereby improving dam life and efficiency.
• Innovative Financing: Use of green bonds, public–private partnerships (PPP), and multilateral financing can bridge financial gaps for rehabilitation and maintenance of dams.
• Community Preparedness: Downstream communities must be engaged through emergency drills, flood warning systems, and evacuation planning to minimise casualties during disasters.
• Learning from Global Practices: India should adapt international innovations such as Japan’s sub-surface dams, USA’s strict inspection models, and China’s sediment management strategies to strengthen resilience.

Conclusion

As Nehru called them the “temples of modern India,” dams must be modernised with safety, resilience, and sustainability. Strengthening them advances SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), protects livelihoods, reduces disaster vulnerability, and ensures equitable, long-term national development for future generations.

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