{"id":85806,"date":"2026-09-28T18:24:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T12:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=85806"},"modified":"2026-09-28T18:24:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T12:54:58","slug":"strengthening-dam-safety-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-09-2026\/strengthening-dam-safety-india","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening Dam Safety in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Disaster Management\/ Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A study by IIT Madras, covering <strong>6,545 dams <\/strong>in India, has highlighted limitations in conventional seismic zone maps for assessing earthquake risks to dams, particularly large dams in seismically active regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Findings of the IIT Madras Study<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The study used <strong>Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA),<\/strong> a comprehensive earthquake catalogue containing over 68,000 earthquakes dating from 2,600 BC to 2019, and maps of major Indian fault lines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PSHA is a <strong>scientific method used to estimate the probability of different levels of earthquake<\/strong>-induced ground shaking at a particular location over a specified period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dams in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India stands<strong> 3rd<\/strong> in terms of Large Dams worldwide, with 6628 Specified dams.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maharashtra<\/strong> has the highest number of specified dams, followed by <strong>Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat<\/strong>, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Odisha.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over 26% of dams<\/strong> are more than 50 years old, necessitating systematic rehabilitation and safety upgrades.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India&#8217;s oldest, the Kallanai (Grand Anicut) in Tamil Nadu<\/strong>, has functioned for nearly 2,000 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons for the Dam Failures in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Poor Maintenance:<\/strong> Many dams suffer from inadequate or irregular maintenance, leading to structural weaknesses, cracks, and deterioration over time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Design Flaws:<\/strong> Some dams were designed with outdated or incorrect specifications, not suitable for the current environmental or operational conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Natural Disasters:<\/strong> Earthquakes, floods, and heavy rainfall put immense pressure on dams, causing structural damage or even failures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over-topping:<\/strong> When a dam\u2019s reservoir exceeds its storage capacity due to excessive rainfall or snowmelt, water spill over, leading to erosion or breaching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Proper Monitoring: <\/strong>Insufficient monitoring of dam structures, including regular inspections and surveillance, can result in undetected damage or weaknesses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sedimentation: <\/strong>The accumulation of silt and sediment in reservoirs reduces storage capacity and increases pressure on the dam, which leads to structural failure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Dam Safety is a Priority Concern in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Aging of Dams: <\/strong>With the increasing number of dams becoming older, the likelihood of dam failures in India is expected to be an ascending path. There are 227 large dams in India which are more than 100 years old\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Structural Deficiencies:<\/strong> Many dams have varied structural deficiencies and shortcomings in operation and monitoring facilities, while few do not meet the <strong>present design standard- both structurally and hydrologically.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Institutional and Technical Capacities:<\/strong> Most of the States have been failing to provide <strong>sufficient budgets<\/strong> for maintenance and repair of the dam.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many states also lack the<strong> institutional and technical capacities<\/strong> for addressing dam safety issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Downstream vulnerability: <\/strong>Dam failure or severe damage can cause extensive flooding, affecting settlements, agriculture and critical infrastructure downstream.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digital platforms such as Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application (DHARMA)<\/strong>, along with instrumentation and Early Warning Systems, are strengthening real-time monitoring and data-driven dam safety management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)<\/strong> is being implemented in phases to improve dam safety and operational performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Dam Safety Act (DSA) 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Aim: <\/strong>Preventing dam failure related disasters and providing institutional mechanisms to ensure their safe functioning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Committee on Dam Safety: <\/strong>It has been constituted to prevent dam failure related disasters and maintain standards of dam safety and evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Dam Safety Authority: <\/strong>It has been established as a <strong>regulatory body<\/strong> for ensuring the nationwide implementation of dam safety policies and standards.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Its functions include implementing policies of the National Committee, and resolving matters between State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs), or between a SDSO and any dam owner in that state.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The central government may notify the qualifications, and functions of the officers of the National Dam Safety Authority.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>At the State level<\/strong>: The Act provides for the constitution of the <strong>State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS)<\/strong> and the establishment of the <strong>State Dam Safety Organization (SDSO).<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All the <strong>28 States and 3 Union Territories<\/strong> having specified dams have constituted\/established the SCDSs\/SDSOs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dam Safety Unit: <\/strong>Dam owners are now required to have a <strong>dedicated Dam Safety Unit, <\/strong>prepare Emergency Action Plans, and conduct Comprehensive Safety Evaluations at regular intervals.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) <\/strong>would head dam safety protocols at the national level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Penalty: <\/strong>An offence under the Act can lead to imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine, or both.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"9bb2c3\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" style=\"--dominant-color: #9bb2c3;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"794\" height=\"381\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-219.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-85807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-219.png 794w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-219-300x144.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-219-768x369.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India should <strong>progressively incorporate site-specific seismic hazard assessments <\/strong>into the design, safety evaluation and rehabilitation of dams in high-risk regions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Periodic seismic safety reviews<\/strong>, supported by updated earthquake catalogues and improved geological mapping, should be integrated into dam safety management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dam safety planning<\/strong> should combine structural assessments with early-warning systems, emergency action plans and downstream disaster preparedness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/science-snapshots-september-27-2026\/article71511734.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\n<strong> <\/p>\n<p>Context<\/p>\n<p> <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>A study by IIT Madras, covering 6,545 dams in India, has highlighted limitations in conventional seismic zone maps for assessing earthquake risks to dams, particularly large dams in seismically active regions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\n<strong> <\/p>\n<p>Key Findings of the IIT Madras Study<\/p>\n<p><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>The study used Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA), a comprehensive earthquake catalogue containing over 68,000 earthquakes dating from 2,600 BC to 2019, and maps of major Indian fault lines.\u2028<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>PSHA is a scientific method used to estimate the probability of different levels of earthquake-induced ground shaking at a particular location over a specified period.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-09-2026\/strengthening-dam-safety-india\"   class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85806"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85809,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85806\/revisions\/85809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}