600 large dams to be rehabilitated under dam safety project

Thiruvananthapuram, January 23: The two-day international conference on dam safety began in Thiruvananthapuram today. 550 delegates from over 20 countries are attending the conference which will have talks and debates on subjects focusing on the security and sustainable management of dams.

Speaking on the occasion, Meghwal said, there is a need to adopt latest technology from other countries when it comes to dam safety.

“While there is need to construct more large dams to meet our demands, it is also important to safeguard the existing dam assets and ensure their safety,” he said.

The Minister said 80% of the 5,254 large dams in the country were over 25-years old. As many as 213 dams were over 100-years old and faced serious dam health and safety issues, necessitating urgent rehabilitation.

Meghwal added that 16 States and two Central agencies had submitted proposals to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore for the rehabilitation of 600 large dams in the second phase of the World Bank-assisted Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) due to begin in the year 2020.

Challenges in dam safety management across the globe, an overview of centrally funded Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project - DRIP and world bank initiatives are some of the issues that would be discussed in the two day conference.