Context:
A three Supreme Court judge Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said the Dam Safety Act, 2021, was “existing on paper” after the State of Kerala argued that “nothing has been done”, including the constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety.
Dam Safety Act, 2021: Need and Features
- Need for Dam Safety:
- India is the third-largest dam builder in the world, with approximately 1,100 dams over 50 years old.
- The shelf life of medium and minor dams is lower, and the structural vulnerability of dams is a major concern.
- Flooding is increasing in frequency and intensity, which can exceed the design limits of the dam.
- Large dams are classified under “high hazard” infrastructure based on the risks of loss of lives, livelihood, and destruction.
The Salient features of the Dam Safety Act:
- Objective
- Provide for surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of all the specified dams situated in the whole country.
- Institutional Mechanism
- Two National Level Bodies: National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) and National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) providing policy guidelines as well as technical support to the State Dam Safety Organisations.
- State Level Bodies
- The SDSOs shall be in charge of inspection and surveillance of dams, and the State Committee on Dam Safety will oversee the state dam rehabilitation activities.
- Liability of Dam Owners
- Dam owners are liable for safe construction, operation, maintenance, and supervision of a dam.
- Offenses and Penalties
- Obstruction of a person or failure to comply with a direction may amount to imprisonment for one year or imprisonment for two years if the loss of life has ensued.
Problems with the Act:
- Jurisdiction of Parliament to Frame a Law on Intra-State River Dams
- The Act is applicable to all the dams specified in the country, but Parliament may regulate and develop inter-state river valleys if required.
- Schemes
- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II and Phase III in 2020.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Prelims
Q. On which one of the following rivers is the Tehri Hydropower Complex located? (2008)
(a) Alaknanda
(b) Bhagirathi
(c) Dhauliganga
(d) Mandakini
Ans: (b)
Exp:
- The Tehri Hydropower Complex (Tehri HPC) is located on the Bhagirathi River in the State of Uttarakhand in India. Hence, option (b) is correct.
Mains
Q. Suppose the Government of India is thinking of constructing a dam in a mountain valley bound by forests and inhabited by ethnic communities. What rational policy should it resort to in dealing with unforeseen contingencies? (2018)
Q. What do you understand by Run-of-river hydroelectricity project? How is it different from any other hydroelectricity project? (2013)
