M A I N   N E W S

500 dams in India over 50 years old
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 4
Even as Kerala and Tamil Nadu battle it out over the Mullaperiyar Dam, there are at least 100 large dams in the country which are over one hundred years old and call for urgent steps and legal mechanism to ensure the safety of people and the structures.

Himanshu Thakkar of the ‘South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People’ says there are around 500 dams which are between 50 and 100 years old. “In all as many as 604 dams have lived the life of 50 years and above. But the country is yet to have clearly defined, legally binding accountability mechanism in case of dam failures or unsafe dam operations and for determining what is to be done with old dams that become a threat to lives, livelihood and environment.”

The Centre was expected to introduce a Dam Safety Bill to provide for the surveillance, inspection and operation of all dams of certain parameters. But Latha Anantha of Kerela-based River Research Centre says that while the report on the Bill by the Standing Committee on Water Resources was presented to both Houses of Parliament on August 17, 2011, there is still no clarity on the fate of the Bill. As per the National Register of Large Dams -2009, compiled by Central Water Commission, there are 5,101 large dams in the country, owned by the Union/State Governments, Public Sector Undertakings and private entities.

Every dam owned by a PSU or any institution owned by the government was to be brought under the Act. The Bill proposed establishment of a National Committee on Dam Safety to monitor the functioning of dam safety organisations, evaluate dam safety procedures and suggest ways to improve dam safety practices and evolve a comprehensive dam safety management approach.

Some political groups in Tamil Nadu, however, opposed the proposed Bill, alleging that it was aimed at helping Kerala, which wants to build a new dam across Mullaperiyar to replace the existing reservoir under the control of Tamil Nadu. “Congress may need the help of AIADMK boss J Jayalalithaa anytime, therefore it cannot afford to antagonise Tamil Nadu,” say activists.

Dams usually have a lifespan beyond which they become unsafe. In most cases 40-50 years is deemed to be active life span of a dam, after which it is prone to be unsafe and turns progressively less productive. Thereafter, the cost of maintaining the dam starts outweighing its benefits, say experts. 

Safety Concerns

n There at least 100 large dams in the country which are over 100 years old and call for urgent steps and legal mechanism to ensure the safety of people and the structures

n Dams usually have a lifespan beyond which they become unsafe. In most cases 40 - 50 years is deemed to be active life span of a dam, after which it is prone to be unsafe and turns progressively less productive.

n Thereafter, the cost of maintaining the dam starts outweighing its benefits