Plea to bring Himachal's small dams under Safety Act

Shimla, June 21

Small dams in the state should also be brought under the ambit of the Dams Safety Act, 2021, and the future construction should be carried out as per the procedure laid under the Act.

The idea was mooted during a meeting organised by disaster management cell on the preparedness for the impending monsoon season. It was chaired by Principal Secretary, Revenue, Onkar Chand Sharma.

Sharma also stressed on the need to accumulate and disseminate real-time information regarding the rise or drop in the water level of water bodies and dams, earthquakes, cloudbursts, lightning and other natural disasters for timely action.

Sharma also laid stress on the use of modern-day technologies, especially SACHET app developed by the National Disaster Management Authority. The application provides weather-related alerts on time and issues do’s and don’ts in a particular state of emergency at a particular place and time.

Sharma also directed the departments and officials concerned to work in tandem with dam, power plant and river management authorities to get timely information regarding the rise or drop in river level, landslides and release of water from the dams so that response teams can be timely alerted.