The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Dam Safety Bill, seeking to set up an institutional mechanism for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of specified dams across the country.
The provisions of the Bill are proposed to be applied to all specified dams in the country which have height of more than 10 metres. The Bill envisages a two-tier structure at national as well state-level to ensure safety of dams in the country, said Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Observing that safety of dam is extremely important as it concerns lives of people, property and flora and fauna, the Minister said “there is a need to have a common protocol for safety of dams in the country.” There are 5,745 reservoirs in the country of which 293 are more than 100 years old. The age of 25 per cent of dams is between 50 to 100 years and 80 per cent are over 25 years old, he said.
Among other things, the bill also seeks to resolve the inter-state issues concerning maintenance and safety of dams, he said, adding as many as 92 per cent of dams in the country is on inter-state river basins.
