On December 13, 2021, the Dam Safety Act received President’s assent in order to provide for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dam for prevention of dam failure related disasters and to provide for institutional mechanism to ensure their safe functioning and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The Act is divided into 56 sections under 9 chapters.
Key Features:
- Applicability: it applies to the owner of every specified dam,—
(a) being a public sector undertaking or institution or a body owned or controlled by the Central Government or a State Government or jointly by one or more Governments, as the case may be; and
(b) being an undertaking or company or institution or a body other than those owned or controlled by the State Government or the Central Government, as the case may be.
- Constitution of National Committee: The National Committee shall be constituted within a period of sixty days from the date of commencement of this Act, and shall be reconstituted for every three years thereafter.
- Functions of National Committee:
1. Evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations as may be required;
2. Act as a forum for exchange of views on techniques to be adopted for remedial measures to relieve distress conditions in specified dams and appurtenant structures;
3. Analyse the causes of major dam incidents and dam failures and suggest changes in the planning, specifications, construction, operation and maintenance practices in order to avoid recurrence of such incidents and failures;
4. Evolve comprehensive dam safety management approach as an integration of dam safety evaluation, risk assessment and risk management for the desired level of safety assurance; and also explore compensations, by means of insurance coverage for the people affected by dam failures;
5. Render advice on any specific matter relating to dam safety which may be referred to it by the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be;
6. Make recommendations on a request by the Central Government on safety measures in respect of dams located outside the territory of India;
7. Make recommendations on the rehabilitation requirements of ageing dams;
8. Provide strategic supervision for such dam rehabilitation programmes that are executed in States through central or externally aided funding;
9. Identify areas of research and development for dam safety and recommend for provision of funds;
10. Make recommendations on the coordinated reservoir operations of cascading dams.
- Establishment of National Dam Safety Authority: The Authority shall be established within a period of sixty days from the date of commencement of this Act.
- Functions of National Dam Safety Authority:
1. Implementation of the policies made by the National Committee including making regulations on the recommendations of the National Committee;
2. Resolve any issue between the State Dam Safety Organisations of States or between a State Dam Safety Organisation and any owner of a specified dam in that State;
3. Provide the state-of-the-art technical and managerial assistance to the State Dam Safety Organisations;
4. Maintain a national level database of all specified dams in the country, including serious distress conditions, if any, noticed therein;
5. Maintain liaison with the State Dam Safety Organisations and the owners of the specified dams for standardisation of dam safety related data and practices, and related technical or managerial assistance;
6. Lay down guidelines and check-lists for the routine inspection and detailed investigation of the specified dams and appurtenant structures;
7. Maintain the records of major dam failures in the country;
8. Examine, as and when necessary, either through its own engineers or through a panel of experts, the cause of any major dam failure, and submit its report to the National Committee;
9. Examine whenever required, either through its own engineers or through a panel of experts, the cause of any major public safety concern in respect of any specified dam, and issue appropriate instructions relating to further investigations, operational parameters or remedial measures;
10. Lay down the uniform criteria for vulnerability and hazard classification of the specified dams in the country, and review such criteria as and when necessary;
11. Give directions regarding maintenance of log books or database;
12. Give directions regarding qualifications and experience requirements of individuals responsible for safety of the specified dams;
13. Accord accreditations to the agencies that may be entrusted with the investigation, design, construction and alteration of the specified dams;
14. Disqualify any agency for taking up investigation, design, construction or alteration of the specified dams, if it violates any of the regulations made under this Act;
15. Give directions regarding qualification and experience requirements of individuals responsible for investigation, design and construction of the specified dams;
16. Give directions regarding quality control measures to be undertaken during construction of the specified dams;
17. Lay down guidelines for preventive measures in the areas vulnerable to landslides in the vicinity of a specified dam under construction;
18. Give directions regarding competent levels of engineers in the dam safety units of the specified dams on the basis of vulnerability and hazard classification of such dams;
19. Give directions regarding instrumentation requirements and manner of their installation for monitoring the performance of the specified dams;
20. Give directions regarding data requirements of hydro-meteorological stations in the vicinity of the specified dams;
21. Give directions regarding data requirements of seismological stations in the vicinity of the specified dams;
22. Give directions regarding time interval for the risk assessment studies of the specified dams on the basis of vulnerability and hazard classification of such dams;
23. Give directions regarding time interval for updating the emergency action plans of the specified dams on the basis of vulnerability and hazard classification of such dams;
24. Give directions regarding constitution of independent panel of experts for comprehensive dam safety evaluation of the specified dams;
25. Give directions regarding time interval for the comprehensive safety evaluation of the specified dams on the basis of vulnerability and hazard classification of such dams;
26. Lay down guidelines for review of design floods of existing the specified dams;
27. Lay down guidelines for review of site specific seismic parameter studies of the specified dams;
28. Establishment of an early warning system incorporating appropriate framework for the exchange of real time hydrological and meteorological data and information related to operation of reservoirs by the owner of a dam;
29. Promote general education and awareness in relation to dam safety;
30. Provide secretarial assistance to the National Committee and its sub-committees;
31. Provide coordination and overall supervision of dam rehabilitation programmes that are executed in States through central or externally aided funding.
- Annual Report safety status of specified dam:
Every State Dam Safety Organisation shall prepare annual report, within three months of the expiry of the preceding financial year, of its activities and safety status of specified dams in the State and such report shall be forwarded to the Authority and State Government and that Government shall cause the same to be laid before each House of the State Legislature, where it consists of two Houses or where such Legislature consists of one House, before that House