Dam safety a shared national obligation: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah emphasizes shared responsibility for dam safety, highlighting the need for vigilance, modernization, and coordinated action.

Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramiah said that the safety of dams is not the responsibility of a single department, but a shared national obligation demanding coordinated institutional action.

Speaking at the International Conference on Dam Safety – 2026 in Bengaluru on February 13, Mr. Siddaramiah said that, as dams become digitally operated, cyber security and protection against technological sabotage must be treated as core elements of national infrastructure security.

“Critical water infrastructure remains vulnerable to terrorism and strategic disruption, demanding constant vigilance and coordinated intelligence mechanisms. Methane emissions from reservoirs remind us that sustainability and climate responsibility must inform future dam planning,” Mr. Siddaramiah said.

He added that India today has 6,628 specified dams, making it the third-largest dam-owning nation in the world, and Karnataka, with 231 specified dams, ranks sixth in the country.

“Nearly 70% of these dams are over 25 years old, underscoring the urgent need for systematic safety evaluation, modernization, and risk-informed operation. We face climate-driven hydrological extremes. Seismic vulnerabilities, reservoir sedimentation, and the stresses of aging infrastructure create complex, interlinked risks. Dam safety is no longer a technical afterthought, it is a national security imperative,” he added.

He also said that governments at the Union and State levels should ensure periodic inspections and safety audits.