Dam Safety Act will bring in unified policies: Jal Shakti Ministry official

Best possible means of finding a solution to Mullaperiyar row is perhaps in the Bill, says B.R.K. Pillai.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 on Thursday. This is one of the first legislation to be passed this week. The Bill prompted a four-hour debate in the Upper House as several members voiced opposition to the key aspects of the legislation. In an interview to The Hindu, expert on India’s dams and its policy, B.R.K. Pillai, who is Member, Krishna River Management Board, and a senior official of the Jal Shakti Ministry, explains the significance of the Bill. Edited excerpts:

In the absence of a proper dam safety institutional framework, shortcomings of varying degrees may get ingrained in the investigation, design, construction, operation and maintenance of dams. Such shortcomings lead to serious incidents and sometimes dam failure. Beginning with the failure of the Tigra dam (Madhya Pradesh) in 1917, about 40 large dams are reported to have failed so far. The most recent case of failure of the Annamayya dam (Andhra Pradesh) in November 2021 is reported to have led to the death of 20 people. Collectively, these failures have caused thousands of deaths and economic losses of mammoth proportions.

There are many protocols, including pre and post-monsoon inspections, for ensuring dam safety. However, as of now these protocols are not legally mandated, and the agencies concerned (including Central and State Dam Safety Organisations) have no powers to enforce them. The Dam Safety Bill seeks to correct this anomaly by establishment of a technically sound and legally empowered dam safety institutional framework at both Central and State levels.