• India has almost 6,000 big dams, the largest number after USA and China, about 80% of them are more than 25 years old.
• There are many major dams and hydroelectric projects, in the Himalayan region that play an important part in supplying India’s energy demands.
• A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in North Sikkim’s South Lhonak Lake washed away one of the biggest hydropower projects in India, the Teesta III dam at Chungthang.

Dam Safety Act, 2021:

• The Dam Safety Act was tabled in the Parliament, as a response to deficient surveillance and maintenance causing dam failure-related disasters.
• It listed key responsibilities and mandated that national and State-level bodies be established for implementation.
• Role of States: To classify dams by hazard risk, create emergency plans and flood warning systems.
• Safety reviews and periodic risk assessment studies shall be undertaken and incidents of dams failures must be recorded.
• Central Government can regulate some aspects of dam safety, despite It being a state subject under Schedule 7 of the Constitution.
•  The existing dam safety regulations are part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notifications issued under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
• Specific provisions for Non-compliance with guidelines would be punishable by imprisonment and fines, especially if lives are at risk.

Bodies for implementation of the act:

• National Committee on Dam Safety to oversee dam safety policies and regulations.
• National Dam Safety Authority for implementation and resolving State-level disputes.
• The Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) would head dam safety protocols at the national level.
• State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS) and State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO).

Concerns and Challenges to Dam Safety:

• Dam failure has multiple instigating factors, both man-made (bad design, ineffective monitoring, bad operations, maintenance etc.) and natural (heavy rains, landslides, etc.).
• Poor dam management was a significant aggravating factor in the 2018 Kerala floods, and the Chennai flood in 2015.
• Inadequate risk management was reported as a major reason for 2013 floods by the Chopra Committee Report in 2014.
• Some reports revealed the lack of early warning systems, risk assessment or preventive measures in place as required under the Dams Safety Act.
• The act instills unequal political–executive power and legal arrangements, which will result in greater disharmony and instability among centre–states relations and interstate issues.
• There is inadequate transparency and access to information as Government employees and engineers oversee the safety and compromise objectivity.
• Many settlements typically tend to grow around dams, because of regular water supply but the disaster risk may change, highlighting upgrades or decommissioning.
• While spillway capacity and other parameters ideally need periodic five-year reviews, such reviews are often neglected or not made public.
• The Act mandates comprehensive evaluations by dam builders, yet the analysis and reporting of potential failures lack standardization, leading to inconsistencies.
• The Act requires dam builders to conduct comprehensive dam safety evaluations, but there is no standardisation of how the failure is analyzed and reported.
• The CWC keeps a record but the list is not updated regularly.

Dam Safety Measures:

Features of dam safety:

• Design and construct dams that adhere to safety margins
• Maintain and operate dams as per guidelines
• Record data in real-time in an accessible format
• Forecast hazardous events and instituting emergency plans

Factors to be considered:

• Hazard risk is sensitive to various factors such as climate change, urbanization, and water usage, necessitating regular reassessment.
• These evaluations should bring updated inundation maps and rule curves that influence dam reservoir capacities, enhancing downstream safety.

India''s dam safety efforts need to evolve to ensure the safety of these critical structures and downstream communities. Successful implementation demands a focus on risk-based decision-making, transparency, and standardized safety evaluations. A collective commitment from all stakeholders, including the government, engineers, and the public, is imperative to fortify India''s dam safety framework.