The monsoon season has now enveloped the entire subcontinent. While intense and prolonged heatwaves threatened human lives before the rains, the country is now grappling with a different set of challenges-erratic and heavy rainfall, both driven by climate change. These unpredictable downpours are making the management of large dams and reservoirs increasingly difficult in India.
Reports from Himachal Pradesh have confirmed damage to the Patikari Hydroelectric Project (HEP) and the Jiwa Small HEP due to cloudbursts. In Kangra district, several workers from the under-construction Indira Priyadarshini Hydel Project went missing after a flash flood struck the site on June 25. In southern India, dams remain on high alert as heavy rains persist across the region. Thirteen shutters of the Mullaperiyar Dam were opened to release water into the Periyar River, with the water level approaching full capacity. The situation is likely to deteriorate further in the coming months, potentially leading to rain-related disasters.
In October 2023, a sudden calamity in Sikkim became a pivotal moment in the discourse on dam safety and climate change. A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) from South Lhonak Lake triggered devastation at the 1,200MW Teesta 3 hydropower project in Chungthang, claiming 42 lives and affecting 88,000 people throughout the Teesta basin. This tragedy ignited urgent discussions about the management, safety, and long-term sustainability of dams across India.
India ranks as the third-largest dam-owning country in the world, following China and the United States. According to the National Register of Large Dams 2023, the country has over 6,200 large dams. Of these, around 70 per cent are more than 25 years old, 1,034 are between 50 and 100 years old, and 234 are over a century old. Recent inspections have revealed that two dams have critical defects that could lead to failure, while 183 others have issues requiring urgent intervention.
Although India’s dam safety standards are on par with those of developed countries, there have been several notable cases of dam failures and poor maintenance. Passed as a response to deficient surveillance and maintenance, India came up with the Dam Safety Act in 2021 for “proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of selected dams to prevent dam failures and ensure their safe functioning”. It gave way to the formation of a National Committee on Dam Safety to oversee dam safety policies and regulations, a National Dam Safety Authority to look into implementation issues involving States, a State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS) and State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO). The law also calls for comprehensive safety reviews of all dams by an independent panel of experts, besides making it compulsory for the dam owners to take time-bound safety actions.
Crucially, the Act mandates the implementation of emergency action plans and early warning systems (EWS) — measures that were missing at the Sikkim hydroelectric project. Former Union Power Minister RK Singh publicly acknowledged that the presence of an EWS could have significantly reduced the damage to the Teesta II dam at Chungthang. Similarly, an investigation into the 2014 Beas River tragedy — where 24 students from Andhra Pradesh were swept away by the sudden release of 450 cumecs of water — highlighted the lack of an EWS at the Larji Dam in Himachal Pradesh. The report cited “a complete disconnect between the generation engineering team and barrage staff” as one of the primary causes of the incident. The incident was cited by Himachal Pradesh chief secretary Prabodh Saxena in 2023 when he pitched for stringent action against dam authorities for failing to fulfil their duties. Saxena had pointed out that though a part of the devastation is bound to be natural, the responsibility of the dam authorities must also be fixed for failing to comply with the laws.
“It is time to send notices and not letters or reminders,” the chief secretary had told the officers, attributing the damage to negligence in adhering to dam safety checks as per the Dam Safety Act 2021. In January this year, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the slow implementation of the Dam Safety Act. During a hearing on the Mullaperiyar Dam case, the Apex Court criticised the executive for failing to act promptly, stating that it had yet to “rise from its slumber” despite the Act being passed by Parliament. The court also rebuked the central Government for its delay in establishing the National Committee on Dam Safety, which was legally required to be formed within 60 days of the Act taking effect.
The slow pace of early warning system (EWS) installations has become a growing concern as well. Since the Dam Safety Act was passed, less than 4 per cent of large dams have been equipped with EWS. Questions are also being raised about the adequacy of manpower to effectively implement the Act. Following the establishment of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), over 200 officials from the Central Water Commission (CWC) were reassigned to the NDSA secretariat and given additional responsibilities. This shift has impacted the functioning of the CWC, which plays a vital role in overseeing the control, conservation, and management of India’s water resources.
Experts believe that the Dam Safety Act holds significant potential to address existing gaps, provided it is implemented without delay. The World Bank, a key funding partner in India’s ambitious Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP), has highlighted the growing challenges posed by erratic rainfall patterns and their impact on dam safety.
Under DRIP Phases II and III, and with financial support from both the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, India plans to rehabilitate 736 dams across 19 states over 10 years, with a total budget allocation of `10,211 crore. However, positive outcomes can be realised promptly only when political will, bureaucratic efficiency, financial prudence, and institutional capacity align and work together in harmony. Additionally, investments must prioritise technologies that are affordable, socially and culturally appropriate, and environmentally sustainable.
The season of heightened flood fears has arrived once again. With the Dam Safety Act in force since 2021, the Government’s responsibility and accountability for preventing such disasters have become even more pronounced.
Making data public and ensuring that standard operating procedures are robust and accessible to people may be a good starting point to achieve the objectives.
(The writer is senior journalist. He has worked as a consultant with the Jal Shakti Ministry. Views are personal)