Why in news
- National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) reviewed Jharkhand's preparedness and implementation status under the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
Key terms
DHARMA Portal
Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application, a web-based asset management tool to track dam safety data across India.
Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation
A periodic technical audit conducted by an independent panel of experts to review structural, hydrological, and seismic safety of a dam.
What is the Dam Safety Act, 2021?
- Enacted in December 2021 to provide an institutional mechanism for surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of specified dams across India.
- Establishes a two-tier institutional architecture: National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) for policy formulation and National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) as the regulatory body.
- Mandates State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSO) and State Committees on Dam Safety (SCDS) at the sub-national level.
Key Regulatory Provisions and Mandates
- Requires dam owners to conduct regular pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspections and carry out Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE) through an Independent Panel of Experts (IPoE).
- Mandates the operationalization of Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Manuals for specified dams, uploaded on the DHARMA portal.
- Requires States to establish dedicated SDSO bodies rather than committee-based arrangements and open a separate budget head for dam safety allocation.
Why it matters
- Addressing structural vulnerabilities of aging dam infrastructure prevents catastrophic flood risks.
- Improves inter-state river basin management by standardizing safety protocols and data monitoring via DHARMA.
Prelims facts
- NDSA is a statutory regulatory body established under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 under Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- CDSE reports and Emergency Action Plans are centrally tracked on the DHARMA portal.
Mains discussion
- Institutional challenges in converting committee-based SDSOs into dedicated state-level regulatory organisations.
- Role of statutory dam safety frameworks in climate-resilient infrastructure management.
Source: PIB English
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