India-World Bank project on Dam Safety Program

Government of India, Central Water Commission, government representatives of 10 participating states and World Bank signed a $250 million project on August 4, 2021 for long-term dam safety program.

Highlights

• Project will help in improving the safety and performance of existing dams across different states in India.
• Agreement for the project was signed by Additional Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs under Ministry of Finance, representatives from the state governments and Junaid Ahmad on behalf of the World Bank.

Second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP-2)

This project will help in strengthening dam safety by building dam safety guidelines, bringing in global experience, and by introducing innovative technologies. Another innovation envisaged under this project is to transform dam safety management. It will also introduce a risk-based approach for dam asset management which in turn will help to effectively allocate financial resources for priority dam safety needs.

Important measures under DRIP-2

Important measures that DRIP-2 will undertake include flood forecasting systems & integrated reservoir operations. It will contribute towards building climate resilience. Project will also undertake preparation and implementation of Emergency Action Plans which will enable vulnerable downstream communities in enhancing resilience against possible negative impacts and risks of climate change. It will also pilot supplemental revenue generation schemes like floating solar panels.

Which states likely to benefit?

The dam safety project will be implemented in across 120 dams in the states of Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. Central Water Commission will launch the project at national level. Other states or agencies may also be added to project during project implementation over time.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2021