Loan Agreement signed for Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project

The World Bank, Government of India and representatives from the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand signed Loan Agreement for additional financing of $137 Million for the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) that will help rehabilitate and modernize over 220 selected large dams.
This additional funding of $137 million will be used for the construction of an additional spillway for Hirakud Dam in Odisha and in rehabilitation and improvement of other dams including strengthening the institutional, legal and technical framework for dam safety assurance within the Government of India and in the participating States.

Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation through Central Water Commission with an objective to improve safety and operational performance dams, along with institutional strengthening with system-wide management approach, embarked upon the six-year Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) in 2012 with World Bank assistance at a cost of INR 2100 Crore (US$M 437.5).
In India Rainfall occurs mainly in intense and unpredictable downpours within short monsoon seasons, is of high temporal and spatial variability and does not meet year-round irrigation and other water demands. Hence storage of water is essential for India and the dams play a key role in fostering rapid and sustained agricultural and rural growth and development.
These dams benefit millions of people and therefore needs to be strengthened with more investment in their operations and maintenance. Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project act as a “lighthouse” showcasing how best to make dams fully operational and safe in a technically sound and sustainable manner.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2019