According to a new report from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the Gandhi Sagar Dam on the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh requires immediate repair. The lack of routine inspections, malfunctioning instruments, and blocked drains have been longstanding issues for the dam. Constructed in 1960, the Gandhi Sagar Dam serves as a crucial water reservoir and source of electricity, but has experienced repeated breaches causing floods in the surrounding areas.
Gandhi Sagar Dam: Importance and Challenges
The Gandhi Sagar Dam is among five water reservoirs considered nationally significant in India. It was built with the aim of supplying drinking water to several districts of Rajasthan and producing 115 megawatts of electricity. In recent years, the dam has endured multiple breaches, leading to flooding in downstream areas.
Status Quo of Dams in India
India ranks third globally in constructing large dams, with over 5,200 large dams established to date. Of these, approximately 1,100 have already hit the 50-year mark, with some being over 120 years old. By 2050, this number is anticipated to rise to 4,400, suggesting that 80% of the country’s large dams could become obsolete as they age between 50 to over 150 years.
Concerns Surrounding Aged Dams
A major issue is their increasing obsoleteness coupled with the alarming state of hundreds of thousands of medium and minor dams. Examples include the Krishna Raja Sagar and Mettur dams, constructed in 1931 and 1934 respectively, which are now 90 and 87 years old.
Challenges Faced by India’s Ageing Dams
The design of these dams was based on rainfall patterns from the past, making them vulnerable to the unpredictable rainfall patterns seen over recent years. As dams grow older, soil replaces water in the reservoirs, leading to a decline in storage capacity.
Impacts on Food Security and Farmers’ Income
This decrease in water supply could drastically affect crop yield, impacting farmers’ income and overall food security. Furthermore, flawed siltation rates among many of India’s reservoirs could lead to more frequent downstream floods due to substantially depleted flood cushions.
The Need for Dam Safety
The preservation of human lives and safeguarding public investment in crucial physical infrastructure are critical reasons for ensuring dam safety. It also plays a pivotal role in addressing India’s emerging water crisis, linked to its growing population and climate change implications.
Initiatives Taken: The Dam Safety Bill, 2019 and DRIP Phase II
In response to these issues, the Rajya Sabha recently passed the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 which lays out provisions for surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of specified dams. In addition, the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP Phase II) aims to improve the safety and performance of selected existing dams sustainably.
Moving Forward: Ensuring Dam Safety
Accountability, transparency, and consideration of real stakeholders’ views – those living downstream from dams – are key factors in ensuring dam safety. Upgrading operational safety measures, such as rule curves determining dam operation at regular intervals, is essential to account for environmental changes like siltation and rainfall patterns. Additionally, a comprehensive assessment of every upstream and downstream dam on each river must be in place to warrant their safety in terms of operations.
