Why in the News?
National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has constituted an expert committee to examine the dam safety of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP)..
More on the News:
- The KLIP is the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project.
- It is constructed on Godavari River in Telangana.
- The NDSA, a part of 4 tiered institutional structure under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 (refer to the box), established a six-member committee to probe the sinking of piers at the ‘Medigadda (Laxmi) barrage’ of the KLIP.
- Led by J. Chandrasekhar Iyer, former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), the committee will assess the hydraulic, structural, and geotechnical aspects of the dam.
- CWC is a premier Technical Organisation in the country in the field of water resources.
- It is as an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
About Dams:
- Dam means any artificial barrier and its appurtenant structure (barrage, weir) constructed across rivers or their tributaries to impound or divert water.
- A large dam refers to a dam with: a maximum height of more than 15 metres from its deepest foundation to the crest or
- Purpose: Provides for proper surveillance, operation and maintenance of the specified dams to prevent dam failure.
- A dam between 10 and 15 metres in height from its deepest foundation that fulfils conditions.
- Major Dam Failures across the globe include:
- 1975: Banqiao dam failure in China resulted in collapse of 60 other downstream dams and killed more than 80,000 people.
- 1979: Machchhu Dam failure in Morbi, Gujarat claimed over 2,000 lives.
- 2023: Derna dam collapse in Libya claimed over 3,800 lives.
Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP):
- The 2nd and 3rd Phase of DRIP envisages comprehensive rehabilitation of 736 dams across 19 States.
- The Project will receive loans, both from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), for disbursal among States and three central agencies (CWC, Damodar Valley Corporation & Bhakra Beas Management Board).
International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD):
- It is a non-governmental International organisation founded in 1928. It provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge in dam engineering.
- Indian National Committee on Large Dams (INCOLD) is the Indian Committee interacting with ICOLD.