As many as 293 big dams in the country are more than 100-years old, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Monday as he introduced a bill on dam safety in Lok Sabha.
The Bill seeks to set up the National Dam Safety Authority for proper surveillance, inspection and maintenance of specified dams as well as address unresolved issues between States. Besides, the government has proposed setting up a National Committee on Dam Safety in order to prevent dam failure-related disasters.
Mr. Shekhawat said there are 5,344 big dams in the country and out of them, around 293 are more than 100-years old. About 1,041 dams or 20% are 50- to 100-years old, he added.
Further, Mr. Shekawat said that nearly 92% of the dams in the country are built over inter-state rivers.
In 2018 also, the Dam Safety Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha but it lapsed with dissolution of the House.
