The Irrigation Department has listed 16 dams in the State managed by it for the second phase of the World Bank-assisted Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).
DRIP II will cover 14 dams on which work had been started under the ongoing DRIP Phase I, besides two other dams -- Pothundi and Maniyar. The work is expected to begin by April 2020. The State Government has obtained in-principle approval for rehabilitation of the 16 dams in Phase II at an estimated cost of ₹165.9 crore, department officials said.
Two key components of DRIP involve the rehabilitation and improvement of dams and their associated appurtenances and institutional strengthening in terms of dam safety.
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At the national level, the Union Government has cleared DRIP Phase II and Phase III with a proposed outlay of ₹10,200 crore. Loan assistance from the World Bank is approximately ₹7,000 crore. The rest is shared by the State and Central Governments. The work is meant to be completed in 10 years (2020-2030), with each phase lasting six years, and two years overlapping.
Remaining Phase I work
The work remaining from the ₹360-crore DRIP Phase I will be undertaken in Phase II, Irrigation Department officials said, adding this includes strengthening of the galleries, carrying out grouting and other works.
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For implementation of DRIP II, the State Government has constituted a State Projects Management Unit (SPMU). The Chief Engineer, Investigation and Design (Irrigation Design and Research Board - IDRB), is the nodal officer and the Director, IDRB, the project director. The executive engineers of the dams concerned will act as dam managers.
“'The Dam Safety Review Panel (DSRP) is currently inspecting the dams. It has visited 11 so far. Its assessment would be incorporated into the final proposals,” Joshy K. A., Chief Engineer (IDRB), said.
In April this year, the State Government had reconstituted the DSRP which was formed in 2012 for guiding it on dam design, construction and safety as part of DRIP implementation.