NEW DELHI: The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)was finally established by the Ministry of Jal Shakti more than three months after the Dam Safety Bill was passed by Parliament.

The NDSA would be led by Member (Design & Research), Central Water Commission, according to a communication from the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The Dam Safety Act 2021, which was passed by Parliament in December 2021, mandates the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of various dams around the country, with penalties of up to two years in prison, a fine, or both for violations.

The Act covers all dams with a height of more than 15 metres, as well as dams with a height of 10 to 15 metres that meet specified design and structural requirements, including dams built on both interstate and intrastate rivers.

According to Ministry data, India has 5,745 major dams (includes dams under construction). The states operate 5,675 big dams, 40 by central public sector organisations, and five by private entities.

Over 75 percent of these dams are over 20 years old, with about 220 of them being over 100 years old. Maharashtra (2,394), Madhya Pradesh (906), and Gujarat are home to the majority of these huge dams (632). The 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, which sits at the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers in Kerala's Idukki district, is one of them. The decision was made ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on the Mullaperiyar dam's safety.

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