Dam Safety Act 2021
Topic: Water Resources of India: Availability, Use and Conservation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Dam Safety Act 2021 is a law for keeping India's large dams safe. It requires regular checks, emergency plans and proper upkeep of specified dams. It created two bodies. The National Committee on Dam Safety makes policy. The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) acts as the regulator, the body that makes sure the rules are followed. The law matters because India has about 5,700 large dams, third after China and the USA, and many are over 50 years old (verify current).
Example
In October 2023, piers of the Medigadda barrage sank. The barrage is part of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project on the Godavari in Telangana. This is the kind of dam incident the NDSA framework is meant to examine and prevent.
Don't confuse with
- National Committee on Dam Safety vs National Dam Safety Authority: the Committee makes policy. The Authority is the regulator that enforces it.