India Launches One of the World’s Largest Dam Rehabilitation and Safety Modernisation Programmes

India is undertaking one of the world’s largest dam rehabilitation and safety modernisation programmes to strengthen its ageing water infrastructure and improve resilience against climate and disaster risks. The initiative focuses on structural rehabilitation, technological modernisation, and legal reforms to ensure the long-term safety and efficiency of dams across the country.

Status of Dams in India

¨     India has the world’s third-largest network of large dams after the United States and China, with 6,628 specified dams, including 6,545 operational dams and 83 under construction.

¨     Their combined gross storage capacity is around 330 billion cubic metres, making them critical for irrigation, hydropower, drinking water supply, flood moderation, and national water security.

¨     Around 98.5% (6,448 dams) of India’s dams are owned by State Governments, while Central PSUs own 49 dams (0.7%), private entities own 36 dams (0.6%), and the Central Government owns 12 dams (0.2%). 

¨     Maharashtra has the highest number of specified dams, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Odisha.

¨     India’s oldest dam, the Kallanai (Grand Anicut) in Tamil Nadu, has remained functional for nearly 2,000 years, reflecting the long historical legacy of water infrastructure in India.

Challenges Facing Dam Infrastructure in India

 

¨     Ageing Infrastructure:Around 26% (1,681) of India’s dams are over 50 years old, including nearly 291 dams that are more than 100 years old, while about 42% fall in the 25–50 years age bracket.The ageing profile of dams has increased concerns regarding structural safety, operational efficiency, and maintenance requirements.

¨     Sedimentation and Declining Storage Capacity:Analysis of 439 reservoirs by the CWC shows an average 19% loss in gross storage capacity due to sedimentation, with average reservoir age around 42 years.The average annual storage loss is estimated at around 0.74%, equivalent to nearly 1.81 MCM per reservoir annually, affecting irrigation, hydropower, and flood moderation functions.

¨     Climate and Hydrological Risks:Changing hydrological patterns, increasing climate variability, extreme rainfall events, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and seismic vulnerabilities are creating new operational and safety risks for dam infrastructure.Such climate-induced risks necessitate systematic rehabilitation, improved reservoir management, and advanced flood forecasting systems.

¨     Disaster Vulnerability: Incidents such as the 2023 Sikkim flash floods that severely damaged the Chungthang Dam and the 2001 Bhuj earthquake impacting dam foundations in Gujarat, highlight the growing disaster vulnerability of dam infrastructure and downstream habitations.

Key Initiatives to Strengthen Dam Safety

Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)

¨     The Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP), launched in 2012 with World Bank support, is India’s flagship programme for improving dam safety and operational performance through structural repairs, spillway modernisation, gate strengthening, and advanced monitoring systems.

DRIP is being implemented in three phases

¨     DRIP Phase I (2012–2021) covered 223 dams across seven states.

¨     DRIP Phases II & III, operational since 2021, cover 736 dams across 19 states and three central agencies