India’s Old Dams: Gandhi Sagar in MP Needs Immediate Repair, Says Cag Report

November - December 2021

Gandhi Sagar Dam on Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh requires an immediate repair, warned a new report. It is one of the five water reservoirs of national importance. The absence of regular checks, non-functional instruments and choked drains are the major problems plaguing the dam for years, stated the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) released on December 23, 2021.

Gandhi Sagar Dam was constructed in 1960 to provide drinking water to several districts of Rajasthan and generate 115 megawatts of electricity. It has been breached several times in recent years, causing flooding in downstream areas, showed reports. Three districts in the State — Sheopur, Morena and Bhind, with an approximate collective population of 4.35 million (as per the 2011 Census) — lie downstream the dam.

Gandhi Sagar was put in Category II of the dam inspection report. Dams with major deficiencies, which may lead to complete failure/partial failure and need attention at once, fall under Category I. Those with minor to medium deficiencies that are rectifiable but need immediate attention falls under Category II. The CAG report mentioned a dam in Category I but did not name it. As many as 27 other smaller dams of MP were in Category II, according to the analysis.

The State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO), the Department responsible for its maintenance, did not comply with recommendations by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Dam Safety Inspection Pane (DSIP) on remedial measures, according to the paper.

Source: downtoearth.org

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