<p>With several dams across the country being nearly half-a-century old, the Centre has planned a legislation for their safety.<br /><br />The proposed bill on safety of large dams is likely to be introduced in the budget session of Parliament beginning on Monday.<br /><br />"We have prepared a legislation which aims to establish an institutional system to regularly monitor the safety of large dams," Water Resources Secretary U N Panjiyar said.</p>.<p><br />He said while some states like Bihar have their own dam safety laws, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have authorised Parliament to enact a law in this regard.<br /><br />"As per constitutional provisions, if two or more states authorise Parliament to make a law on a state subject, the Centre can pass a law," he said, adding that other states can pass a resolution in their legislatures to adopt the Central law. Water is a state subject.<br /><br />With several private players now involved in operating dams, they would also be covered under the proposed law.<br /><br />"While the Centre will carry out the overall monitoring, states will have to set up their institutional system to ensure dam safety," Panjiyar added. <br /><br />Under the new bill, a Dam Safety Cell will be set up at the project level, while a Dam Safety Organisation will be constituted at the state level.<br /><br />Another similar organisation will be established at the level of the owner of the dam. The owner could either be government or a private operator.<br /><br />The operators will have the obligation to allow inspections by experts to ascertain safety of the structure.<br /><br />Asked if the proposed law was keeping in view any specific threats to dams, Panjiyar said it was a general law as dams need constant monitoring and strengthening. According to the National Register of Large Dams, 2009, India has 4,710 completed dams, while 390 dams are under construction.</p>
<p>With several dams across the country being nearly half-a-century old, the Centre has planned a legislation for their safety.<br /><br />The proposed bill on safety of large dams is likely to be introduced in the budget session of Parliament beginning on Monday.<br /><br />"We have prepared a legislation which aims to establish an institutional system to regularly monitor the safety of large dams," Water Resources Secretary U N Panjiyar said.</p>.<p><br />He said while some states like Bihar have their own dam safety laws, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have authorised Parliament to enact a law in this regard.<br /><br />"As per constitutional provisions, if two or more states authorise Parliament to make a law on a state subject, the Centre can pass a law," he said, adding that other states can pass a resolution in their legislatures to adopt the Central law. Water is a state subject.<br /><br />With several private players now involved in operating dams, they would also be covered under the proposed law.<br /><br />"While the Centre will carry out the overall monitoring, states will have to set up their institutional system to ensure dam safety," Panjiyar added. <br /><br />Under the new bill, a Dam Safety Cell will be set up at the project level, while a Dam Safety Organisation will be constituted at the state level.<br /><br />Another similar organisation will be established at the level of the owner of the dam. The owner could either be government or a private operator.<br /><br />The operators will have the obligation to allow inspections by experts to ascertain safety of the structure.<br /><br />Asked if the proposed law was keeping in view any specific threats to dams, Panjiyar said it was a general law as dams need constant monitoring and strengthening. According to the National Register of Large Dams, 2009, India has 4,710 completed dams, while 390 dams are under construction.</p>