Mid Term Review Mission Organised to Review On-going Activities of Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project

Bhubaneswar: The Mid Term Review Mission by the World Bank has been organized at Bhubaneswar to review the ongoing activities of Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).

The meeting saw active participation from key international and national entities, MoJS, CWC, World Bank, AIIB along with the eight implementing agencies from West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, DVC, UJVNL and Odisha.Praising the efforts and commendable job done by the Department of Water Resources, Odisha in the field of Dam Safety and related activities, the dignitaries and participants said this has been a role model for other States.

Inaugurating the session Development Commissioner–cum–Additional Chief Secretary, Odisha Anu Garg reiterated various aspects of the Dam Safety activities in the State of Odisha.

In her deliberation, Garg highlighted on the phenomenon of climate change and growing challenge on water security. Odisha is facing cyclone very often, sometimes even twice a year. So necessary protocol may be maintained to safeguard the dams. In case of any eventualities, well documented Emergency Action Plan is in place to mitigate the life and property. Odisha has more than 210 specified dams out of which 60% of the dams have crossed the age of 30 years for which we really need to focus on the dam health.

In the recent past, there has been so many incidents which has forced the dam professionals to give more focus on the dam safety issues. She also cited the example of dam failure in Sikkim and Libya recently.

Garg appreciated the role of DRIP, which apart from addressing not only hardcore structural changes but also bring about the software changes like Emergency Action Plan, Operation & Maintenance Manual etc. State has full-fledged Dam Safety organization having 40% women who have the expertise on dam safety and play a key role in perpetual surveillance and maintenance of safety activities of dams in the State. A separate State budget DPIW has been created to address the most distressed dams immediately. She also elaborated different success stories in the Department of Water Resources starting from completion of long pending Subarnarekha Project, Deo Dam, Lower Indra Dam and Lower Suktel Dam.

The other dignitaries present on the dais, Anand Mohan, Joint Secretary, RD & PP, DoWR, MoJS, Govt. Of India, Rakesh Kashyap, Project Director, DRIP-II & III, CWC, Chabungbam Raj Gopal Singh, TTL, World Bank, Rajesh Yadev, TTL, AIIB in their speech unanimously appreciated the commendable job done by the Department of Water Resources under the able guidance of DC-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, DoWR. Odisha. They also praised the role of Odisha in the field of Dam Safety and declared it a role model for other states.