HYDERABAD: Following a recent communique from Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, which stated that implementation of the Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE) in Telangana remains ‘negligible’, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy instructed Irrigation officials to conduct a project-wise analysis of the projects mentioned in the letter.
During the meeting, the chief minister briefed the officials on the points mentioned in Patil’s letter and gave several instructions to them on how to move forward on the issues raised in the letter.
Revanth directed the officials to conduct a project-wise analysis of the projects mentioned in the letter and prepare comprehensive reports. He also instructed them to prepare a status report on all the dams in the state.
In his letter, Patil had said: “I would like to draw your kind attention to the implementation of a key provision under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 namely, the Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE), which forms a cornerstone of the Act’s regulatory framework. Chapter IX of the Act provides detailed guidance on the CDSE process. In particular, Section 38(1) of the Act mandates that the owner of every specified dam shall undertake, or cause to be undertaken, a comprehensive safety evaluation of each such dam through an independent panel of experts constituted in accordance with the prescribed regulations.”
Structural condition
Patil told the chief minister that the objective of CDSE is to assess the structural and operational condition of the dam and its reservoir. It is further stipulated in the Act that the first CDSE for each existing specified dam must be completed within five years from the date of commencement of the Act. Subsequent evaluations are to be conducted at regular intervals, as may be specified by the relevant regulations.
As such, the first CDSE for all the specified dams must be completed no later than December 2026, in strict adherence to the timelines prescribed under the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
“During a recent review meeting convened to ascertain the implementation status of various provisions under the Act, it was brought to my attention that progress on CDSE in the state of Telangana remains negligible.
At present, the state of Telangana owns and operates a total of 173 specified dams. With approximately 15 months remaining until the statutory deadline, it is imperative that the State expedites efforts to finalise and operationalise the CDSE process for each of its specified dams. To achieve this objective, dam-owning authorities must strategically prioritise the deployment of both technical expertise and financial resources,” Patil told Revanth Reddy.
The Union minister urged the chief minister to personally review the matter and issue appropriate directions to the concerned departments and officials to initiate immediate and decisive action.
