Bhubaneswar:As per the provisions made under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, the State Government has framed rules for functioning of State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS).
The Department of Water Resources has notified the rules called as the State Committee on Dam Safety (Procedures, Allowance and other Expenditure) Rules, 2022 on Monday.
Formation of the State Committee for Dam Safety (SCDS) and State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSO) are mandatory under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 that was cleared by the Parliament in December 2021.
The SCDS headed by chief engineer (dam safety), will meet twice in a year and one meeting will be held before the onset of the monsoon season, as per the ToR set for the panel.
The Committee will work for the purpose of maintaining standards of dam safety and prevention of dam failure related disasters, review the work done by the SDSO, establish priorities for investigations in case of specified dams under distress condition and recommend the appropriate measures to be taken in relation to the safety of the specified dam which is under distress condition.
It will also review the progress on measures recommended in relation to dam safety, assess potential implication of reservoir filling of a specified dam in the State on any upstream State and co-ordinate mitigation measures with such upstream States; assess potential implication of failure of a specified dam in the State on any downstream State and co-ordinate mitigation measures with such downstream States.
The other functioning of the SCDS includes recommend provision of funds for the purpose of planned and appropriately phased rehabilitation of ageing dams in the State; provide strategic supervision for such dam improvement and rehabilitation programmes that are executed through State funding.
The Department of Water Resources has also formed the State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSO). Chief Engineer, Dam Safety along with 17 other engineers are there in the SDSO.
It will keep perpetual surveillance, carry out inspections and monitor the operation and maintenance of all specified dams falling under their jurisdiction to ensure continued safety of such specified dams and take such measures as may be necessary to address safety concerns.
The SDSO shall maintain a log book or database for each specified dam under their jurisdiction recording therein all activities related to the surveillance and inspection and all important events related to dam safety and with such details and in such form as may be specified by the regulations; and it will furnish all such information to the Authority as and when required by them.
The SDSO will prepare an annual report, within three months of the expiry of the preceding financial year of its activities and safety status of specified dams in the State and forwarded to the Authority for laying it down in Assembly.
No court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under this Rule except on a complaint made by the Central Government or the State Government or a person authorised in this behalf by the National Committee or the Authority or the State Committee or the SDSO as the case may be, added the notification.