The Second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP-2)
Recently, India and the World Bank have signed an agreement for the second phase of the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP-2).
The $250 million project agreement was signed between the Government of India, the Central Water Commission, government representatives from 10 participating states and the World Bank. It aims to strengthen dam safety and resilience.
Central Water Commission (CWC) is the national agency for the implementation of this project.
Objectives of DRIP-2
- Incorporating a risk based approach to dam asset management. This approach will help in effectively allocating financial resources for the safety needs of priority dams.
- Laying down dam safety guidelines and developing global standards. Establishing flood forecasting systems and integrating reservoir operations.
- Preparation of emergency action plan to help vulnerable communities living downstream of the river.
- Using supplementary revenue generation schemes like floating solar panels.
About Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project
- It is the world’s most comprehensive dam management programme. It envisages revival and improvement of 223 dam projects. It is to be noted that this project period was extended for 2 years in the year 2018.
- The objective of the project is to improve the safety and operational performance of selected dams through institutional strengthening with a comprehensive systemic management approach.
- It was started for a period of 6 years with the assistance of US $ 437.5 million provided by the World Bank.
Key Facts
There are 5,334 major dams being operated in India. In this context, it ranks third globally after China and the United States. Indian dams and reservoirs store about 300 billion meters of cubic water annually.
Source – The Hindu
