National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams at MNIT Jaipur inaugurated by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Union Minister, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, inaugurated the National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams on 14th September 2023 at Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) Jaipur in the presence of Shri Pankaj Kumar (Secretary), Ministry of Jal Shakti. Hon’ble Director, Professor N. P. Padhy, MNIT Jaipur, and Professor S. D. Bharti, Head, NCDMM, MNIT Jaipur welcomed the guests.
The website of the National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams (ncesd.mnit.ac.in) has also been made live by Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. This website hosts all the activities of the Center and will also serve as the link between the stakeholders involved in dam safety and act as a repository for the data and documentation developed by the Center.
Establishing the National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams with a financial grant of 30 Crores for running the Center for five years is an important milestone in ensuring dam safety in India as per The Dam Safety Act 2021 requirements.
The distinguished guests also unveiled an exhibition showing the proposed activities of the National Center. A book on the Basics of Earthquake Risk Evaluation of Dams authored by S. D. Bharti, Jaswant N. Arlekar, and C. V. R. Murty was released. This is the first publication released by the Center, and it marks an important beginning of the publications expected from the National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams. The distinguished guests complimented the authors of the book for the release of this book.
The safety of over 5,500 Specified Dams in India
The number of specified dams in India is over 5,500; about 70 of them are dams of national importance. Large dams are high-risk structures whose structural and/or operational failure may lead to uncontrolled and sudden release of impounded water, and in turn, this will have catastrophic consequences on life, property, and ecology. During recent years, there has been a growing concern about the structural and earthquake safety of major dams in India.