India currently manages the world’s third-largest dam portfolio, comprising 6,628 specified dams, including 6,545 operational dams and 83 under construction. Together, these assets provide an estimated 330 billion cubic meters of gross storage capacity and remain central to India’s irrigation, drinking water, flood control, and hydropower systems.
However, the national dam portfolio is increasingly aging. More than 26% of India’s specified dams (1,681 dams) are over 50 years old, while 291 dams have crossed the 100-year mark. Sedimentation and structural deterioration have reduced storage capacities significantly, with studies indicating an average 19% storage loss across surveyed reservoirs.
To address these risks, the government has expanded the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)framework. Following Phase I (2012–2021), which rehabilitated 223 dams, DRIP Phases II and III are being implemented with a combined financial outlay of ₹10,211 crore, co-financed by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The programme targets rehabilitation and modernization of 736 dams across 19 states.
Alongside infrastructure rehabilitation, the Dam Safety Act, 2021 has institutionalized a statutory governance framework mandating periodic inspections, emergency preparedness, telemetry systems, and centralized digital monitoring through platforms such as DHARMA.
The report also highlights increased adoption of digital risk-monitoring tools, with all specified dams now onboarded onto the national dam monitoring platform.
Key Technical & Safety Metrics (2026)
Specified Dams: 6,628 total (6,545 operational; 83 under construction)
Aging Infrastructure: 1,681 dams above 50 years; 291 dams above 100 years
Gross Storage Capacity: Approx. 330 BCM
DRIP II & III Outlay: ₹10,211 crore
DRIP Coverage: 736 dams across 19 states
Digital Integration: 100% dams onboarded onto DHARMA platform
Risk Screening: 5,553 dams completed Rapid Risk Screening
Critical Safety Flags: 3 Category-I dams; 188 Category-II dams identified post-monsoon 2025
The Four-Tier Dam Safety Governance Framework
[National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS)]
(Apex Policy & Technical Benchmarks)
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[National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)]
(Regulatory & Implementing Arm)
│
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[State Committees on Dam Safety (SCDS)]
(State-level Safety Oversight)
│
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[State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSO)]
(Perpetual Surveillance & Compliance Audits)
Mandatory Obligations Under the Dam Safety Act, 2021
Dam owners are legally required to:
Conduct pre- and post-monsoon inspections
Establish dedicated Dam Safety Units
Prepare Emergency Action Plans (EAPs)
Install Early Warning Systems (EWS)
Set up hydro-meteorological and seismic monitoring stations
Undertake periodic comprehensive safety evaluations
Non-compliance may attract imprisonment and legal penalties under the Act.
What is DHARMA?
DHARMA (Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application) is a centralized, web-based digital platform and mobile application developed to streamline the data asset management and health tracking of India's dams . It acts as a single source of truth where dam owners can upload field inspection reports, structural instrumentation readings, and seismic data. By digitizing nearly 13,000 annual dam inspections, DHARMA enables the NDSA and state authorities to transition from legacy, paper-based reporting to real-time, predictive risk analysis, ensuring that structural distress signs are identified before a catastrophic failure occurs.
Policy Relevance
Mitigates Climate-Induced Disasters: The combination of Inflow Forecasting and Early Warning Systems under the Act directly protects downstream populations from flash floods caused by sudden glacial melts or cloudbursts.
Halts the Loss of Storage Infrastructure: With India losing an estimated 1.81 MCM of storage per reservoir annually to sedimentation, DRIP’s desiltation and structural re-engineering protocols safeguard the country's water and irrigation lifelines.
Enforces Financial Accountability: By legally mandating that dam owners earmark specific funds for operations and maintenance (O&M), the policy prevents states from neglecting basic asset upkeep due to fiscal constraints.
Builds Academic Capability: Establishing Centres of Excellence at IIT Roorkee (Seismic Hazard & Sedimentation) and IISc Bangalore (Risk Assessment) creates a highly specialised pipeline of homegrown dam safety engineers.
Standardises Multi-State River Basin Safety: Apex bodies like the NDSA help settle cross-border safety disputes when a dam owned by one state is physically located in another, neutralising interstate governance friction.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: With 188 dams flagged under Category II with major deficiencies in the latest inspection cycle, how can the NDSA fast-track emergency engineering procurements for these assets before the onset of the next monsoon?
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