Jaipur: To ensure availability of subject experts and work on protection of dams in the country, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday at Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) Jaipur for setting up a National Centre for Earthquake Safety of Dams.
The MoU was signed between National Dam Safety Authority (Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India) and MNIT, Jaipur in the presence of Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
This centre will study seismic hazards on dams across the country, how dams must be developed and how existing dams can be protected.
Officials said a financial grant of about Rs 30 crore has been approved for centre’s operation for the next five years.
“The centre is the first of its kind in the country. It is commissioned to work synergistically with dam engineers, regulators and policy makers and develop indigenous capabilities to make India self-reliant in handling technology issues related to structural and earthquake safety of dams in India, because seismic hazards are the most significant threat to the safety of dams,” said an MNIT official.
Shekhawat said that the central government is working on mission mode for the safety and maintenance of dams. “We must ensure that our dams are completely safe even in the face of increased earthquake hazards. India is a country with the third largest number of dams in the world. However, there is no correlation between the age of a dam and its life. Even a 2000-year-old dam is still working properly,” said Shekhawat.
The MoU was signed between National Dam Safety Authority (Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India) and MNIT, Jaipur in the presence of Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
This centre will study seismic hazards on dams across the country, how dams must be developed and how existing dams can be protected.
Officials said a financial grant of about Rs 30 crore has been approved for centre’s operation for the next five years.
“The centre is the first of its kind in the country. It is commissioned to work synergistically with dam engineers, regulators and policy makers and develop indigenous capabilities to make India self-reliant in handling technology issues related to structural and earthquake safety of dams in India, because seismic hazards are the most significant threat to the safety of dams,” said an MNIT official.
Shekhawat said that the central government is working on mission mode for the safety and maintenance of dams. “We must ensure that our dams are completely safe even in the face of increased earthquake hazards. India is a country with the third largest number of dams in the world. However, there is no correlation between the age of a dam and its life. Even a 2000-year-old dam is still working properly,” said Shekhawat.
