The National Center for Safety of Dams from Earthquakes and Other Disasters in the Country will be set up at Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur. In this regard, an MoU was signed between MNIT and the Ministry’s National Dam Safety Authority on Monday in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

In the program, Shekhawat claimed that India is the nation with the third-highest number of dams worldwide. More than 25% of the dams are the type that have lived for more than half of their lives. Many dams are even more than a century old. However, the endurance of the dam has nothing to do with its age. The oldest dam, which dates back 2,000 years, is still in operation.

The Union Minister also said that a policy should have been made regarding the maintenance of dams in the country and their safety. Discussion on this also started in the 80s. PM Narendra Modi took a pledge regarding the safety of dams and in the year 2021, a law related to dam safety was enacted. He said that the maintenance of dams does not only mean the safety of its structure but also keeping its system in order.

Union Minister Shekhawat also mentioned that this center will get financial assistance of 30 crores from the Ministry of Jal Shakti.