Dams

Southern dams fill as heavy rains lash TN; Chennai sees continued downpour

Heavy rain lashed many parts of Tamil Nadu, with the southern districts experiencing intense showers on Saturday as the rainfall activity gained momentum following the onset of Northeast Monsoon. The reservoirs in the south received copious inflows while in Chennai, the moderate to heavy rain since October 17, caused sudden inundation in certain places. According to the weather office, the Northeast Monsoon set in over Tamil Nadu on October 16. Moderate to heavy rains were expected in areas along the Western Ghats and southern districts, while coastal regions, including Chennai, will continue to receive moderate showers, it said. The upper air cyclonic circulation over the Southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep area persisted over the same region and under its influence, a low pressure area is likely to form over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area. As a result, Tamil Nadu is likely to experience moderate to heavy rain till October 22. Rain pounded Kanyakumari, ...

Bomb threat prompts security sweep at Kerala's century-old Mullaperiyar dam

Police in the Idukki district of Kerala said on Monday that security personnel conducted intensive searches at the more than a century-old Mullaperiyar dam here following a bomb threat. An email, threatening to blow up the reservoir, was received at the district collectorate in neighbouring Thrissur, police said. As soon as the information was received, a team of police and the bomb squad rushed to the dam site and carried out searches there, they said. "Nothing suspicious has been found so far. The inspection is still continuing," a police officer added. Built in 1895, the Mullaperiyar dam is a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu, which owns and operates it, and Kerala, where it is located. The bomb threat was received on a day when the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments, as well as the NDMA, on a PIL seeking construction of a new dam to replace the 130-year-old dam following concerns over its safety and structural stability.

SC issues notice to govt, states on PIL for new dam to replace Mullaperiyar

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments as well as the NDMA on a PIL seeking construction of a new dam to replace the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar dam following concerns over its safety and structural stability. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R. Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing the Save Kerala Brigade's petition alleging that over 10 million people live in close vicinity of the British-era dam. Some directions may be needed for strengthening the existing dam, the CJI said and suggested that the matter be examined by an expert body to assess safety aspects and feasibility of constructing a new structure. The Mullaperiyar dam, built in 1895 across the Periyar River in Kerala's Idukki district, is operated by Tamil Nadu under a lease agreement. It has long been a point of contention with Kerala citing safety concerns due to its age and seismic vulnerability and Tamil Nadu emphasising its importance for irrigation and

Water released from Maharashtra's Ujani dam after storage rises to 97%

Water level in the Ujani Dam in Maharashtra's Solpur district has reached 97 per cent of its capacity, prompting the irrigation department to release water from the reservoir, officials said on Tuesday. The dam is almost filled to its capacity owing to good rainfall in the catchment areas of the Bhima river. Water was being released from the dam at the rate of 70,000 cubic foot per second (cusec), an irrigation department official said. The total capacity of the Ujani Dam is 117 TMC and it generally gets filled up to its maximum capacity by August 15 in case of normal rainfall. The reservoir mainly provides water to Solapur and partly to Pune and Satara districts. "So far, the dam is filled up to 97 per cent, thanks to the good rainfall upstream in the Bhima river catchment area in Pune. Currently, water is being released from the dam at 70,000 cusec," Ujani dam project executive engineer Raosaheb More said.

Explained: China's mega dam on Brahmaputra and India's downstream risks

China has begun building a massive dam on Yarlung Zangbo near Arunachal Pradesh, raising strategic concerns for India as Beijing eyes economic and energy gains

China to speed up dam project in Pak amid India's Indus Treaty suspension

Mohmand Dam in Pakistan, developed by China Energy Engineering Corp, is expected to generate 800 MW of hydropower and supply up to 300 million gallons of water daily to Peshawar

India has 1,065 dams 50-100 years old, 224 are hundred plus: Govt

India has 1,065 large dams that are between 50 and 100 years old while 224 are over a century old, the Jal Shakti Ministry said on Monday. There are a total of 6,138 constructed and 143 under-construction dams in the country. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the government enacted the Dam Safety Act, 2021 to address the challenges posed by ageing dams and to prevent disasters arising from dam failures. He said dams, apart from serving irrigation and power generation purposes, play a significant role in mitigating floods. According to the National Register of Large Dams (NRLD-2023 edition), compiled jointly by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and CWC, there are 6,138 constructed and 143 under construction dams which aggregate to a total of 6,281 large dams. Of these numbers, only 224 dams are more than 100 years old and there are 1065 large dams which are 50 to 100 years old. Choudhary said the governm

Moderate flooding expected from glacial dam outburst in Alaska's capital

A flood warning was issued Saturday after an outburst from a glacial lake in Alaska's capital. Suicide Basin is a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier above the city of Juneau. Since 2011 it has released glacier lake outburst floods each year that cause inundation along Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall River. We expect moderate flooding from this event, not major flooding, said Nicole Serrin, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau. Residents had 24 to 36 hours to prepare for flooding, she said. The flood warning was in effect until Monday. The forecast called for the river to crest at around 3.35 to 3.5 metres early that day, the weather service said. Officials warned people to stay away from the river. Recent snow has made the banks very slippery. Suicide Basin fills with rainwater and snowmelt during the spring and summer and at a certain point builds enough pressure to force its way out through channels it carves beneath Mendenhall Glacier

Chennai and parts of Tamil Nadu sees heavy rainfall, dams fill rapidly

Chennai and several parts of Tamil Nadu experienced 'extremely heavy rainfall' resulting in the dams getting filled up fast. During the past 24 hours till 8.30 on Wednesday, the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said it observed extremely heavy rainfall in many places. The Cholavaram reservoir in neighbouring Tiruvallur district received 302.6 mm rainfall on a single day when the Northeast Monsoon commenced on October 15. The Redhills lake, near here, received 279.2 mm rainfall while Chembarambakkam obtained 85 mm, Kannankottai Thervoy Kandigai: 62, Poondi: 60, and Veeranam: 50.20 mm rainfall. The water level in the Poondi, Cholavaram, Puzhal (Redhills), Kannankottai Thervoy Kandigai, Chembarambakkam, and Veeranam reservoirs in Chennai and suburbs increased steadily, the Water Resources Department said. The combined storage in these six dams stood at 41.61 per cent (5,502.17 mcft, as increase from 4,844.20 mcft on Tuesday) with a combined inflow of 6,789 cusecs water today.

Teesta Dam's power station destroyed after major landslide in Sikkim

The project was under restoration following the glacial outburst in October last year, which had caused significant damage

Govt to review design of dams vulnerable to glacial lake outburst floods

The government on Thursday said it will review the design of all existing and under-construction dams vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods, ensuring these dams have adequate spillway capacity to handle extreme flood scenarios. A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a type of outburst flood caused by the failure of a dam containing a glacial lake. Moreover, conducting GLOF studies has been made mandatory for all new dams planned in areas with glacial lakes. In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the Central Water Commission's measures include monitoring 902 glacial lakes and water bodies across the Himalayan region from June to October each year. "Subsequent to Teesta-III Hydroelectric dam collapse in October, 2023, Central Water Commission has decided to review the design flood of all the existing and under construction dams vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) to ensure their adequate .

Flood waters rise in Russia's Ural mountains, forcing thousands to evacuate

More than 6,100 people have already been evacuated from the city of 230,000, according to local authorities. Fifteen of 40 schools in the school had been flooded

Authorities in Russia, Kazakhstan evacuate thousands following dam burst

Authorities in Russia ordered residents to evacuate parts of the Orenburg-region city of Orsk ofter a dam burst, adding to existing flooding in the region

Libya dam collapse raises alarm bells for India's 234 dams over 100 yrs old

According to industry experts, the government should revisit the Dam Safety Act, taking the climate change issues into account

Fresh spell of rain boosts water level in major dams across Gujarat

The revival of monsoon activity in parts of Gujarat over the past few days has boosted the water level of reservoirs, with the stock in 207 major dams across the state rising to 93.44 per cent, officials said on Wednesday. Of these 207 major dams, the Sardar Sarovar dam built over the Narmada river, which is considered the lifeline of the state, currently has 3.33 lakh million cubic feet (mcft) of water, which is 99.73 per cent of its total storage capacity, a release by the Gujarat government said. As per the government figures, 54 dams are 100 per cent full, 90 dams, including the Sardar Sarovar Dam, have a water stock of 70 to 100 per cent of their storage capacity, 29 dams are filled up 50 to 70 per cent, 23 dams are filled up 25 to 50 per cent, while 10 dams have water less than 25 per cent of their capacity. In all, 104 dams in Gujarat are filled up to 90 per cent and they have been put on 'high alert' as a precautionary measure, the government release said. Parts of north ..

Patel Engineering JV bags Rs 1,275 crore project in Madhya Pradesh

Patel Engineering Limited (PEL) on Tuesday said its joint venture has bagged a Rs 1,275.30 crore order in Madhya Pradesh. The contract was awarded by Madhya Pradesh Jal Nigam, Patel Engineering said, adding its share in the JV project is Rs 446.36 crore. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project includes testing, commissioning, trial run and operations and maintenance. It is expected to be completed in 24 months, and its operations and maintenance will be carried out for 10 years. The Mumbai-based EPC firm has a strong presence in tunnels and underground works for hydroelectric and dam projects.

PFC to provide Rs 4,528 cr loan for DVC project to set up 1,320 MW project

State-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has entered into a pact with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) as part of which it will provide Rs 4,527.68 crore loan to set up a 1,320 MW project at Raghunathpur in West Bengal. The Raghunathpur Phase-II project -- a collaborative effort between PFC and DVC -- will contribute significantly to the power generation capacity in West Bengal, a PFC statement said on Friday. With a combined capacity of 1,320 MW, the project marks a key milestone in the region's energy landscape, it said. "PFC and DVC have successfully executed a loan agreement amounting to Rs 4,527.68 crore. This amount is earmarked for the realisation of the ambitious 2x660 MW Raghunathpur Phase-II project," the statement said. As the project progresses, PFC and DVC remain dedicated to ensure its successful implementation, adhering to the highest standards of efficiency, innovation, and environmental responsibility, the statement said. PFC is the country's largest non-bankin

Storage capacity of Maharashtra dams to increase by 230 mn litre: Official

The storage capacity of dams in Maharashtra's Akola district will increase by 23 crore litre because of the implementation of the state government's Galmukt Dharan Galyukt Shivar Yojana, an official said on Tuesday. Under the state government scheme, silt is dredged from dams and other water bodies to increase their storage capacity and it is then used on agricultural land to improve soil fertility. "With the help of the district administration, 23.05 lakh meters of silt has been dredged from water bodies so far and more than 600 farmers have used the same on 700 acres of agricultural land," district water conservation officer Haribhau Geete said. The exercise will increase the water storage capacity of dams in the district by 23 crore litre, he said. Some of the major dams in the district are Katepurna, Morna, Nirguna, Uma, Dagadparwa, and Van. "Non-governmental organisations are working to remove silt from 22 lakes and ponds and the silt is provided to farmers for free and it ha

Monitoring dam safety

Decommissioning should be a policy option

Joshimath crisis: Some other places at risk of sinking in Indian Himalayas

A sinking Himalayan town is highlighting the dangers posed to the region and the fragile ecology of the mountain range disturbed by a proliferation of dams, roads and military sites near China border