By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II & Phase III with the financial assistance of the World Bank (WB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to improve the safety and operational performance of selected dams across the whole country, along with institutional strengthening with system wide management approach.
At least 36 critical dams in Odisha will be benefitted in DRIP II and III Phase Project. These projects were posed by Department of Water Resources(DoWR), which has been accepted by Union Government for funding.Odisha performed well in DRIP Phase I and its performance was appreciated in the International Dam Safety Conference held here in Bhubaneswar in 2019.At least 26 dams including Hirakud Spillway was covered in DRIP Phase I in Odisha.DRIP Phase II & Phase III envisages to improve the safety and performance of selected existing dams and associated appurtenances in a sustainable manner.
The project cost is Rs 10,211 crore. The Project will be implemented over a period of 10 years duration in two Phases, each of six years duration with two years overlapping from April, 2021 to March, 2031. The share of external funding is Rs 7,000 crore of the total project cost, and balance Rs 3,211 crore is to be borne by the concerned Implementing Agencies (IAs). The contribution of Central Government is Rs 1,024 crore as loan liability and Rs 285 crore as counter-part funding for Central Component.
DRIP Phase II & Phase III envisages the following objectives:-To improve the safety and performance of selected existing dams and associated appurtenances in a sustainable manner.
To strengthen the dam safety institutional setup in participating states as well as at central level, and To explore the alternative incidental means at few of selected dams to generate the incidental revenue for sustainable operation and maintenance of dams.
To achieve the above objectives, DRIP Phase II & Phase III has following components:Rehabilitation and improvement of dams and associated appurtenances.Dam safety institutional strengthening in participating States and Central agencies.Exploration of alternative incidental means at few of selected dams to generate the incidental revenue for sustainable operation and maintenance of dams, andProject management.The Scheme envisages comprehensive rehabilitation of 736 existing dams located across the country.
