Tamil Nadu to start dam rehabilitation project next year

CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Saturday constituted an 11-member empowered committee to chalk out plans to start a World Bank-assisted dam rehabilitation and improvement project by next year.

The World Bank assistance is to the tune of Rs.745.49 crore for rehabilitation and improvement of 104 dams. Sixty-six of the dams are under the water resources department and 38 under the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.

In its policy note for the year 2010-11, the state government said 12 water resources department dams and five dams of TNEB will be taken up for rehabilitation next year.

According to the state government, Tamil Nadu is one among the five states selected by the World Bank for participation in this project.

The dam rehabilitation project would focus on structural or non-structural measures of the dams, hydrological assessment, sediment management and other measures required to improve the safety and operation of the dams.

The project will also take care of strengthening the legal regulatory and technical frameworks for dam safety assurance and the application of modern design practices and construction supervision according to international practices.