India Moves Toward Risk-Based, Tech-Driven Dam Safety Framework at NCDS Meet

The NCDS, constituted under Section 5 of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, functions as a policy think tank for the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).

India is accelerating the shift toward a technology-enabled, risk-based dam safety regime, as the 11th Meeting of the National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) concluded with key decisions on advanced evaluation frameworks, seismic monitoring, and institutional capacity building under the Dam Safety Act, 2021.

Held on 20 January 2026 at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, the high-level meeting brought together central agencies, state governments, technical institutions, and national experts to chart the next phase of dam safety governance in an era of climate volatility, extreme rainfall and ageing infrastructure.

The meeting was chaired by Shri Anupam Prasad, Chairman, Central Water Commission and Chairman, NCDS, and attended by senior representatives from the CWC, NDSA, NDMA, CEA, MoEF&CC, IMD, GSI and NRSC, along with officials from 28 State Dam Safety Organisations, three Union Territories, and seven participating States including Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Eminent experts from IIT Roorkee and former CWC leadership also contributed to the deliberations.

From Compliance to Intelligence-Led Safety

The NCDS, constituted under Section 5 of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, functions as a policy think tank for the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA). In his opening remarks, the Chair highlighted progress made by NDSA over the past four years while flagging capacity gaps among dam owners, rising technical complexity, and the need for uniform national standards.

A central focus of the meeting was the introduction of new, data-intensive safety instruments for Indian dam owners, including:

• Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE) frameworks

• Level 2 (Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment – SQRA)

• Level 3 (Quantitative Risk Assessment – QRA)

These approaches mark a shift toward probabilistic, risk-based dam safety management, aligning India with global best practices.

Key Decisions and Policy Signals

After detailed deliberations, the Committee:

• Recommended strengthening CDSE frameworks to make them more pragmatic and implementable

• Called for quantified, data-backed parameters in Pre-Initial Filling Reservoir Plans

• Decided to constitute a national expert committee to finalise the SQRA framework due to its strategic importance

• Advised extensive stakeholder consultation before finalising approval mechanisms for new dams and rehabilitation projects

• Endorsed state-level expert committees for appraisal of non-structural dam safety documents

• Chose to retain existing seismic instrumentation norms, emphasising optimisation through better deployment rather than dilution

The Committee also appreciated Uttar Pradesh’s intervention at the Chandraprabha Dam, where seepage control measures have strengthened structural safety.

Capacity Building Is the Real Bottleneck

A recurring theme across discussions was the urgent need for capacity building, particularly as dam owners take on expanded statutory responsibilities under the Act. The Committee reiterated that technology adoption, inter-agency coordination and skilled human resources must advance in parallel to ensure compliance and real-world safety outcomes.

The meeting concluded with a collective resolve to fast-track implementation of the Dam Safety Act, strengthen Centre–State coordination, and embed advanced risk assessment into routine dam operations — supporting water security, irrigation, hydropower and flood moderation across the country.

Call to Action for Geo-Tech, AI and Infra-Safety Innovators

With India moving toward risk analytics, remote sensing, seismic monitoring and data-driven safety governance, the NCDS outcomes open new opportunities for GeoTech startups, AI-based risk modelling firms, satellite analytics providers, digital twin developers and civil infrastructure safety platforms to collaborate with State Dam Safety Organisations and NDSA on scalable, next-generation dam safety solutions.