The government on Monday formed a separateState Dam Safety Organisation(SDSO) to monitor safety of Dams and to undertake their repair and maintenance.
The SDSO will be headed by a chief engineer (dam safety) and will be headquartered in Bhubaneswar. It was formed as per the Dam Safety Act, 2021, which mandates that all states should form such organisations within 180 days from the date of commencement of this Act from December 14, 2021.
The department also notified the Dam Safety (Procedures, Allowance and Other Expenditure) Rules, 2022, and formed a state committee on dam safety to review the work done by the SDSO and provide strategic supervision for dam improvement and rehabilitation programmes.
The SDSO will keep perpetual surveillance, carry out inspections and monitor the operation and maintenance of all specified dams falling under its jurisdiction to ensure their continued safety and take steps to address safety concerns.