Dam Safety Bill Passed In Rajya Sabha | All You Need To Know

The bill was passed in the Upper House earlier on Thursday with two official amendments through a voice vote.

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New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha has passed the Dam Safety Bill, 2019, which aims at setting up an institutional mechanism for the safety of specified dams in the country.

The bill was passed in the Upper House earlier on Thursday with two official amendments through a voice vote.

Putting forth concerns that the bill encroached on the federal structure as dams and rivers are state subjects, the opposition members demanded that it be sent to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha for scrutiny.

All the amendments moved by the opposition parties were, though, negated in the Upper House.

The Lok Sabha had passed the Dam Safety Bill, 2019, earlier on August 2, 2019.

The bill will now go back to the Lok Sabha for approval.

One of the amendments relates to the change in the year mentioned in the bill title from 2019 to 2021.

What is the Dam Safety Bill, 2019?

The bill will provide surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dam for prevention of dam failure related disasters.

The bill will also provide institutional mechanism to ensure safe functioning of dams.

The bill, aiming at creating four layers of monitoring, will pave the way for creation of a National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).

The NDSA with 10 members nominated by the Central government and seven members from the states will have the power to impose penalties.

The ruling dispensation aims to set up the NDSA within two months. This move is to ensure implementation of the policy, guidelines and standards evolved by the National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS).