Srisailam dam in need of urgent maintenance

News:Waterman of India Rajendra Singh has said that the Srisailam Dam in Andhra Pradesh needs repair, protection and maintenance works under the Dam Rehabili­tation and Improvement Project.

Facts:

About Srisailam Dam:

• The Srisailam dam is constructed across the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh.It is located in the Nallamala hills.
• Several floods in the region have created a need for repair and maintenance of the Srisailam dam.

About Dam Rehabili­tation and Improvement Project:

• The Dam Rehabili­tation and Improvement project was launched in 2012 under Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation(now Ministry of Jal Shakti).It is a World Bank assisted project.
• The Central Dam Safety Organisation of Central Water Commission is coordinating and supervising the Project implementation.

Objectives of the project:

• To improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams and associated appurtenances in a sustainable manner
• To improve institutional capacities for dam safety evaluation and implementation at the Central and State levels.

Funding:

• The DRIP is an externally-aided project.80% of the total project is provided by the World Bank as loan/credit and remaining 20% is borne by the States / Central Government (for CWC). 
• Govt. of India has not sought funding from any internal agency for this project.

Additional information:

About Rajinder Singh:

• Rajinder Singh is a well known water conservationist and environmentalist from Rajasthan.
• He was awarded the Magsaysay Award in 2001 and Stockholm Water Prize in 2015.
• He is credited with harvesting rainwater for drinking and domestic purposes by building check dams in Alwar and nearby districts of Rajasthan. 
• The idea was to revive the use of traditional technology of Johad,an ancient water conservation technique to replenish the water sources. 
• Johad is a concave structure that collects and stores water throughout the year for drinking purposes by humans and cattle.
• It is the successful implementation of this ancient innovation that earned him the name ‘Jal Purush’ or the ‘Waterman of India’.