According to the National Register of Specified Dams, 2025 compiled by the National Dam Safety Authority, Haryana has 3 specified dams, Punjab has 15, and Himachal Pradesh has 24. The current gross storage capacity of 24 reservoirs across these states, as assessed through recent surveys, is given at Annexure.

 

'Water' being a state subject; planning, execution and operation and maintenance of water resources projects are carried out by the State Governments from their own resources and as per their own requirements and priority. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation provides technical and financial assistance to encourage sustainable development and efficient management of water resources through various schemes and programmes such as Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of water bodies and Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) etc.

 

Under the ongoing externally funded DRIP Phase-II & III Scheme, provision has been made for de-siltation of selected dams in participating States/agencies, subject to the techno-economic viability of the proposals. At present, the Punjab Water Resources Department and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) are the implementing agencies under DRIP-II & III, whereas Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are not part of this Scheme.

 

The Government of Punjab has conveyed that it has undertaken the de-siltation of 13 dams located in the Kandi area using its own financial resources. At present, de-siltation works are in progress at four dams namely Chohal, Siswan, Saleran, and Thana. For the remaining nine dams, the Government of Punjab has submitted proposals to the Government of India seeking forest clearance.

 

Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has, till date, not initiated de-siltation activities in its two major storage reservoirs, namely Bhakra and Pong. However, BBMB has contemplated a pilot project for de-siltation of the Bhakra reservoir under the DRIP Phase-II & III Scheme. This initiative is envisaged in a revenue-generation mode; accordingly, no separate fund requirement for the de-siltation of the Bhakra reservoir is anticipated.

 

In Himachal Pradesh, most dam-owning agencies undertake silt removal from reservoirs through periodic flushing operations, carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Manual, typically during the monsoon season.

 

Further, the Government of Punjab and BBMB are participating in the DRIP Phase-II & III Scheme for the rehabilitation of their dams. Under this Scheme, Punjab is undertaking rehabilitation of 12 dams with an allocation of Rs. 442 Crore, while BBMB is rehabilitating 2 dams with an allocation of Rs. 230 Crore. These two agencies formally joined the DRIP Phase-II & III Scheme recently in October 2025.

 

As per the Compendium on Sedimentation of Reservoirs in India – Vol. II: Details of Individual Reservoirs, published by the Central Water Commission in 2024, along with information furnished by the respective States, the extent of silt accumulation in these dams relative to their original design capacity has been assessed through recent surveys conducted in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The detailed findings are enclosed as Annexure.

 

Responsibility for safety of dams, including its operation and maintenance rests primarily with dam owners which are mostly the State Governments and Central/State Public Sector Units.

 

In order to address the dam safety issues holistically, Union Government has enacted the Dam Safety Act in December 2021. The Act provides a comprehensive frame work for proper surveillance, inspection, operations and maintenance of all the large (specified) dams of the country for ensuring their safe functioning and to avoid dam failure related disasters.

 

In addition to this regulatory reform, the Government of India is implementing the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP), Phase-II & III with external funding support. The scheme aims at the rehabilitation and safety enhancement of 736 dams across 19 States, with a total budget outlay of Rs. 10,211 crore and a duration of 10 years. Notably, DRIP Phase-II became operational on 12th October 2021.

 

Moreover, the Central Water Commission monitors the live storage capacity of 166 major reservoirs across the country including three in Himachal Pradesh and one in Punjab through the Reservoir Storage Monitoring System (RSMS) and issues a weekly bulletin. This bulletin is also uploaded on the RSMS portal for public access. Such open availability of information supports informed decision-making, enabling better planning for irrigation, drinking water supply, flood management, and drought preparedness.

 

The information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

***

 

ND

(Lok Sabha US Q717)

 

 

 

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN QUESTION NO. 717 ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 04.12.2025 REGARDING “STATUS OF DE-SILTING OF DAMS IN HARYANA, PUNJAB AND HIMACHAL PRADESH”

Extent of silt accumulation in the dams compared to their original design capacity,
based on recent surveys

 

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