New Delhi/Bengaluru, Feb 12 (IANS) The Karnataka government will host a two-day International Dam Safety Conference in Bengaluru on February 13 and 14 in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi, Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, said the conference is being organised as the state government completes 1,000 days in office.

“A two-day conference will be held on the 13th and 14th of this month at the J.N. Tata Auditorium of the Indian Institute of Science,” he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the conference on Friday, he added, noting that the Central Water Commission has extended suggestions and guidance for the event.

Shivakumar said India has 6,628 dams, of which 231 are located in Karnataka, and that dam safety is increasingly being discussed at the national level. He recalled that a similar conference had been organised in Jaipur about one-and-a-half years ago.

“We have permitted the presentation of 46 research papers on dam safety at this conference. Union Ministers V. Somanna and Raj Bhushan Choudhary, and State Minister B. Boseraju, will participate in the programme. More than 400 participants, including 25 international experts from 10 countries, will take part. There will be technical sessions and an exhibition. We are utilising this opportunity to safeguard Karnataka’s interests,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of the subject, Shivakumar said dams form the backbone of irrigation, power generation, flood control, water supply and soil conservation, and that the conference is being organised with a long-term perspective.

“About 75 per cent of our dams are more than 25 years old, and we do not wish to compromise on this issue. Every year, one or the other problem arises in dams. Hydropower and drinking water projects are being implemented through these dams,” he said.

He stressed the need to prioritise dam safety and noted that Rs 10,211 crore has so far been spent on the safety of 733 dams across 19 states. The Centre is implementing the second phase of the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) with external assistance from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), he added.

“In Karnataka, we are spending Rs 1,500 crore for the safety of 58 dams. Replacement of crest gates at the Tungabhadra dam has already commenced. We have also conducted surveys of all dams in the state and undertaken repair works based on priority,” Shivakumar said.

Responding to a question on BJP MP P.C. Mohan’s statement that the Centre had rejected the Metro project, including the Double Decker plan, Shivakumar said he was not aware of any such rejection.

“The Prime Minister himself has seen the Double Decker flyover already constructed in Bengaluru. If the Metro agency provides 50 per cent of the funding, the Karnataka government will bear the remaining 50 per cent,” he said.

He added that the project was being implemented as road widening in certain areas was difficult. “It was the Central government that said this project should be taken up, and we are continuing it. The Central government may have suggested a technical review,” he said.

When asked whether concerns had been raised that the Double Decker project might reduce Metro ridership, he replied, “Passengers using the roads are different from those using the Metro. If there is any issue with this project, I will meet the Union Minister and discuss it.”

–IANS

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