The annual overview tracks top ten people’s resistance stories against large dam projects in India during 2025. It is encouraging to see that the year ended with the Odisha CM announcing scrapping of Samakoi dam project after strong opposition by local villagers. Interestingly, the NTCA and CEC have boldly underlined the threats to tribal people, tigers and forest biodiversity from proposed Morand-Ganjal dam in Madhya Pradesh and dams in Shivalik national park in Haryana. During the year, the villagers have organized mass protests against massive Guna and Dongari dams under PKC link project. Demanding basic information and consultation, the affected tribals have halted ground surveys for Basania dam project.
Continue reading “Dam Protest 2025: People Demands Development Not Displacement”Tag: National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)
Dec 2025: Vishnugad Pipalkoti HEP Tunnel Accident in Uttarakhand
(Feature Image: Screen shot of FB video report on Vishnugad Pipalkoti HEP tunnel accident)
Collision between two loco trains inside the tunnel of Vishnugad Pipalkoti HEP in Uttarakhand around 9.30 pm on Dec 30 2025 has left over 60 workers injured. The accident occurred during change in work shift about 7km inside the tunnel near the tunnel boring machine (TBM). About 109 workers were working inside the 13km long tunnel at the time of the accident. The trains are deployed to transport the workers. The 444 Mw project is being built by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) on Alaknanda river in Chamoli district. The construction work is going on since 2013-14.
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2025: Silt accumulation in Indian Dams: Reducing entry of silt is the only viable option
(Feature Image: Luhri-I HEP muck dump along Satluj river. Credit HNA, Aug 2024)
This annual overview highlights the critical issue of siltation in dams across India. Silt accumulation is defeating the very ‘multi-purposes’ for which they were built. While the reduced storage has been hampering dam-based water supplies, it is also leading to their fast filling up and untimely releases in monsoon season thus creating avoidable floods. It is in some case has also been resulting in plans to construct additional reservoirs and increase in dam height.
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Kaleshwaram Project 2025: Inquiries Done, Actions Missing
(Feature Image: Wide crack in Medigadda (Lakshmi) barrage of Kaleshwaram. Credit: Nagara Gopal)
The year 2025 has seen revealing information on three inquiry reports highlighting how the Kalewshwaram project have become a massive failure on all fronts be it designing or implementing the dam project or even acting on probe reports. While govt seems to reverify liability of officials indicted in V&E report, it ended up seeking CBI investigation after tabling Ghose panel report in state assembly in Aug 2025. Similarly, the NDSA report is being followed only for fixing the damages while action against the responsible govt officials and private players is clearly missing.
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2025: Polavaram Project Developments
(Feature Image: Godavari river in flood spate at Polavaram project site in Aug 2025. Source)
Amid concerns over safety and construction quality, the Polavaram project work has moved during 2025 to achieve Dec. 2027 completion target. However, not much progress has been made regarding the backwater study and addressing the issues of affected tribals and areas in Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Meanwhile, after failing to push PBLP (Polavaram Banakacherla Link Project), the Andhra govt has proposed another contentious PNLP to divert Godavari River waters. The Stop Work order issued by the MoEF in 2011 remains suspended for all these years, making a mockery of the MoEF regulations. Wrapping up the available information, this overview shares the year-round updates on safety, progress, backwater study and linking plans related to the controversial Polavaram dam project in 2025. Our previous overview on the project can be seen here.
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Feb. 2025: Srisailam Dam Left Bank Tunnel Collapse Disaster
(Feature Image: A rescue worker at the SLBC tunnel. Credit: Nagara Gopal)
The SLCB tunnel collapse in Feb. 2025 is among worst dam-tunnel disaster this year in India. The incident occurred just four days after resuming tunneling work after a long halt killing at least 8 workers. Despite, two-month long multi agency search operation only two bodies were retrieved while mortals of six still remain buried inside the tunnel. The TBM involved in tunnelling has also been damaged. Given risky situation the rescue work was stopped in April end and there is no update on the same so far. Nearly 10 months after the disaster, there is no official report probing the reasons and addressing the concerns over inadequate geological, geotechnical inspections.
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2025: Govts, Judiciary Actions on Dam Safety in India
(Feature Image: Experts visit Srisailam dam to assess its structural safety in May 2025. Source)
At national level, the NDSA has carried safety audit of 1853 large dams out of 6545 as of Nov. 25, 2025. In July 2025, the Central govt announced to reconstitute NCDS for a period of three years. Before this the NDSA in April 2025 organized a symposium on Dam Safety Act 2021. It has also released the updated version of National Register on Specified Dams 2025. At state level, the Tamil Nadu govt in July 2025 has planned to set up separate dam safety wing. The Punjab govt in May 2025 moved resolution in state assembly to annul Dam Safety Act and planned to enact its own dam safety bill.
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2025: Dam Safety Issues in India
(Feature Image: A worn out portion of Singur dam embankment. Source)
This annual overview presents top ten reports highlighting the dam safety issues in India. Worryingly, the central govt in Oct. 2025 itself has revealed that safety audit of about 5000 large dams is pending. Before this, the NHRC in Feb. 2025 sought a report on safety of the dams across the country. The plea rightly demanded a transparent, accountable and participatory dam safety mechanism to prevent disasters. Indeed, the aging infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, slow progress of rehabilitation and fast changing climate are among the key issues putting our dams under threats.
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2024: Has NDSA made our dams any safer?
(Feature Image: Srisailam dam in Telangana. Source: Telangana Today)
This annual overview focusses on the functioning of National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and related institutions in 2024 to understand if the functioning of these institutions have made Indian Dams any safer? Here functioning of Central Water Commission (CWC) is also important as CWC people head all the dam safety panels. The dam safety related institutions were formed following the passage of Dam Safety Act 2021 and hence there were promises and hopes that these institutions will make our dams safer.
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August 2024: Mismanagement Damages Mahan-III HEP In Chhattisgarh
(Feature Image: Mahan III HEP powerhouse in flooded condition due to overflowing of dam. Image Source: Dainik Bhaskar)
The powerhouse and dam of Mahan-III Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Chhattisgarh have faced significant damages due to floods during intermittent rainfall in the catchment of Mahan river in the 1st week of Aug 2024. As per the reports, the HEP dam overflowed and breached adjoining embankments because the project authority failed to open its gates in time.
The 24.75 Mw project is developed by Venika Hydro Power Project Ltd near Chikini village under Odgi (also spelt as Oudgi & Odagi) block of Surajpur district in Chhattisgarh. Work on the Run of the River (RoR) project started around 2011, and it was commissioned in Nov 2019. The dam is about 21 meter high and about 400 meter long including 70 meter and 20 meter long earthen embankments on right and left side of the main dam respectively.
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