86 dams in Tamil Nadu, including Mettur and Vaigai, will come under review by independent panels of experts

Experts will examine 19 dams for safety, design, seismology, hydromechanics, geology, hydrology and instrumentation. | Photo credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E

Mettur, Bhavanisagar, Amaravathy and Vaigai are among the 86 dams and reservoirs in the state that will come under the scrutiny of independent panels of experts in the next six months.

Experts will examine 19 dams for safety, design, seismology, hydromechanics, geology, hydrology and instrumentation. Former Central Water Commission (CWC) chairmen J. Chandrashekhar Iyer and AK Bajaj; former Krishna River Board chiefs Yoginder Kumar Sharma and Shailesh Kumar Srivastava; Former Chief Engineer (CE) in Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department R. Selvam; former CE in CWC TK Sivarajan; Experts include former Deputy Director General of the Geological Survey of India R. Srinivasan and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Chairman of the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi K Muthukumaran. The Chief Engineer concerned shall act as the Member-Secretary of each such Panel.

The Tamil Nadu government approved the creation of the panels in an ordinance issued earlier this week and included Cholavaram, the buffer tank between Satyamurti Sagar in Poondi and the Red Hills reservoir, all of which are meant to supply water to Chennai. The selection of all 85 dams and reservoirs was made based on water bodies that were identified as specified dams under the National Dam Safety Act of 2021. These dams and reservoirs fall under the jurisdiction of the Water Resources Department (WRD). Besides, 38 dams managed by the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation (TNGEC) in the state, including Pykara and Kadamparai, have been included in the list. The utility has created similar independent panels to assess dam safety.

The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has implemented such a system for the four interstate dams — Mullaperiyar, Parambikulam, Thunakadavu and Peruvaripallam — that fall under its jurisdiction. In the run-up to the Act, Tamil Nadu had opposed the transfer of the dams to the control of the NDSA, claiming that the dams were “owned, operated and maintained” by it, a claim disputed by Kerala as the dams are located in its territory.

By law, the first comprehensive dam safety assessment for each dam should be done no later than December 30, 2026, when the statutory deadline expires. The government has authorized the creation of panels to facilitate the study.

Of the state’s 123 dams listed under the law, five are at least 100 years old; 59 – between 50 years and 99 years; 40 – between 25 years and 49 years and 19 – less than 25 years.

Published – 17 Jul 2026 0:14 IST