Jaswant Sagar Dam, Jodhpur, Gujarat India

Jaswant Sagar Dam in Luni River basin in Jodhpur district in Rajasthan on July 8 and the wide spread destruction caused in the downstream area should serve as a wake up call for all concerned. India’s aging dam population, absence of proper maintenance of the dams and absence of accountability mechanisms is going to increase the frequency of dam disasters in years to come. When the increased frequency of high intensity rainfall events due to global warming is added to this already heady mix, the consequences could be grave. Here we must note at the outset that Rajasthan was one of the few states where the World Bank funded Dams Safety Projects was implemented. And we may have got away without death of people this time, but we may not be that lucky next time.