Odisha to host International Dam Safety conference

Bhubaneswar: Odisha will host the two-day International Dam Safety conference starting February 13, informed Odisha Water Resources department secretary Pradeep Jena today. Experts from over 20 countries are expected to participate in the conference.

The dam safety conference assumes significance for Odisha as several important aspects relating to Hirakud dam will also be taken up for discussion.

After meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Central Water Commission Chairman S. Masood Husain said the experts will deliberate on several issues including challenges in dam safety management, global best practices in dam safety management and governance, major rehabilitation and other risk reduction investments.

The conference will be organised by Union Ministry of Water Resources in collaboration with the Odisha government and the World Bank.

Pradeep Jena informed that several brain storming sessions will be held during the conference which will be a learning experience for the engineers and other officials as several case studies of dam failures from different parts of the country and the globe will be discussed.