An overview of Present Dam Safety

Management in Sri Lanka

Badra Kamaladasa

Sri Lanka National Committee of Large Dams

How many Dams in Sri Lanka?

• Medium and Large -320

Earth dams-307

Concrete gravity -08

Concrete double arch -01

rockfill -04

• Small 12,000

Different categorizations• Ancient dams – Original construction centuries ago, restored in 1850 onwards

• Recent dams – located in new places where no ancient dams existed

• Modern dams- dams with new technology

Large Dams according to ICOLD classifications- 76

Who are the guardians?

• Irrigation Department • Mahaweli authority• Agrarian Development Department• Provincial Councils• Ceylon Electricity Board• National Water Supply & Drainage Board• Farmer Organisations

NO PRIVATE OWNERS

Management StructureIrrigation Department •Regional set up to cover whole country

•Practices and procedures developed over decades

•Services by Specialized Divisions

Mahaweli Authority •Engineers in charge at every major dam

•Practices and procedures developed over decades

•In house as well as Independent Inspection Team

Agrarian Development Department

•Regional set up to cover whole country

•No regular inspection mechanism/Schemes are handed over to FOO

Provincial Councils •Different setups in different PCC

Ceylon Electricity Board •Outsource the relevant jobs until recently

•Established the dam safety organisation recently

National Water Supply and Drainage Board

•Dam Safety function is diluted in the civil maintenance

Farmer Organisations • No definite setup

Financial capabilitiesIrrigation Department •Limited government funds

(exclusively for dam safety)

Mahaweli Authority •Limited government funds

(exclusively for dam safety)

Agrarian Development Department

Limited government funds

(in a common budget)

Ceylon Electricity Board Liberal (even to get Loan facilities)

Provincial Councils Limited central government /PCC

allocation

National Water Supply and Drainage Board

Limited government funds

Farmer Organisations No funds

Technical capabilities•Farmer Organisations

– No technical background

•Agrarian Development Department

– Dam Safety function is not identified

•National Water Supply and Drainage Board

– Dam Safety function not identified, scope available to develop skill

•Provincial Council

– Dam Safety function identified in certain PCC,

•Ceylon Electricity Board

-Dam Safety function identified, scope available to develop skill

•Mahaweli Authority

-Trained and Skilled group leaving / limited opportunities for newcomers

•Irrigation Department

-Trained and Skilled group leaving / In a better position that other organisations/ limited opportunities for newcomers

Shortcomings• Technical competency• Financial limitations• Absence of island wide national standards for

designsConstructions

• Absence of island wide mechanism and standards for safety management

• Ambiguity over ownership and authority• Priority always for water storage

Concluding Remark

Absence of an independent regulatory authority

• Regulation done by the implementation agency itself

• Media becoming the pseudo regulating authority