Bhopal News: Upper Lake, Dams To Come Under Central Monitoring

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal’s Upper Lake and its connecting dams will now be monitored at the central level after being officially included in the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) list on Sunday.

On Saturday, a high-level team led by NDSA Chairman Anil Jain, along with Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) water works officials, conducted detailed inspections of Bhadbhada Dam and Kaliasot Dam.

At Bhadbhada Dam, the team briefly opened a gate to test operational readiness and safety arrangements. The gate was closed within minutes to ensure lake levels remained unaffected. A similar inspection followed at Kaliasot Dam.

With this move, both the Upper Lake and Kaliasot Dam have been brought under central safety mechanisms.

National Dam Safety Act

The inspection forms part of implementing the National Dam Safety Act, 2021, which brings dams across India under centralised monitoring. NDSA lists dams over 10 meters in height or connected to inter-state rivers to ensure uniform safety standards and regular audits.

First-ever NDSA visit to Upper Lake

This marks the first inspection of Upper Lake by the NDSA team. All related data and observations are uploaded on the DHARMA portal, a centralised digital platform for dam safety monitoring.

Official response

BMC water works officials said NDSA operates under the Central Water Commission. The authority will now conduct periodic inspections and safety audits, issuing guidelines that the local administration must implement.