New York: According to a United Nations report, in India, in 2025, more than one thousand large dams will become almost 50 years old and such old structures all over the world can become a threat in the future. The report states that by 2050, most of the world’s population will have settled downstream of these thousands of dams built in the 20th century and this will put them at serious risk from the old dams. The report titled ‘Aging Water Infrastructure: An Emerging Global Risk’ has been prepared by the United Nations University’s Canada-based Institute of Water, Environment, and Health.
The report states that most of the world’s total of 58,700 large dams were constructed between the years 1930 to 1970. They were built for 50 to 100 years. It states that a dam made of concrete probably becomes old after 50 years. Therefore, thousands of dams of the world have reached dangerous condition at this time, there is a danger of their wall breaking. The report says that the maintenance cost of older dams increases and their water storage capacity also decreases. According to the analysis of the United Nations University, by 2050, most of the world’s population will be settled under these thousands of dams.
This was stated in the report after studying the dams built in India, America, France, Canada, Japan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. According to this, 32,716 big dams i.e. 55 percent of the total dams are in four Asian countries – China, India, Japan, and South Korea. Most of these will soon be more than 50 years old. According to the report, in India alone, 1,115 large dams will become 50 years or more in 2025. More than 4,250 big dams in the country will become 50 years old in 2050 and 64 big dams will become more than 150 years old in 2050. The report said that if the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala was built 100 years ago in India, and if there is a flaw in it, about 3.5 million people are in danger.
