Sikkim Dam Collapse Highlights India's Aging Infrastructure and Climate Threats to Dams
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The Chungthang dam in Sikkim collapsed last week, killing 30 people. Other recent dam failures in India have also caused catastrophes.
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Dams can be susceptible to natural disasters like floods. 293 dams in India are over 100 years old. Many were built before climate change was understood.
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The 1975 Banqiao dam failure in China was one of the worst ever, killing over 80,000 people. 23 major dam failures have occurred in India since 1960.
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India plans major expansion of hydropower capacity to 78GW by 2030. But the Sikkim disaster may lead to more caution in planning.
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India has taken some preventive steps like the Dam Safety Act 2021 and inspections by dam safety organizations. But risks remain due to old dams and climate change.