India ranks third globally with 5334 large dams in operation and about 411 are under construction. In addition, there are several thousand smaller dams. These dams are vital for ensuring the water security of the Country; and these also constitute a major responsibility in terms of asset management and safety. In April 2012, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation through Central Water Commission with an objective to improve safety and operational performance of selected dams, along with institutional strengthening with system wide management approach, embarked upon the six year Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) with World Bank assistance at a cost of INR 2100 Crore (US$M 437.5).
The project originally envisaged the rehabilitation and improvement of 223 dam projects in four states namely, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. Later Karnataka, Uttarakhand (UJVNL) and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) joined the DRIP, and number of dams in DRIP portfolio increased to 257; due to the addition/deletion of few dams during implementation by partner agencies, presently 198 dam projects are being rehabilitated.