Dam failures are always catastrophic, especially on the downstream side, resulting in a colossal loss of life and property…

Dam failures are always catastrophic, especially on the downstream side, resulting in a colossal loss of life and property. Analyze the various causes of dam failures. Give two examples of large dam failures. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

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बाँधों की विफलता हमेशा प्रलयकारी होती है, विशेष रूप से नीचे की ओर, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप जीवन और संपत्ति का भारी नुकसान होता है। बाँधों की विफलता के विभिन्न कारणों का विश्लेषण कीजिए। बड़े बाँधों की विफलताओं के दो उदाहरण दीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

The question as printed in the 2023 General Studies paper

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Model answer

Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.

Dam failures occur due to an interplay of natural, structural, and human-induced factors that compromise structural integrity and reservoir containment.

Structural and Design Causes: Sub-surface seepage (piping), foundation displacement, material fatigue, and inadequate spillway capacity fail to discharge peak inflows, precipitating overtopping and catastrophic breaches.

Natural Triggers: Extreme hydro-meteorological events like cloudbursts, severe earthquakes causing shear fractures, and landslides or glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) crashing into reservoirs create sudden, destructive surge waves.

Operational and Human Lapses: Substandard construction materials, aging infrastructure, poor maintenance, erroneous gate operations during emergencies, and delayed early warning dissemination severely magnify downstream vulnerability.

Key Examples of Failures:

Machchhu Dam-II (1979, Gujarat): Unprecedented rainfall exceeding the spillway design capacity caused overtopping and structural collapse, resulting in massive loss of life in Morbi.
Rishiganga and Tapovan Hydroelectric Projects (2021, Uttarakhand): A rock-and-ice avalanche triggered a flash flood, causing a catastrophic cascade failure of downstream barrage infrastructure. Similarly, in 2023 the South Lhonak glacial lake outburst swept away the Teesta-III Chungthang dam in Sikkim.

Robust enforcement of the Dam Safety Act 2021, adherence to Central Water Commission (CWC) guidelines, and real-time early warning mechanisms are essential to prevent such disasters.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: GS3 Environment/Disaster Management: threat, causes, impact, mitigation

What earns full marks: Detailed analysis of causes with clear categorization and two specific, named examples.

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

The answer Analyze causes of dam failures and provide two examples of large dam failures. 10 marks · 150 words

analyse— intro → causes → effects → stakeholders/linkages → way forward
Must cover
- Identify at least 3-4 distinct causes of dam failure
- Categorize causes (e.g., design, construction, operational, natural)
- Provide two specific examples of large dam failures
- Link causes to the catastrophic downstream impact mentioned
Loses marks
- Listing causes without analysis or categorization
- Vague examples without naming specific dams
- Ignoring the 'downstream impact' context provided in the prompt
Earns more
- Mention specific failure mechanisms (e.g., overtopping, seepage, liquefaction)
- Distinguish between natural and human-induced causes
- Briefly mention the scale of loss in the examples
- Reference specific dam types (e.g., earthen, concrete) in causes
Extra mark
- Name specific dams (e.g., Machchhu-II 1979, Panshet 1961, Malpasset 1959, Teesta III 2023)
- Mention specific year of failure for the examples

What "Analyse" is asking you to do

Break the subject into its working parts and show how they act on each other. The marks are in the interconnections — which factor drives which, and what the resulting structure explains — not in the inventory of factors.

Structure that answers it

Define the whole → separate it into its parts → show which part drives which → what that interaction produces → what the structure implies

Where marks are lost

A flat list of causes with no account of which drives which. An answer of neatly separated headings, each self-contained, scores as description.

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