National Symposium on “Management of ageing and Distressed Hydro Power Projects: Challenges and Opportunities”
Pune, 8th September 2025: Central Water and Power Research Center (CWPRS) and Indian Geotechnical Society (IGS) Pune Chapter organized a National Seminar on “Managing Ageing and Distressed Hydro Power Projects: Challenges and Opportunities” on 11th and 12th September at 10 am at CWPRS premises. As India, under the leadership of the Dam Safety Act, 2021 and the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), focuses on the safety and performance of dams and hydropower assets, the symposium on the subject is very important, said Director of Central Water and Power Research Centre, Dr. Prabhat Chandra said in a press conference.
Many structures are operating beyond their original lifetime, so addressing structural, hydroelectric, geotechnical and operational challenges through robust diagnostics, rehabilitation and modern monitoring has become a national priority. The event will bring together policymakers, regulators, utilities, researchers and
professionals to discuss solutions related to the emerging building safety regime, including surveillance, monitoring, risk-based management and adoption of technologies supported by the Act and NDSA.
The role of CWPRS as the host of this conference is particularly important. Dr. Chandra said the two-day conference will discuss “multidisciplinary single-cell capabilities” in physical and numerical modelling, geotechnical and geophysical investigations, structural health assessment and instrumentation, expansion and resilience of hydraulic structures across the country as well as evidence.
National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) Chairman Anil Jain will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the conference and Dr. Chandra hoped that their partnership would provide a higher policy relevance and direction to the technical discussions at the conference.
Topics to be Covered –
Present status of hydro power projects in India
Structural evaluation of concrete dams by instrumentation data and Finite Element Methods
Structural safety assessment of earthen dams by numerical modeling and rehabilitation measures
Latest NDT methods for structural health assessment
State-of-the-art geophysical investigations and their applications
Evaluation of seismic parameters and their significance in dam safety assessment
Field investigations by tracer studies and flat jack tests for evaluation of engineering parameters
Identification of suitable repair materials for concrete and masonry dams
Dam break analysis
Hydraulic modelling of various components of hydro power projects
