Derna, Libya, staged a mass funeral for the thousands of people who perished in the recent floods caused by the collapse of two dams, while the rest of the world is still in disbelief.
As rescuers combed through the rubble left by the disastrous floods, the mayor of the affected city warned that the death toll may rise to more than 15,000.
The Plot of Derna
The two dams that failed outside of Derna were both constructed in the 1970s, and it was widely reported that they had not been properly maintained.
Dams broke and devastating floods hit the Libyan coast following Daniel, an extremely powerful Mediterranean storm.
Lessons for India from the Dam Collapse in Libya That Killed More Than 5,000
REUTERS
The dams’ meagre height of 230 feet made them completely unsuitable for withstanding the attack of such a powerful downpour. The first dam’s inability to stem the flood caused the water to rush towards the second, which then burst catastrophically.
When dams break, the water rushes out towards the city, sometimes washing away whole apartment buildings.
Lessons for India from the Dam Collapse in Libya That Killed More Than 5,000
REUTERS
An impending tragedy
Even worse, there were no evacuation preparations in place, and many people in the city said they had no idea they were in danger until they heard the dams explode.
The catastrophe in Libya serves as a reminder that ageing infrastructure may greatly increase the severity of natural disasters, which are becoming more common and destructive as a result of climate change.
Lessons for India from the Dam Collapse in Libya That Killed More Than 5,000
REUTERS
A flood in Chamoli
In 2021, a glacier melted and flooded the Chamoli area of Uttarakhand in India, causing widespread destruction that was comparable to that in Libya although on a much lesser scale.
Around 200 people were murdered and the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower Plant and the Dhauliganga dam, both still in the building phase, were devastated by the flood waters.
Saved from the Tapovan Tunnel
BCCL
While this was an isolated instance, India’s deteriorating dam infrastructure is a far more pressing worry.
Ageing dams in India
Concerns about the stability of India’s old dams were raised by a parliamentary commission in March of this year.
Some of India’s 234 operational big dams are over 300 years old.
Ageing dams in India are a cause for worry, according to a United Nations assessment from 2021.
The Dam of Mullah
The research “Ageing water infrastructure: an emerging global risk” noted that by 2025, many of India’s big dams would be over half a century old.
However, the research also anticipated a rise in “decommissioning” when economic and practical limits prohibit ageing dams from being improved or if their original function has become outdated. This is despite the fact that dams that are well-designed, built, and maintained may “easily” surpass 100 years of operation.
