Discuss about the Gender Budgeting and Dam Safety in India

Gender Budgeting

Why in news?

There was a marginal rise in 2023-24 Budget allocation for Ministry of Women and Child Development.

• The allocation under the Gender Budget rose from Rs. 1,71,006.47 crore in 2022-23 to Rs. 2,23,219.75 crore in 2023-24 which is an increase by 23% compared to 2022-23.
•  The gender component accounted for 4.9% of the entire Budget, compared to 4.23% in 2022-23.

On the flip side

• The allocation for Mission Shakti, which includes key schemes for women’s protection, saw a decrease of 1.2%, whereas Part A of the Gender Budget, which counts allocation for schemes exclusively for women, saw a 70% increase from last year.

  

What is Gender Budgeting (GB)?

• GB is concerned with gender sensitive formulation of legislation, programmes and schemes; allocation of resources; implementation and execution; audit and impact assessment of programmes and schemes; and follow-up corrective action to address gender disparities.
• A powerful tool for achieving gender mainstreaming so as to ensure that benefits of development reach women as much as men.
• Does not seek to create a separate budget but seeks affirmative action to address specific needs of women.
• Monitors expenditure and public service delivery from a gender perspective.
• Entails dissection of the Government budgets to establish its gender differential impacts and to ensure that gender commitments are translated in to budgetary commitments

Rationale Behind Gender Budgeting

• According to the 2011 census, women account for 48 per cent of the total population of the country.
• Women face disparities in access to and control over services and resources.
• Bulk of the public expenditure and policy concerns are in ‘‘gender neutral sectors”.
• Implications on women in the above sectors are not recognised or identified.
• Gender responsive budgets policies can contribute to achieving the objectives of gender equality, human development and economic efficiency

Why Gender Budgeting is necessary?

• Promotes transparency and accountability in government budgeting processes.
• Addresses persistent gaps in gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Ensures allocation of resources to address specific needs and challenges faced by women and girls.
• Supports achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment, essential for sustainable development

Challenges of Gender budgeting:

• Lack of data and information on the gender impacts of government policies and programs.
• Resistance to change and limited understanding of the importance of gender budgeting.
• Lack of political will and resources for implementing gender budgeting effectively.
• Difficulty in integrating gender considerations into complex budget processes and decision-making structures

Way forward:

• An assessment of gender responsive budgeting in India reveals a mixed picture.
• There are number of positive developments, such as changes in select planning and budgeting processes and creation of gender budget cells.
• However, restricted reach of GB and stagnant or even declining allocations for the gender agenda are stumbling blocks.
• The adoption of the GB should be accompanied by multifaceted and interrelated improvements to budgets in general and the gender sensitivity of budgets.
• There needs to be shift from mere “reporting” of gender allocations to “purposive planning” with wider participation of women.

Dam Safety in India

Why in news?

In October of 2023, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in North Sikkim’s South Lhonak Lake washed away one of the biggest hydropower projects in India, the Teesta III dam at Chungthang.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti has shed light on India’s significant strides in the realm of dam safety and water resource management.

Status of Dams in India:

• India has 5745 numbers of dams (5334 are completed and 411 are under construction).
• India is ranked third in the world in terms of building large dams.
• Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand is the highest dam in India built on the Bhagirathi River.
• Hirakud Dam in Odisha built on river Mahanadi is the longest dam in India.
• Kallanai Dam in Tamil Nadu is the oldest dam in India. It is built on the Kaveri River and is about 2000 years old

Dam Safety Act (DSA), 2021

• About: It is an Act to provide for the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of the specified dam for prevention of dam failure related disasters and to provide for an institutional mechanism to ensure their safe functioning and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
  • These are dams with height of more than 15 metres, or height between 10 metres to 15 metres with certain design and structural conditions.
• Significance: With provisions for two types of offenses related to dam safety and the emphasis on regular risk assessments, the Act is a testament to India’s forward-thinking approach, ensuring the safety of its vast array of dams, many of which have stood for decades, if not centuries.
• 2 national Bodies:
  • The National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS):
    • Its functions include evolving policies and recommending regulations regarding dam safety standards;
    • It will be chaired by the National Water Commissioner.
  • The National Dam Safety Authority: Its functions include
    • Implementing policies of the National Committee, providing technical assistance to State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs), and
    • Resolving matters between SDSOs of states or between a SDSO and any dam owner in that state.
• Dam Safety Unit:
  • Dam owners are now required to have a dedicated Dam Safety Unit, prepare Emergency Action Plans, and conduct Comprehensive Safety Evaluations at regular intervals.
  • Head of dam safety: Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) would head dam safety protocols at the national level.
• Role of states:
  • 2 state bodies: 
    • State Committee on Dam Safety,
    • State Dam Safety Organisation.
    • These bodies will be responsible for the surveillance, inspection, and monitoring the operation and maintenance of dams within their jurisdiction.
  • Provisions require States to:
    • Classify dams based on hazard risk,
    • Conduct regular inspections,
    • Create emergency action plans,
    • Institute emergency flood warning systems,
    • Undertake safety reviews and period risk assessment studies,
    • Report and record incidents of dam failures.
• Non-compliance:
  • Failure to comply with any provision of the Act is punishable with imprisonment and/or fines.
  • If such obstruction or refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, [entity] shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years

Challenges in the Dam Safety Act (DSA):

• • The Sikkim incident exemplifies blind spots in both legislation and implementation.
  • The DSA does not promote risk-based decision-making and fails to incentivise transparency.
  • Reports have revealed there were no early warning systems, no risk assessment or preventive measures in place as required under the Act.
  • A robust DSA should allow different stakeholders to access information easily, but India’s framework falls short.
    • Dam safety is a public purpose function.
    • Everything about dam safety, functions of all the institutions and committees and authorities, their reports, decisions, minutes and agendas, everything should be promptly available to the public.
    • But nothing is in the public domain.
  • Transparency is further obstructed when national and State bodies comprise government employees and engineers who worked on these projects.
    • This compromises objective decision making.
  • The frequency and scale of such disasters reveal a pattern of neglect.
• Few Other Challenges:
  • Dam safety is a function of many parts:
    • Designing and constructing dams that adhere to safety margins,
    • Maintaining and operating them per guidelines,
    • Recording data in real-time in an accessible format,
    • Forecasting hazardous events and
    • Instituting emergency plans, to name a few.

Way Forward

• Develop a dynamic and adaptable project plan that incorporates real-time monitoring, eco-friendly technologies, disaster preparedness, and ecosystem restoration, ensuring long-term environmental and social sustainability.
• Integrate climate change considerations into dam design and management, anticipating shifts in weather patterns and implementing adaptive measures to withstand extreme events.
• Continue organizing training programs to equip dam safety professionals with skills and knowledge.
• Strengthen cooperation with neighbouring countries/states to ensure effective management of shared river systems, and resolve conflicts.
• Prioritize meaningful engagement with local ethnic communities, valuing their input, cultural heritage, and concerns to foster a harmonious project coexistence and ensure their well-being.