The International Energy Agency (IEA) has accepted in its latest World Energy Investment Special Report titled “Reducing the Cost of Capital: Strategies to unlock clean energy investment in emerging and developing economies” has candidly accepted that hydropower (excluding pump storage) is no longer the high-priority sector.

Among the challenges hydropower faces, according to IEA, include long permitting time necessary considering the high and complex impacts of hydropower projects amd delays during construction. IEA figures show that the capacity of Chinese developed hydropower projects that had high proportion of installed hydropower capacity globally in any year for decades, was the lowest in 2023 since 2014. The report accepts that high cost of capital with high interest rates can have a major impact on Cost of electricity, affecting competitiveness of the hydropower projects.

Under the circumstances, the best option would be, instead of putting any money in new hydro projects, to use the limited available investment to improve the performance of existing hydro projects, where huge scope exists. When will Indian central and state governments accept this reality?

IEA “Hydropower is particularly sensitive to the cost of capital” IEA report on increasing cost of renewable energy projects, particularly Hydro. Good to see that the IEA no longer sees hydropower as “the high-priority” sector in its own standing. The report excludes pump storage from hydro projects.

– The IEA recognizes that: “Many of the obstacles to future hydropower development are in the pre-development stage, with long permitting times and regular delays in construction presenting some of the major challenges to investment”. The volume of Chinese hydropower projects overseas that came on-line in 2023 is the lowest since 2014 (1500 MW), while overall capacity installed in 2023 by all EMDEs (Emerging markets and developing economies) is estimated by IRENA at 4200 MW.

– Most interesting are the following fears expressed by the IEA: “… given the high upfront costs to develop hydropower plants, the cost of capital can have a major impact on the LCOE (Cost of Electricity). As a highly capital-intense technology, hydropower is particularly sensitive to the cost of capital. IEA analysis shows that an increase in the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of one percent can result in a seven to 14 percent higher generation costs.”

– The first obvious no-regret solution would be to redirect capital towards modernization of existing hydropower assets to prevent loss and damage due to changing hydrology of rivers where they have been built. Given that in 2023 new hydropower installation is hardly visible in global RE statistics, it probably high time to call on IEA to rethink their recommendations on the role of hydropower in their “Net Zero Scenarios”, as there are many more humane and environmentally friendly ways to achieve the same targets faster and in a more efficient manner. https://www.transrivers.org/2024/3933/  (19 April 2024)

HYDRO POWER PROJECTS

Uttarakhand Nod likely for Phata Byung HEP that washed away in 2013 floods The ministry had accepted the majority view of Ravi Chopra Com report appointed after Supreme Court Recommendation, as communicated in its December 5, 2015, affidavit to the Supreme Court. Despite the ministry’s report concluding that high-altitude hydropower projects aggravate damage of environmental disasters, the expert appraisal committee on March 20 2024 went ahead and recommended the Phata Byung project for grant of standard ToR for conducting environment impact assessment study with public consultation and without public hearing to Mandakini Jal Urja Private Limited. Protests against the project have resurfaced in recent weeks.

– “Why should this project be exempt from public hearing? The project cannot recuse itself from hearing people who are the worst impacted. A decade after the 2013 disaster, many things have changed, and people have witnessed the varied impacts of climate change. In the same area, the government has brought Char Dham road widening and Char Dham Railway and Singoli Bhatwari hydro project is also there on Mandakini. We need a cumulative impact assessment of such projects, which was also recommended by the SC after the 2013 floods. To say that the project is 74% complete is wrong and is purposefully being said in order to push the project. The tunnel is going underneath Hat village, which is a sinking zone as described by the Ravi Chopra committee. There is no construction of a powerhouse yet…how can it be 74% complete? This seems to be in complete opposition of the 2019 PMO decision to conserve the entire Ganga basin,” said Mallika Bhanot, environment activist and member of Ganga Ahvaan. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/uttarakhand-nod-likely-for-hydro-project-washed-away-in-2013-floods-101713377831769.html  (18 April 2024)

Good to see this EDIT in the Hindustan Times against the proposal to push ahead with the controversial, destructive Phata Byung HEP. https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/no-more-himalayan-blunders-please-101713448817747.html  (18 April 2024)

Sikkim ‘Cloudburst’ preceded GLOF incident: Govt to NGT  In its first attempt at explaining the reasons leading up to last year’s flooding that ravaged four districts and killed over 40 people, the govt has informed the NGT that “more than usual heavy rainfall” — possibly a cloudburst — had preceded the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) event in the South Lhonak lake. The state government has based its conclusion on a report by the North East Space Application Centre (NESAC), which supports the Northeastern region with space science and technology. NESAC analysed rainfall before and after the GLOF using satellite data.

Crucially, however, its report mentioned that satellite data for rainfall was not available for about three hours when the incident happened. But, it added, it had rained heavily before the GLOF and there had been chances of more rain. The govt’s account — filed in its affidavit to the Kolkata bench of NGT, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the October 3 disaster — seems to confirm the initial suspicion of the National Disaster Management Authority that heavy rainfall could have triggered the series of events that resulted in the disaster.

There was no early warning system (EWS installed and the state was in the process of implementing and setting up of the EWS at the time of incident, the state submitted further. “In the absence of EWS system, the information flow was mainly via mobile communication, landline communication, police WT system, siren and alarm systems at hydro power projects, warning system of Sikkim Police and Fire & Emergency Services, warning by beat police manually and informal WhatsApp groups,” the affidavit stated.

Himanshu Thakkar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) said that even if rainfall was a causative factor of the disaster, the govt should explain what action they took when they got the information about the GLOF. “Why was the Teesta 3 dam not emptied when there was almost an hour between when they got the information about the GLOF and the point when Teesta 3 dam broke. The fact is, South Lhonak lake was known to be a potential source of flood since at least the 1990s due to rapidly changing sizes of glaciers,” said Thakkar. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/unusually-heavy-rain-before-last-octobers-glacial-lake-flooding-sikkim-govt-to-ngt-9276524/  (18 April 2024)

Broken Teesta dam in centerstage of election The Narendra Modi-led govt has not offered any incentives or grant-in-aid to help revive the Teesta III project after the dam break, although a high-level team visited the dam site and took stock of the damages. The Modi govt is, instead, trying to renew two separate and also contentious projects in the state – Teesta Stage IV 520 MW and the Panan 300 MW project. The state-run NHPC is developing the Teesta IV, which, according to government data, is scheduled to be completed in 2031-32. Government data also shows that not only Panan but several other private hydropower projects in Sikkim are stalled, without ascribing reasons, leading to revenue shortfalls for the state. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/4/18/a-flash-flood-and-a-quiet-sale-highlight-indias-sikkims-hydro-problems  (18 April 2024) 

Himachal Pradesh People are angry as SJVN is unscientifically dumping much from hydro projects.

Flood-hit families evacuate Sainj houses While four families of Satesh village in Kullu’s Sainj valley have been forced to evacuate their houses that became vulnerable after last year’s floods in Pin Parvati river, many others are planning to follow suit. The villagers say they have been demanding from the administration and government dredging of the river and construction of a security wall to protect their houses and land, but to no avail. They allege that they are forced to migrate to safer places as the administration is not heeding to their appeal.  https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/nine-months-on-four-flood-hit-families-evacuate-sainj-houses-611919  (18 April 2024)

Avalanche blocks flow of Chandrabhaga river in Lahaul An avalanche in Lahaul – Spiti district has blocked the natural flow of river Chandrabhaga near the north portal of the Atal Tunnel, connecting Manali with the district leading to sudden increase in the water level of the river beyond the blocked area upto Sissu. https://himachalguardian.com/2024/04/avalanche-blocks-flow-of-chandrabhaga-river-in-lahaul/  (16 April 2024)

Jammu & Kashmir 122 glaciers witness drastic decline in size over 4-decades A study done on the impact of climate change has revealed that a massive 122-glaciers situated in along the mighty Pir Panjal are on a shrinking spree, raising concerns about potential glacial lake outburst floods. The researchers found that these 122 glaciers have seen a drastic shrinkage since 1980. These glaciers covered approximately an area of 25.7 square kilometers, now cover on 15.9 square kilometers. The decline in glaciers poses a threat of water scarcity, impacting agricultural production and everyday life. The rapid and substantial melting of glaciers also increases the risk of glacial lake outburst floods, which could disrupt the ecosystem and pose significant hazards. https://www.greaterkashmir.com/kashmir/122-glaciers-in-pir-panjal-witness-drastic-decline-in-size-over-4-decades-research-says/  (20 April 2024)

MoEF Agenda for EAC on River Valley Committee meeting to be held on Apr 29 2024:

1. Chichlik Pumped Storage Hydro Project (1560 MW) for Fresh TOR in Sonbhadra, UP of Avaada Waterbattery Pvt Ltd

2. Shirawta Off Stream Open Loop Pumped Storage Project (1800 MW) of Tata Power Ltd, in Pune, Mah for Amendment of TOR

3. Kalai II Hydro Electric Project in Anjaw, ArP, For Fresh TOR, of THDC India Ltd

4. Malshej Ghat Bhorande Pumped Storage Project (1440 MW) of Adani Green Power Ltd, for Amendment in TOR, in Pune, Mah https://parivesh.nic.in/utildoc/61886023_1713537378827.pdf

DAMS

Kaleshwaram Project L&T ready to build cofferdam at Medigadda barrage L&T is said to have come forward to build a cofferdam at the damaged portion of the Medigadda barrage. The construction major will be undertaking the construction of the cofferdam close to pillars 19,20 and 21 of the seventh block at its own cost. The cofferdam which will be built mainly with sand would help the engineers to complete the repairs to the damaged pillars while diverting flood waters to other safe and strong pillars so that the barrage can be saved from heavy inflows of flood water. The construction of a cofferdam will also help the irrigation engineers to store and pump the water that presently is left down into the sea. https://www.newstap.in/telangana/lt-ready-to-build-cofferdam-at-medigadda-barrage-ahead-of-floods-to-godavari-1531013  (17 April 2024)

The final report of the ongoing Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) Department inquiry into the sinking of the piers of Medigadda bof the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) has reached a standstill with the sudden death of V&E Director General Rajiv Ratan on April 9. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/final-report-of-ve-probe-into-medigadda-fiasco-hits-a-roadblock/article68091583.ece  (21 April 2024)

Sardar Sarovar Project Land gone to dam, SoU projects, villagers stare at eviction The elections, however, have failed to excite the 10,000-odd residents from five villages around the Statue of Unity (SoU), who will face eviction any time, after losing claim to their land taken away in 1961 for the dam project, a part of which has also been used for the tourism infrastructure.

– In 2017, the dam was raised to its maximum height at 163 m after the Union government nod soon after Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister. What followed was the ancillary entertainment infrastructure built around SoU – now the world’s tallest – which were inaugurated by Modi in October 2020, the renaming of Kevadia as Ekta Nagar and the setting up of the Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Governance Authority (SoUADTGA) that has complete control over the administration of 21 villages around the periphery of SoU.

– SoUADTGA overrides the “strict implementation” of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, which empowers the gram sabha of the scheduled areas to approve plans and programmes for social and economic development and protect natural resources. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/land-gone-to-dam-sou-projects-villagers-in-ekta-nagar-stare-at-eviction-9282038/  (21 April 2024)

Maharashtra Desilting Khadakwasla to raise water holding capacity Lt Col Suresh Patil (retd), founder of Green Thumb Foundation, which is working on desilting Khadakwasla said it’s estimated that a three-tonne truck worth of silt equals to a tanker with a capacity to carry 10,000 litres of water. “We have till date cleared more than 25 lakh trucks full of silt from a 20km stretch of the dam. This has increased the capacity of the dam by 2,50,000 litres. The result is an approximate increase in the dam’s capacity by 0.20 TMC,” he added. “Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) or the irrigation department, or any other govt body, must employ sludge pumps to clear the silt at the centre of the dam. This is beyond our scope. Years of doing what we do, has allowed us to complete barely 1/8th of the work,” Patil said.

The biggest challenge Patil and his team face while desilting the dam is the restricted timeframe within which work has to be done. In addition to this, growing illegal encroachment around dams is a major concern for him, he said. This year, Patil’s challenge is a little different. Water has been left from the Temghar dam into Khadakwasla to supply drinking water to the city. This has not reduced the level of water as required and the desilting work is yet to start.

Desilting is an important process but a slow one. “There are benefits of desilting. But given the current water crisis, desilting such a big water body might not be the solution. Smaller water bodies like Pashan and Katraj lakes, for example, could be desilted faster and their capacities increased. This will also help in groundwater recharge,” said Upendra Dhonde, a scientist with the Central Groundwater Board. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/desilting-khadakwasla-to-raise-water-holding-capacity/articleshow/109239758.cms  (12 April 2024)

NGOs join hands to remove silt from Gangapur, Darna dams Nashik District collector Jalaj Sharma inaugurated a mission on Apr 16 in which some Nashik NGOs have joined hands to remove silt from Gangapur and Darna dams to increase their water storage capacity. The NGOs initiated a desilting drive at Gangapur dam on Tuesday morning. “The objective of the drive is to remove as much silt as possible from the Gangapur dam through public participation and increase its storage capacity.” “The drive will continue until June 15, which will be extended further if it receives a good response from different stakeholders of the society,” said Sharma. This fertile silt will be made available free of cost to small landholding farmers.

– Jayesh Thakkar, a builder, said all stakeholders, right from industrialists, builders, and doctors to architects, have joined this drive. Sonal Shahane, executive engineer of the Water Resources Department (WRD), Nashik and other officials were present. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/ngos-join-hands-to-remove-silt-from-gangapur-darna-dams/articleshow/109359567.cms  (17 April 2024)

CM Eknath Shinde, who held an election sabha in the Kalyan constituency, has announced that an independent dam will be made to solve the water issues of people from the constituency. “Kalyan city has massively grown in the recent times and there is a need for an independent dam here. I will not rest until an independent dam is made to ensure streamlined water supply here,” CM Shinde said. https://www.timesnownews.com/mumbai/maharashtra-cm-eknath-shinde-announces-to-make-independent-dam-for-kalyan-article-109481439  (21 April 2024)

Kerala Check dam to recharge Kabani river -Nearly 800 volunteers have built a check dam with sandbags across the Kabani River in Wayanad district. Now they wait for a torrent of water from the Karapuzha Dam to arrive and rescue the villages in the Pulpalli and Mullankolly panchayats from severe drought. The check dam built, across River Kabani, using sandbags is expected to arrest the water released from Karapuzha Dam 60 kilometres away.

-Officials from the Karapuzha Dam Authority visited Kabani and advised the community leaders to construct a check dam to arrest the flow of the water reaching Kabani. They said that in the absence of check dams, the water from Karapuzha would head toward the Beechanahalli Dam in Karnataka, leaving Kabani dry again. It is alleged that the water level in Kabani had dipped so drastically after Beechanahalli in the lower reaches of the river was drained, in an emergency mode, to ensure sufficient water for Bengaluru City.

-According to Arjun G L, Assistant Engineer, Karapuzha Dam section, the release of water is a trial that would continue for four days. The authorities are unsure of the effects such a high volume of summer release would have on the water bodies. The potential water loss during the transfer and the travel time is also not certain. However, the authorities are optimistic that the experiment would be a success. https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2024/04/18/check-dam-built-across-kabani-river-to-collect-water-karapuzha-dam-wayanad-drought.html  (18 April 2024)

INTERSTATE WATER DISPUTES

Krishna Water Dispute T & AP in fresh row over Sagar tail pond water A fresh row broke out between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over drawal of water from Nagarjuna Sagar tail pond, which has a capacity of 7 tmcft. Telangana alleged that AP had surreptitiously drawn over 4 tmcft water from Sagar in the last one week without informing the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) as well as the neighbouring state.

– Taking a serious view, Telangana govt is believed to have sought explanation from TSGenco top officials and wrote a letter to the KRMB. The tail pond is under the control of TSGenco since it is located below the hydel power station of Sagar. Former energy minister and BRS leader G Jagadish Reddy on Friday said Nalgonda district would face serious drinking water crisis with the emptying of the tail pond. Telangana and AP have been at loggerheads over utilising Sagar water for some time. A day before Telangana assembly polls on Nov 29 last year, AP deployed police and opened the project gates. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/t-ap-in-fresh-row-over-sagar-tail-pond-water/articleshow/109445517.cms  (20 April 2024)

URBAN RIVERS

Sabarmati; Ahmedabad HC warns of disciplinary action against city engineer The high court on Friday (April 19) said the status of pollution in the Sabarmati has not changed a bit since it took suo motu cognizance of the matter three years ago. The judges warned the city engineer and the board of wastewater management of strict disciplinary action for dereliction of duty, saying nothing has changed and only papers have been created following HC’s rebuke. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/court-warns-of-disciplinary-action-against-city-engineer/articleshow/109447167.cms  (20 April 2024)

Chennai Hazardous ‘forever’ chemicals found in lakes, rivers, GW –CPCB has not recognised perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are hazardous ‘forever’ chemicals. They can cause diseases ranging from liver damage to cancer.Now, an IIT Madras study has revealed that PFAS concentration in the city waters is about 19,400 times more of these ‘forever chemicals’ than the American Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) safety levels. These PFAS were found in the groundwater in and around the Perungudi dumpyard, Adyar river, Buckingham Canal, Chembarambakkam lake and the treated water from the lake.

-PFAS are called ‘forever’ chemicals because they accumulate in the environment without breaking down or degrading. Non-stick cookware, food packaging, aqueous film-forming foam, waterproof materials like raincoats, and cosmetics expel these chemicals via sewage and solid waste, polluting ground and surface water, and finally finding their way into treated drinking water. Reason: conventional water treatment processes can lead to increased levels of PFAS because unidentified compounds (precursors) become PFAS during treatment, said the study. The HDPE and PVC pipes that transport water from the treatment plant to houses may also add PFAS to the water. “The current water treatment process removes suspended solids and basic inorganic chemicals. There is no process to remove organic chemicals like PFAS,” said T Swaminathan, a former National Environmental Engineering Research Institute scientist. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/hazardous-forever-chemicals-found-in-chennai-lakes-can-cause-liver-damage-cancer/articleshow/108991410.cms  (03 April 2024)

Adyar; Chennai Retaining wall for river at Manapakkam Construction of a five-metre-high retaining wall along a stretch of river Adyar in Manapakkam to prevent breach of bunds during floods has begun. The state water resources department (WRD), which is executing the 12 crore project, has dumped heaps of mud near MIOT Hospital in Manapakkam and is levelling it with earthmovers through the day. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/retaining-wall-for-adyar-at-manapakkam/articleshow/109016468.cms  (04 April 2024)

Noyyal; Coimbatore River needs restoration The Noyyal, which flowed through Coimbatore in all glory, has been reduced to a gutter, choked with plastics and sewage. With the Tamil Nadu Budget laying out a plan for the revival of the river, environmentalists and artists hold out a gleam of hope, even as the river struggles to survive in the face of development

Encroachments along the river bank, infrastructure development, and dumping of waste along the channels that interlink the tanks are a growing concern. A collective effort of people and the government can go a long way in restoring the river’s glory. “A scientific approach is the key to reviving the river. It should go beyond building new check-dams or adding walkways and greenery. We need micro-sewage treatment plants,” says K. Mohanraj, 53, an environmental activist, who has mapped and documented the river basin over 15 years.. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/a-river-that-was-once-the-lifeline-of-coimbatore-needs-restoration/article68073271.ece  (17 April 2024)

RIVERS

Kerala Dead stream springs back to life after 30 years Embarking on a trial endeavour in 2021-22, the forest department initiated an eco-restoration project supported by the United Nations Development Programme and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and encompassing 38 hectares at Anchanattupara and 60 hectares at Pothadi under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). “Exotic species were systematically removed, allowing natural grasses to flourish,” explains Marayur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) M.G. Vinod Kumar. “With subsequent backing, the project has expanded, converting 98 hectares into thriving natural grassland.” In the locality, a once-active stream known as Kammalamkudy Thodu had vanished following the introduction of exotic species. However, post eco-restoration, the stream has been rejuvenated, now releasing 6.5 litres of water per minute even in scorching temperatures, say officials.

“We erected a brushwood check-dam along the stream, attracting various wildlife species for hydration,” Mr. Kumar says. “Since the conversion of hills into grassland, the area has witnessed an influx of diverse wildlife.” “Grasslands play a pivotal role in water absorption and redistribution through streams,” says Mr. Kumar. “The resurgence of the stream underscores the success of our grassland eco-restoration efforts, despite the absence of summer rainfall.” Surendran, tribal head of the Kammalamkudi settlement, recalls that the stream vanished after the proliferation of exotic species. “Once a thriving watercourse prior to the 1990s, its rejuvenation after years is truly remarkable,” he adds.  https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/2024-04-21/th_kochi/articleGBKCMTU53-6526881.ece  (21 April 2024)

Goa Ensure no raw sewage discharged into Colva creek: HC  The high court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday (April 17) directed the SPCB to ensure that no raw sewage is discharged into the Colva creek, and to instruct commercial establishments to connect to the common STP. The board must consider whether commercial establishments should be allowed to function if they fail to do this, the high court stated. Additional govt advocate Pravin Faldessai told the court that the general STP is in place but is not operational because only 25 domestic connections and 17 commercial connections have been made. The SPCB has issued notices to about 43 commercial establishments directing them to connect to this STP. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/ensure-no-raw-sewage-discharged-into-colva-creek-hc-directs-pollution-board/articleshow/109381918.cms  (18 April 2024)

Odisha Death toll boat capsize rises to 7 All deceased people hailed from Kharseni area of neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The incident occurred when around 50 passengers were returning in the boat after visiting a temple in Patharseni Kuda in Bargarh district. The boat capsized in Mahanadi river as it was about to reach Sarada Ghat in Rengali area in Jharsuguda, a police officer said. Local fishermen rescued 40 passengers and brought them to the bank, he said. https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/death-toll-in-odisha-boat-capsize-rises-to-seven-with-recovery-of-five-more-bodies/cid/2014589  (20 April 2024)

Jammu & Kashmir Boat Capsize: The Complete Story Tragedy struck in the Gandbal area of Srinagar on Tuesday (April 16) morning (08:00 am) when a boat carrying school children, accompanied by their family members, capsized in the Jhelum River near Batwara.

-The boat, which typically ferried passengers from Gandbal to Batwara daily, was overloaded with children, women, and men. The huge boat, called Khoutch in Kashmiri, would cross the river using a rope tied on two banks. It broke and the boat sailed with the water currents. It had reached the middle of the river, when the rope broke and it hit something that bifurcated the boat.

-The area’s lack of infrastructure, including an unfinished bridge over the river, has hindered transportation between Gandbal and Batwara since 2008. This incident underscores the urgent need for completion of such projects to ensure the safety of the community.

-Pertinently, the Batwara boat tragedy is one of its kinds in recent times here in Kashmir. Interestingly, the locals of the area depended on boats and ferries for traveling and it became a routine for them, as the area is missing a bridge for the connectivity. A week ago a boat capsized in the Wular Lake, resulting in the death of a 45 years old fisherman, a father of four. Back in 2006, a similar tragedy took place in the district Bandipora of North Kashmir, where a boat carrying at least 35 school-going children capsized in Wular Lake, resulting in the death of more than ten children. https://kashmirlife.net/kashmir-boat-capsize-the-complete-story-350899/  (16 April 2024)

Boat crash kills 4 children “In the middle of the river, the ferry’s rope came off and it drifted uncontrollably towards the girdle of an under-construction bridge due to heavy flow of water and split into two,” a senior official in Srinagar district administration said, adding that the ferry sank instantly and all the passengers were washed away. According to officials, the bridge, which caused the boat to break into two, was sanctioned by the PDP-BJP coalition government in 2017.

An official in the Jammu and Kashmir’s Public Works Department (PWD) told the PTI that under the 2017 project, a footbridge was proposed to be constructed to Gandbal which was later modified to build a motorable bridge. “When Article 370 was abrogated, there was a ‘change of scope’. The rules which were not there earlier were implemented. Because of that, its technical sanction took time. We have been working very fast for the last three months,” the PWD official claimed. https://thewire.in/rights/srinagar-boat-crash-that-killed-at-least-4-children-stirs-anger-over-incomplete-bridge  (17 April 2024)

Himachal Pradesh Channeling of Beas continues to hang fire There are so many misconceptions among people and also media that they are saying channeling will help improve flood management, when the reality is exactly, opposite, it will only worsen it.: –The proposal for the channeling of the Beas on the 70-km stretch from Palchan near Manali to Aut in Mandi district has been hanging fire for the past around two decades as successive governments in the state and at the Centre did not work on the proposal on the ground.

-Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Sunder Singh Thakur had said on March 15 this year that 24 detailed project reports of the channeling of rivers and embankments protection work worth Rs 188 crore in the Kullu Assembly constituency had been sent to the State Disaster Mitigation Authority. Of these, six projects worth Rs 38 crore had been approved and the budget released, he had said. However, the total cost of the Beas channeling from Palchan to Aut is estimated to be around Rs 1,669 crore.

-Kullu Jal Shakti Executive Engineer (XEN) Arun Sharma says that a detailed project report (DPR) was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) last year which was sent back with some observations. “The matter was taken up with the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), which sought some details to revise the DPR. Data is being prepared and it will be submitted to the CWPRS within 10 to 15 days,” he adds. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/channeling-of-beas-continues-to-hang-fire-611889  (18 April 2024)

Encroachments shrink Beas tributaries The two major tributaries of Beas — Bhiral river and Mol khud — that pass through Palampur are shrinking by the day due to the large scale constructions and encroachments on their riverbeds. Most of these buildings and their retaining walls have come up without the prior approval of Palampur Municipal Corporation. Despite being well versed with the situation, Palampur MC officials have turned a blind eye to the menace. No action has been initiated against the defaulters so far. 

Illegal buildings are coming up with impunity on the riverbeds in the town and its adjoining areas. Owing to the rampant encroachments, the Bhiral khud has squeezed to 10-12 metres at many points. It seems as though neither the people of the area, nor the Kangra administration have learnt any lessons from the catastrophe that happened in the state last monsoon, when many buildings erected alongside water bodies were washed off in floods, resulting in hundreds losing their lives in Mandi, Shimla and Kullu districts.  https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/encroachments-shrink-beas-tributaries-612308   (19 April 2024)

NGT seeks report on Kasauli distillery  The NGT passed the order for constituting a new panel after hearing a matter relating to a Mohan Meakin distillery allegedly dumping effluents into Kasauli Kund in Solan district. However, the report lacked “material particulars”, the judicial members of the Bench – Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel – said. “The credibility of the entire report is doubtful,” the Bench said in its April 9 order. The tribunal noted the submissions of the project proponent (Mohan Meakin) about using water from three sources, the on-source groundwater for which permission was obtained, and two natural springs for which there was no permission.

The tribunal noted the submissions of the project proponent (Mohan Meakin) about using water from three sources, the on-source groundwater for which permission was obtained, and two natural springs for which there was no permission. “The project proponent (PP) is required to disclose as to how it is utilising the water from two sources of spring existing within the premises without permission,” it said. The tribunal allowed the PPs prayer to permit it to submit its reply within four weeks. The matter has been listed on July 22 for further proceedings.  https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/ngt-seeks-report-on-kasauli-distillery-611962  (18 April 2024)

GANGA Study Indo-Gangetic Plains to soon become hotspot of extreme events -A study involving researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology has revealed worrying predictions about the future of the densely populated areas around the Indus and Ganges rivers. Compound extreme weather, made more common by climate change, is set to become a major problem. These compound events, where different extreme weather conditions occur together or in quick succession, are increasingly frequent. For example, droughts and heatwaves or heavy rainfall after extreme temperatures can cause significant damage.

-The study suggests that the Indo Gangetic Plains could face increased risks of crop failure due to rising temperatures, drought, and unpredictable rainfall patterns caused by global warming. Study author Harald Kunstmann emphasises the importance of preparing for these challenges, suggesting measures such as investing in heat and drought-resistant seeds, building flood-resistant dams, and storing rainfall for irrigation during dry periods. https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/indo-gangetic-plains-home-to-half-the-indian-population-to-soon-become-hotspot-of-extreme-climate-events-study/articleshow/109376569.cms  (17 April 2024)

कानपुर से ज्यादा काशी की गंगा में मिला प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण -बीएचयू के पर्यावरण एवं धारणीय विकास संस्थान के शोध से पता चला है कि गंगा में कभी नष्ट न होने वाले प्लास्टिक के अतिसूक्ष्म कण माइक्रोप्लास्टिक (एमपी) मौजूद हैं। इसके तत्व मछलियों में मिले हैं। मछली खाने वाले मनुष्यों के शरीर में नुकसानदायक तत्व पहुंच रहे हैं। इससे बीमारियों का खतरा बढ़ा है। गंगा में कानपुर से ज्यादा वाराणसी माइक्रोप्लास्टिक पाए गए हैं।

-रोहू, टेंगरा और भोला समेत चार मछलियों के गैस्ट्रोइंटेस्टाइनल ट्रैक्ट (जीआईटी) और मांसपेशियों में माइक्रोप्लास्टिक मिले हैं। रोहू का सेवन सबसे ज्यादा किया जाता है। वाराणसी क्षेत्र से चार प्रजाति की मछलियों कॉमन क्रॉप (साइप्रिनस कार्पियो), टेंगरा मछली (स्पर्टा ऑर), भोला मछली (जॉनियस क्वॉइटर) और रोहू (लेबियो बाटा) पकड़ी गईं। https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/varanasi/research-in-bhu-more-plastic-pollution-found-in-ganga-of-varanasi-than-kanpur-2024-04-20  (20 April 2024)

Jharkhand 4 DMs fined for submitting incomplete reports The NGT has imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on four district magistrates for submitting “incomplete reports” regarding the prevention and control of the Ganga’s pollution. In February, the panel had imposed costs of Rs 25,000 on Jharkhand after noting that no report was filed from any district magistrate, who are heads of District Ganga Protection Committees.

In an order passed on April 10, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that compliance reports were received from Sahibganj, Dumka, Ranchi, Rajmahal, Giridih, Dhanbad, Bokaro and Ramgarh districts. “There is clear non-compliance of the earlier order of the tribunal by these four district magistrates who have submitted their incomplete reports. Hence, we grant further four week time to these district magistrates to deposit a cost of Rs 10,000 each,” the tribunal said. The bench has posted the matter to July 19 for further proceedings. https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/four-j-khand-dms-fined-for-submitting-incomplete-reports-on-ganga-pollution-124042100630_1.html  (21 April 2024)

Report ‘Children of the Ganges’ – the boatmen of India’s Varanasi Their lives are deeply entwined with the sacred river Ganges but Varanasi’s mallah community say they have been overlooked. “Hum paani ke jeev hain. We are creatures of water,” says 29-year-old Vishwakarma Sahni. Sahni belongs to Varanasi’s community of approximately 8,000 mallah, the boatmen whose lives are deeply intertwined with the Ganges – a river considered sacred in India and which they hold in profound reverence. To them, the Ganges is not merely a river; it is their lifeline.

In 2018, despite widespread protests from the community, the Government of India granted permits to three private cruise ships to operate along the ghats of Varanasi – the small staircases which descend to quays and cremation facilities along the river. The boatmen say their livelihoods have been badly disrupted as a result. The mallah, who identify themselves as Gangaputras or “sons of the Ganges” believe the state should have involved them in decision-making processes before implementing any changes to boating-related activities on the riverfront. In recent years, the government has granted operation licences to several more luxury liners amidst protests from the boatmen. The boatmen fear that more private players will be introduced to riverfront activities, depriving them of what has been their sole source of income for centuries.

“What kind of government conspires with corporates to strip the citizens of their livelihood?” asks Pramod Majhi, a key figure in the community’s resistance against what they perceive as oppressive and discriminatory state policies. The boatmen community faced oppression not only under colonial British rule but also as a result of social and political subjugation in postcolonial India. Most boatmen experience poverty, as their earnings from rowing boats are often insufficient to support themselves and their families. The most impoverished among the mallahs are the gotakhors (coin divers), who have no boats of their own and instead earn a living by diving into the Ganges to collect coins tossed into the river by pilgrims as religious offerings. The mallah walks a tightrope of uncertainty, where death can come knocking in many forms; disease, drowning and destitution are most common. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/longform/2024/4/21/children-of-the-ganges-the-mallahs-of-indias-varanasi  (21 April 2024)

YAMUNA SANDRP Letter Restore Yamuna Floodplain Raised by Illegal Soil Dumping near Shashtri Park, Delhi This is an open letter to concerned government officials regarding restoration of Yamuna floodplain illegally raised and levelled by Forest Department, Delhi and DDA at Bela Farm near Shashtri Park, Delhi. https://sandrp.in/2024/04/20/restore-yamuna-floodplain-raised-by-illegal-soil-dumping-near-shashtri-park-delhi/  (20 April 2024)

Nav Bharat Times on SANDRP’s Bhim Singh Rawat’s letter to authorities in Delhi about floodplain encroachments in Yamuna in Delhi leading to increased flood risk among other consequences.

Delhi DDA flouts NGT’s guidelines, continues construction on floodplain Despite last year marking the worst floods in Delhi’s history, The Hindu has found that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is persisting with its plans of constructing permanent structures on the banks of the Yamuna. The project, dubbed as “restoration” of the river’s floodplain, violates the guidelines issued by a committee appointed by the NGT, which the States were ordered to “strictly” follow.

-Under the DDA’s ‘Restoration and Rejuvenation of River Yamuna Floodplains Project’, several permanent structures, including concrete ghats, large sitting areas made of concrete and sandstone, and a concrete cafe, have been built. An approximately 40-metre-long pool and several concrete offices have also been constructed, while a convention centre, tent city, and more ghats are among the other buildings that the DDA is planning to construct on the floodplain.

The Principal Committee, formed by the NGT in 2015 after a landmark judgment with the specific purpose of monitoring activity on the Yamuna’s floodplain, outlines strict norms governing construction in the area. However, sources told The Hindu that the committee has not met in over 21 months.

Experts believe that the DDA’s project has led to concretisation of the Yamuna’s banks. “The construction will lead to a reduction of the water carrying capacity of the floodplain,” said Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator at the SANDRP. Shashi Shekhar, former Secretary at the MoWR, opined that Indian rivers need more floodplains compared to Western rivers as they swell in size during monsoons. The ‘Sabarmati model’ — the urbanisation of Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati riverfront with concrete embankment walls — was not a feasible solution for other rivers in India, he added. “We must focus on restoring the Yamuna to its natural form,” he said. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/dda-flouts-ngts-guidelines-continues-construction-on-crowded-yamuna-floodplain-in-delhi/article68068418.ece  (16 April 2024)

9 years after NGT’s directions, floodplain yet to be demarcated Its been nine years since NGT ordered demarcation of Yamuna floodplains in Delhi, but that is yet to happen. While the Delhi government had claimed in submissions to the NGT that “100%” physical demarcation of a major stretch of the Yamuna’s floodplain in the city has been done, visits to the sites in question and interviews with officials by The Hindu have confirmed that major gaps persist. Moreover, nine years after the green panel asked authorities to identify encroachments in the floodplain, this process, too, has not been done, and was not initiated even after the devastating July 2023 floods that saw the Yamuna rise to unprecedented levels. In fact, illegal permanent constructions on the floodplain have only grown since the NGT’s directions in a landmark judgment in 2015, according to latest satellite images.

“Demarcation of a floodplain is not rocket science. If it is not being done despite court orders, it is because of the dishonest intentions of bureaucrats and the government’s Executive wing,” said Shashi Shekhar, former Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. He added that there was a “strong land mafia” that was “grabbing” the floodplain. “This cannot happen without the connivance of officials and politicians.”

After the 2023 floods, the NGT took suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report, and formed another committee headed by the Chief Secretary in October last year. The green panel’s directions to the new committee echoed almost exactly what it had told the Principal Committee eight years ago – to physically demarcate the floodplain and suggest measures to remove encroachments. The new committee was set a deadline of three months, but the deadline was missed. In January this year, the committee asked for three more months to comply with the NGT’s directions. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/nine-years-after-ngts-directions-yamuna-floodplain-yet-to-be-demarcated/article68072355.ece  (17 April 2024)

DDA ignores directions to remove official constructions on floodplain, builds more Just over a hundred metres from the Wazirabad Bridge in north Delhi lies Sur Ghat, spread over an expanse of at least 2,000 square metres. The ghat, enclosed by barbed-wire boundary walls, features tiled floors, four concrete rooms, and a 40-metre-long pool, and is often visited by Hindu families performing the last rites of their loved ones. Large letters painted on a 12-foot-high wall proclaim the area under the jurisdiction of the DDA.

The whole complex, however, bustling as it is, is built on the Yamuna floodplain, a mere 50 metres from the river. The area, as per directions of the NGT nine years ago, was meant to be reclaimed from concretization. But over the years, the DDA has done the very opposite, and has constructed more and more structures at Sur Ghat, dealing a blow to the floodplain, which is meant to serve as a key defence in the event of floods. Sur Ghat is not the only example of encroachments on the Yamuna’s floodplain. The DDA, despite court orders, has not only failed to recover multiple such “official” encroachments, but has helmed further concretisation for official developmental works, The Hindu has found.

Similarly, the now-defunct Millenium Bus Depot near Sarai Kale Khan, which was built atop a large portion of the floodplain ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010, still remains in its concretised form, despite directions for it to be recovered. Some experts say that DDA’s flouting of court orders is “the same old story”. “Committees cannot keep visiting places again and again to check whether court orders are being implemented. Ultimately, it is the DDA that has to implement court orders,” said former IIT Delhi professor A.K. Gosain, who is a member of the Principal Committee, which was appointed by the NGT in 2015 to monitor illegal construction on the Yamuna’s floodplain. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/dda-ignores-directions-to-remove-official-constructions-on-floodplain-builds-more/article68079888.ece  (19 April 2024)

HC issue direction on drainage management The HC has recently issued slew of directions on the management of drainage system in the national capital, rejuvenation of water bodies, Yamuna river including its flood plains and rain water harvesting. https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/delhi-high-court-management-drainage-system-rejuvenation-yamuna-254753 2/2  ( 10 April 2024)

Noida Momnathal villagers particularly women suffering from serious health issues due to unabated pollution in Hindon river.

https://www.bhaskar.com/bhaskar-khaas/blackboard/news/delhi-up-hindon-river-pollution-noida-momnathal-ureteral-stone-victims-story-132889570.html  (18 April 2024)

Haryana Will fill 87 vacancies in 3 months: SPCB  According to a petition filed before the tribunal last year, over 60% of staff positions are lying vacant in SPCB. NGT has directed the SPCB to file a fresh report within a month. The direction came while the tribunal was hearing a petition by activist Varun Gulati, which said 303 (69%) of 481 posts in SPCB were lying vacant across all 22 districts of the state, hindering its work to tackle rising pollution levels. The April 10 order was released to the public on Thursday (April 18). The next hearing is on July 31. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/will-fill-87-vacancies-in-3-months-hspcb-to-ngt/articleshow/109414602.cms  (19 April 2024)  

NGT seeks thermal plant’s reply on fly ash compliance The NGT has directed the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) to submit a fresh affidavit within a period of four weeks on disposal of old fly ash in the Aravalis after the closure of the Faridabad thermal power station. Saying that nothing has been pointed out to show that the norms have been complied with, the tribunal stated that the affidavit should clarify if the old fly ash dyke meets all conditions mentioned in the relevant provisions. The next hearing is on July 26.

Following the NGT’s instructions, the SPCB conducted an inspection on July 31 last year. The board’s report confirmed the presence of two ash dykes in the Aravalis. One of them, the old ash dyke, is spread across 103 acres. It was filled in 1987 and is currently covered with plantation after deposition of a layer of soil. The other is spread across 152 acres, where lifting of ash is in progress now. The report disclosed that no lifting of fly ash took place between 2018 to 2022. Now, the work has been awarded to two agencies. Till June 30 last year, approximately 8 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of fly ash was lifted. Approximately 10 lakh MT fly ash is yet to be lifted. HSPCB also informed NGT that the entire remaining fly ash at the second ash dyke will be lifted by June 21, 2026. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/fly-ash-disposal-in-aravalis-ngt-seeks-thermal-plants-reply-on-compliance/articleshow/109384679.cms  (17 Feb. 2024)

Study Landscape evolution of the NW Himalayan rivers Abstract: -Here, we present the high-resolution chronostratigraphic records based on 47 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from 6 cores (∼50 m deep) retrieved across the palaeochannels of the Yamuna. We document multi-storied sand bodies deposited by a mobile channel belt in a large alluvial fan system characterized by four possible stages of drainage reorganization and landscape evolution during the late Quaternary. It has also been inferred that a major eastward shift of the palaeo-Yamuna River occurred at ∼18 ka, predating both the westward shift of the Sutlej at ∼8 ka and the decline of the Harappan Civilization at ∼3.9 ka BP. Our chronostratigraphic data helps to understand the drainage reorganization of the Himalayan river systems during the late Quaternary in the NW Himalayan foreland and reaffirms the non-contemporaneity of the Harappan Civilization with a large river system. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379124001239  (April 2024)

RIVERS BIODIVERSITY

Odisha Erosion pushes turtle nests 14 km A Zoological Survey Of India (ZSI)-Pune study found the world-famous Olive Ridley turtle nesting ground at Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha has shifted a staggering 14km northwards over the last three decades owing to severe coastal erosion caused by climate change and human activities.

For shoreline change analysis, the study focused on the coastal stretch from the Mahanadi river mouth in the south to Dhamra port in the north. This coastline was divided into four zones based on natural landmarks, such as river mouths and sea beaches, as well as anthropogenic features like ports. “Zone I was from Mahanadi river mouth to Hukitola bay and Zone II was from Hukitola bay to Brahmani river mouth. Zone III (identified as the most vulnerable segment) included erosion-prone Pentha and Satabhaya Sea beaches. Despite mitigation efforts, erosion remains a critical concern in this zone. Historically, Olive Ridley turtle mass nesting occurred here. But severe erosion has caused the nesting site to shift further north. Zone IV, from Maipura river mouth to Dhamra port, is the current location for the Olive Ridley turtle mass nesting, particularly around Wheeler Island,” Tripathy said. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/erosion-pushes-turtle-nests-14-km-in-odisha/articleshow/109277371.cms  (14 April 2024)

Report Great hornbill mystery Hornbills in large numbers are abandoning their nests without giving eggs this year in all the western Ghats states including Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and TN. There are some theories on why the birds, a critically endangered species, are abandoning the procreation process, and they range from a lack of availability of fruit resources to high temperature as well as impact of climate at the micro-level. https://www.deccanherald.com/india/now-afoot-in-western-ghats-a-great-hornbill-mystery-2984752  (19 April 2024)

FISH, FISHERIES, FISHERFOLKS

Chennai Ecological disaster brewing inside Pulicat bird sanctuary -South America’s invasive Charru mussels is killing India’s second largest brackish water lake by depleting it of prawn, crabs and fish life. -It is suspected that Charru mussels arrived in the region through alleged unchecked discharge of ballast water and the failure of the Kattupalli port authorities to prevent migration of invasive species from the hulls of visiting ships. The first reported invasion of these mussels was from similar tidal wetlands — the Vembanad and Ashtamudi wetlands in Kerala that are tidally connected to the Kochi port and harbour.

-Experts say when ballast water is pumped into a ship, sediment and microscopic organisms are also transferred into the ballast tanks. These organisms include bacteria, microbes, small invertebrates, eggs, cysts and larvae of various species. Many of these organisms are able to survive for extended periods in inhospitable environments, including a ship’s ballast tanks. When the ballast water is discharged, the organisms are released into the local marine environment. https://www.newindianexpress.com/xplore/2024/Apr/20/ecological-disaster-brewing-inside-pulicat-bird-sanctuary  (20 April 2024)

Interview Yuvan Aves author of Intertidal, a diary on Chennai’s coast, wetlands, and climate, evolved from personal observation to a public resource. It explores the interplay of nature, activism, and self, offering meditative reflections for all readers.   https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/yuvan-aves-author-intertidal-sometimes-i-write-to-think-101713543972763.html  (19 April 2024)

Odisha Fisheries dept imposes fishing ban, fishermen plan to abstain from voting Fisheries department has imposed restrictions on fishing by mechanised vessels from April 15 to June 14 across the state. Last month, marine fishermen expressed discontent over the government’s failure to address their grievances, forcing them to announce a boycott of the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. During this two-month “Fishing Holiday” coinciding with the elections, fishermen plan to abstain from voting to draw attention to their demands.

The monsoon trawling ban, introduced in 1998, aims to facilitate unhindered fish breeding during the rainy season. Approximately 21,000 fishing vessels, including 2,000 trawlers, are registered in the state. During the ban, mechanised vessels that pose a threat to fish eggs and juveniles are prohibited from sea operations, while smaller vessels and non-mechanised boats under 8.5 metre with larger net gaps are exempt. https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2024/Apr/16/fisheries-department-imposes-fishing-ban-fishermen-plan-to-abstain-from-voting  (16 April 2024)

WETLANDS, LAKES, WATER BODIES

Assam Majuli’s shrinking wetlands & fight for survival Majuli island is dotted with an elaborate network of wetlands of varying sizes and characteristics, a marker of the island’s geological past. A large number of people have historically depended on the wetlands for food and traditional livelihoods. The wetlands also host over 250 species of resident and migratory birds. Lack of natural flood water circulation, erosion and expansion of agriculture and infrastructure is contributing to the shrinkage of water bodies in the island.

– Situated in the middle of the Brahmaputra, the landscape of Majuli is dotted with a string of beels. The variety of these wetlands is so rich that there’s an elaborate indigenous taxonomy of water bodies in Majuli. In the book, Slow Disaster: Political Ecology of Hazards and Everyday Life in the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam (2023), political ecologist Mitul Barua writes, local people in Majuli divide the wetlands into many categories depending on their size and characteristics, such as beel, jan, suti, erasuti, dubi, ghuli, hola, pitoni and so on. “A string of beels in a landscape indicates the presence of major rivers in it in the past, which may have migrated channels over time. Majuli is a classic case of that, given the elaborate network of beels found all over the island,” writes Barua. https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/majulis-shrinking-wetlands-and-their-fight-for-survival/  (15 April 2024)

URBAN LAKES, WETLANDS

Delhi Govt to list 322 waterbodies over 1,000 it can’t manage While the city has struggled to maintain or restore 1,045 waterbodies enumerated in 2021 — many of them non-existent on the ground — Delhi govt has added 322 more to the tally based on satellite imagery. This makes a total of 1,367 waterbodies that need to be rejuvenated in the capital. Given the lack of action on vetting the wetlands, Delhi High Court asked the state govt on April 8 to ensure all the wetlands are appraised for maintenance by the end of the year. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-adds-another-322-waterbodies-to-list-of-over-1000-it-cant-manage/articleshow/109258187.cms  (13 April 2024)

URBAN WATER

Bengaluru Disappearing Lakes Bengaluru was once a kalyananagara, a city of lakes that functioned as the community centre of local neighbourhoods, critical for local economies, sacred cosmologies, biodiversity and human wellbeing. We need to recover this lost imagination of Bengaluru, to re-imagine it once again as a city of water, for the resilience of the city — as well as the many millions who call this city home. (Hita Unnikrishnan, Harini Nagendra) https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bengaluru-water-crisis-water-scarcity-deccan-hills-agrarian-economy-9281769/  (21 April 2024)

-While drying up of the Kaveri river basin during the deficit rains last monsoon is often cited as a key reason, the Bengaluru water crisis has a long history and complex connections, experts note. https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/bengaluru-rings-alarm-bells-for-urban-water-concerns/  (15 April 2024)

Tree roots to recharge GW A team of individuals from an NGO collaborated with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Karnataka Forest Department in Indiranagar for “Free the Tree: Root of the Matter” campaign. This campaign is aimed at freeing the roots of huge trees lined across the streets to enhance water percolation during the upcoming monsoon.  With reckless concretisation of Bengaluru’s streets, the water percolation processes induced by these trees are often blocked. To boost the percolation process, and in turn recharge the groundwater table, volunteers from iCare Foundation and Jaya Karnataka Janapara Vedike (JKVK) aim towards adopting natural methods of groundwater recharge such as root pruning, air spading and mulching.  “Loosening the tree base pits will soften the soil which will enhance the water percolation capacity,” said B Gunaranjan Shetty, the President of Karnataka Wrestling Association and founding member of JKVK.  https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/green-initiative-targets-tree-roots-to-recharge-city-s-groundwater-2987539  (21 April 2024)

Rise in treated water demand Previously, the BWSSB was distributing 60,000 litres of treated water daily; now, this figure has gone upto 60 lakh litres per day (6 MLD). As per senior BWSSB officials, this development has enabled them to redirect water to areas facing severe shortages. While the current demand primarily stems from the construction sector, the BWSSB is advocating for IT industries and commercial establishments to transition as well, given Bengaluru’s substantial production of nearly 1,200 MLD of treated water. It has also been observed that many large consumers have begun using treated water more effectively from their on-site STPs. With a reduction in supply by 20 per cent, they are recognizing the value of treated water and optimizing usage. This shift in mindset is crucial to alleviate pressure on Cauvery water, an official said, as per the report.  https://www.timesnownews.com/bengaluru/from-60000-litres-to-60-lakh-litres-per-day-bengaluru-sees-surge-in-demand-for-treated-water-article-109470899  (21 April 2024)

Bengaluru’s treated water is filling lakes in the neighbouring Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. The state government now plans to use the city’s treated water to fill all the lakes in the city in the future. Meanwhile, Karnataka’s minor irrigation minister, NS Boseraju, recently issued a warning regarding the usage of treated water from the HN Valley and KC Valley irrigation projects for agricultural purposes. The minister raised concerns about instances where second-stage treated water is being improperly used for agriculture, which goes against project guidelines. Boseraju cautioned against its direct application, stressing the importance of preserving the project’s primary objectives. Authorities have been instructed to take decisive action against any violations.

Karnataka stands sixth in the country in terms of sewage generation in urban areas. The state generates 4,458 MLD. The highest sewage generation is in Maharashtra (9,107), followed by Uttar Pradesh (8,263), Tamil Nadu (6,421), West Bengal (5,457), and Gujarat (5,013). It has 140 STPs with an installed capacity of treating 2,712 MLD, and the overall operational treatment capacity of sewage in the state is 1,922 MLD. As per the CPCB, sewage generation from areas in the country is estimated at 72,368 MLD, against which a treatment capacity of 31,841 MLD is available in various states. Out of this, the operational capacity of these sewage treatment plants was found to be 26,869 MLD in the country. https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/civic/insufficient-rain-treated-water-to-fill-up-city-lakes/articleshow/109382737.cms  (18 April 2024)

If Bengaluru stops saying ‘yuck’ to treated waste water, it’ll never go thirsty: Experts.  https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/if-bengaluru-stops-saying-yuck-to-treated-waste-water-itll-never-go-thirsty-experts/cid/2014756  (21 April 2024)

BWSSB installing aerators The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (BWSSB) has set April 30 as the deadline for the installation of aerators across the city. The civic agency’s chairman, V. Ram Prasath Manohar spoke to reporters on the matter and said, “30 per cent of water can be saved everyday with installation of aerators. The board has levied fines on 450 persons in the city for using potable water for non-essential purposes. The BWSSB fines ₹5,000 for such violations.” “In the last 15 days, the board filled 15 lakes with treated water and have set a target to fill 200 lakes with treated water in a year’s time. This will help improve groundwater levels in the areas around these lakes,” He added, as quoted by the publication. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/bengaluru-water-board-installs-five-lakh-aerators-in-public-taps-amid-crisis-report-101713691904187.html  (21 April 2024)

Mangaluru Use of water from AMR dam for industries, agri banned The Dakshina Kannada district administration, in a bid to ensure water availability for rural water supply schemes, released water from the Biliyur dam to the AMR dam on Thursday (April 18). The administration has also imposed a ban on the use of water from the AMR dam for industries and agricultural purposes. The AMR dam is located upstream of the Thumbe dam of the Mangaluru City Corporation. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangaluru/use-of-water-from-amr-dam-for-industries-agri-banned/articleshow/109415829.cms  (19 April 2024)

Mumbai NGT seeks replies from BMC CPCB and MPCB The NGT noted that the report relates to the ‘fast depleting urban green cover in Mumbai’ stating that trees were felled largely to make way for development projects including Metro, Bullet Train, coastal road, STP and Goregaon-Mulund link road among others. “The news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance of the environmental norms and implementation of the provisions of Scheduled enactment,” the Tribunal observed and initiated a suo motu plea. The panel granted three-week time to CPCB, MPCB and BMC Commissioner to file their responses and also issued notice to other respondents seeking their replies in the matter. Noting that as the matter related to Western Zonal Bench of the NGT, same be transferred to the Western Zonal Bench, Pune for appropriate further action, which will hear it next on May 28. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/ngt-takes-cognisance-of-indian-express-report-seeks-replies-from-bmc-cpcb-and-mpcb-9280557/  (21 April 2024)

Delhi NGT has asked DPCC why it should not be penalised for allowing illegal groundwater extraction by guest houses and hotels, including 536 hotels/ GH in Paharganj. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/ngt-raps-dpcc-for-not-cracking-the-whip/articleshow/109384951.cms  (18 April 2024)

JJM/ RURAL WATER SUPPLY

Maharashtra Reality of Har Ghar Jal Yojana! This video report shows Nimba Fata villagers in Shegaon region of Akola district, Maharashtra digging Man riverbed to secure potable water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXmhBfF6lyo  (14 April 2024)

Rajasthan Women near Bisalpur dam to boycott polls The Bisalpur dam on the Banas River in Tonk district, over 140-km from Jaipur, serves as the lifeline for the residents of the state capital by providing drinking water. Barely 20-km from the dam lies a small village named Jaikmabad, falling under the Chanbassuriya gram panchayat of Todaraisingh panchayat samiti. Despite being so close to the dam, the village is reeling under an acute water crisis. Approximately 300 families in the village rely on a single tap for their water supply. Compounding the issue, they receive water through the tap for just one hour in a day. With no relief from the water scarcity, the women of Jaikmabad have decided to boycott voting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections unless the water issue is resolved. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/reeling-under-water-crisis-women-of-village-near-bisalpur-dam-to-boycott-polls/articleshow/109385685.cms  (18 April 2024)

MONSOON 2024

EDIT IMD silent on quantity of rains -As per IMD the rainfall from June-September is expected to be 6% more than the 87 cm, which is considered to be the average rainfall the country receives during these months. This is a fairly bold forecast by the agency that, typically in its April forecast, avoids suggesting either surplus or deficit rain. There is a dark cloud to this silver lining.

-The IMD’s climate models suggest a 30% chance of “excess” rains — defined as more than 10% of what is usual. By comparison, its expectation of “above normal” rains is 31%, defined as between 5%-10% of what is normal. The slim difference suggests that excessive rains are as likely as merely ‘above normal’ showers. Most of these rains are expected in the second half of the monsoon, or August and September.

-The IMD’s models forecast for this are premised on the development of a La Niña, or a converse of the El Niño (which more often than not results in a decrease in monsoon rainfall). The IMD is silent on the quantity of rains in June and July but expects “neutral conditions” (neither El Niño, nor La Niña) to be prevalent that time. Two arid monsoon months and torrential rains in the last two may be fine for agriculture but is likely to result in extreme floods and — as has been observed in the past — immense damage to lives, livelihoods and infrastructure. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/rain-shocks-on-the-monsoon-in-2024/article68071987.ece  (18 April 2024)

Record-breaking heat might also add to uncertainties about how conditions evolve in the Pacific, BOM said. “The global pattern of warmth is affecting the typical historical global pattern of sea surface temperatures associated with ENSO variability.” “As the current global ocean conditions have not been observed before, inferences of how ENSO may develop in 2024, based on past events, may not be reliable,” it added. https://www.livemint.com/news/world/el-nino-ends-la-nina-expected-to-bring-relief-australias-met-department-11713274190820.html  (16 April 2024)

IMD had predicted a normal monsoon last year, it was below normal. That was mainly because of the El Nino factor which is associated with the warming of the sea in the Central Pacific. The IMD expects the El Nino to weaken in the early part of the monsoon but Skymet expects its “remnant effects” to linger. https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/editorial/monsoon-forecast-should-bring-cheer-2981390  (17 April 2024)  

Between 2011 and 2020, the meteorological department has been accurate only 2 out of 10 times. Over time, the IMD has gained a sorry reputation of being unreliable, especially when it comes to the much-awaited and followed monsoon predictions. https://theprint.in/science/above-normal-rainfall-or-is-it-why-monsoon-forecast-remains-a-challenge-for-imd/2048609/  (21 April 2024)

In its 150th year now, the scientific agency is facing challenges in the form of erratic weather events and has had to adapt not only to maintain its accuracy in forecasting but also be accessible and useful for the public. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra speaks to Nikhil Ghanekar about these challenges and the agency’s response to it. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/day-is-not-far-when-every-person-will-need-to-monitor-weather-info-imd-general-director-9283446/  (22 April 2024)

A deeper problem -Increased availability of borewells and free or subsidised electricity have allowed farmers to withdraw groundwater at will, leading to the resource’s overexploitation. The practice raises concerns given that about 75% of the annual groundwater recharge takes place during the southwest monsoon. With climate change altering monsoon patterns, these recharge cycles can get disrupted, consequently leading to high crop failures.

-India needs a countrywide law to regulate groundwater and manage freshwater resources. A robust civic administration framework, with Central and state governments discharging their responsibility of providing efficient governance, is the need of the hour.  Overdependence on monsoons should have been a thing of the past by now. https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/indias-good-monsoon-forecast-is-a-relief-but-theres-a-much-deeper-problem-5482381  (20 April 2024) 

Report Why cloud seeding is controversial There is mixed scientific evidence concerning its effectiveness on clouds that may not carry rain, in flat regions and during drought, with some researchers suggesting it becomes a political tool in these situations. The technology’s increasing use led to the formation of a team on weather modification within the World Meteorological Organization, which warned in a 2023 report about a lack of knowledge concerning the technology’s impacts. Other concerns include altering existing weather patterns at a local level, which can lead to undesired conditions such as hail in agriculture areas. WMO experts also warn that chemicals such as silver iodide are toxic, and their use should be monitored for health and environmental effects. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/how-cloud-seeding-boosts-rainfall-and-why-thats-controversial/articleshow/109377959.cms  (17 April 2024)

Study Vanishing spring  A recent report by a group of climate researchers Climate Central looked into how rising global temperatures affect India’s seasons. Based on temperature data since 1970, Spring is Disappearing in India showed that rising global temperatures are causing a gradual decrease in the spring season across all states and Union territories of India. Over the past five decades, India has seen a reduction in the length of winter season and rising temperatures across states and Union territories. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/climate-change/spring-is-vanishing-as-earth-is-warming-how-can-we-save-it–95619  (17 April 2024)

Good monsoon reason behind invasion The paper published in the Journal of Earth System Science describes the strong monsoon that prevailed between 8000 and 3000 BC, contributing to wetter grasslands and pastures along the eastern parts of Central Asia. After that, a dramatic decline in the monsoon was observed over this region, affecting the overall rain-fed agriculture practices.

The study concluded that at least eight of the 11 major invasions — including those by the Persian ruler Cyrus II, the Hunas, Genghis Khan, Mohammad Ghori and Babur, who laid the foundation of the Mughal empire in India — were timed when the Indian subcontinent experienced good monsoons and enhanced agriculture activities. This further indicates that the rulers targeted regions already thriving with agricultural activities and had prosperous living conditions and stable economies. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/genghis-khan-muhammad-ghori-babur-indian-subcontinent-monsoons-agriculture-9275858/   (17 April 2024)

FLOOD 2024

Jammu & Kashmir Flash floods caused extensive damage to property in Kupwara The flash floods caused by incessant rains have caused extensive damage to public and private property across north Kashmir’s Kupwara district leaving residents in agony. Several bridges have been damaged in the entire district including the vital Bakiaker bridge. According to locals of Bakiaker, half of the bridge has collapsed leaving them disconnected with the Handwara tehsil headquarters. “We heard a big sound at about 1 am during Monday (April 15) night, while rushing towards the scene we came across that the bridge has collapsed” a local Adil Akbar told Greater Kashmir.

-“This bridge was earlier damaged in 2014 floods following which authorities had banned plying of heavy vehicles over it but today over three hundred households are left disconnected. We are now subjected to take another route via Wadipora to reach our village,” he added. According to locals, they have been pressing for approval of a new bridge since 2014 but to no avail. “Don’t know for how many years we will suffer due to the lack of a bridge,” they added. https://www.greaterkashmir.com/kashmir/flash-floods-cause-extensive-damage-to-property-in-kupwara/  (17 April 2024)

Himachal Pradesh Road closed after heavy rains According to state emergency operation centre multiple roads, including those in Lahaul and Spiti, Kullu, Chamba, and Kangra, have been blocked, affecting transportation and connectivity. Furthermore, a bridge in Kangra was washed away due to heavy rain, prompting authorities to plan for the construction of a new bridge soon. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/roads-blocked-bridges-washed-away-yellow-alert-issued-in-himachal-pradesh-due-to-snowfall-and-rain/photostory/109471204.cms  (21 April 2024)

Haryana Crop damaged The rain and hail caused damage to ready-to-harvest wheat crop and also to stocks of wheat lying in the open at grain markets, especially in Karnal, Ambala and Jind districts. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/harvesting-at-peak-hailstorm-flattens-wheat-crop-in-region-612471  (20 April 2024)

URBAN FLOODS

Telangana HC takes up suo moto PIL on issue of increased risk of floods due to encroachment of waterbodies https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/telangana-high-court/telangana-high-court-suo-moto-pil-flood-risks-water-bodies-encroachment-hyderabad-255594  (20 April 2024)

DROUGHT

Report 125 districts facing severe dry conditions No of districts with acute dryness in India has gone up from 33 to 125 during March 14 to Apr 10 2024 compared to those in 2023 in the same period. The numbers have gone up from 98 in March this year to 125 now. Karnataka is facing major drought situation. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/dry-swathes-spread-125-districts-face-drought-imd/articleshow/109419710.cms  (19 April 2024)

Karnataka State fast becoming most arid region The drought assessment study by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) 2022-23 indicates that the situation might worsen in the next few years. Data on drought-hit taluks over the past 20 years shows that only coastal districts, which generally record heavy rainfall, were exempted from drought. However, the study says, these areas too are increasingly becoming vulnerable to erratic rainfall distribution.

Though the classification of arid and semi-arid status changes every year based on the average rainfall received, there are certain districts that have become perpetual arid regions. The report says, in the past two decades, Karnataka has endured 15 years of drought. Experts say that the present situation is more human-made than natural. They say cropping patterns, misuse of land and water, degradation of forest areas and extraction of groundwater have resulted in a vast expansion of arid regions in the state. https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/karnataka-fast-becoming-most-arid-state-nothing-in-sight-to-water-hopes-2987517  (21 April 2024)

ENERGY OPTIONS

Uttar Pradesh Govt to utilise water bodies for floating solar farms The latest move comes as UP is targeting 22,000 Mw of solar energy generation in 4-5 years. Most of the floating plants are likely to come up in Bundelkhand and Purvanchal (eastern UP) spanning Jhansi, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Mirzapur, Chandauli, and Sonbhadra. The state government has set up a high-level committee for identifying water bodies and drafting norms for allotting them for the proposed solar farms.

-The state irrigation department will allot the water bodies to the alternative energy department for allotment to developers and, at the same time, ensure that the projects do not disturb the local ecology or aquaculture. The state irrigation department owns and manages a network of nearly 75,000 km of canals, 34,000 government tube wells, 92 reservoirs and 280 lift irrigation canals.  In August 2019, the state government had cleared the proposal of renewable energy majors ReNew Power and Shapoorji Pallonji to collectively invest Rs 750 crore in a 150 Mw floating solar power project in UP. The project was proposed at the existing Rihand hydro power project of UP Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited in Sonbhadra. https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-govt-looks-to-utilise-water-bodies-for-floating-solar-farms-124041901038_1.html  (19 April 2024)

Report Waste trail left by solar power boom India’s solar ambitions come with a hefty amount of waste. With the nation targeting output of 280GW of solar power by 2030, of which 70.1GW is already installed, one study forecasts an accumulation of more than 600,000 tonnes of solar waste by then, with this projected to increase 32-fold to more than 19m tonnes by 2050. About two-thirds of the waste is expected to originate from five states – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh – which house eight of India’s 10 largest solar parks. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/apr/18/india-clean-energy-solar-power-plant-panel-waste-recycling-pollution-regulation  (18 April 2024)

ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE

Election 2024 Experts question follow-through on green promises Environmental activist and water policy expert Himanshu Thakkar said the UPA government did better when it comes to transparency in such matters compared to the NDA government. He said the Congress government was responsive to civil society, which is the biggest advocate for environmental protection and sustainability.

– “For example: The UPA listened to us and decided not to take up the Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project which will completely destroy the Panna tiger reserve and large tracts of forests. The BJP government is suppressing the voices of dissent,” he claimed. The river-interlinking project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to Betwa in Uttar Pradesh to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. Both Ken and Betwa are the tributaries of the Yamuna. – “The BJP government has not done anything noteworthy on ‘Namami Gange’; the Aravallis are in a disastrous state. If more of the past is going to happen in the future, it is not going to help,” Thakkar said. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/environment-climate-change-gain-prominence-in-manifestos-but-experts-question-follow-through/articleshow/109364221.cms  (17 April 2024)

Green groups ask people to vote for nature, future The 70 environment, climate action, youth, forest and natural ecosystem groups from across India has urged people to think of the future of democracy, especially the youth and their right to clean air and water security before polling their votes as the country faces extreme impacts of global warming, climate change, water crisis, scanty and unpredictable rainfall, melting glaciers and increasing pollution. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/environment-youth-forest-citizens-groups-ask-people-to-vote-for-nature-democracy-future-of-youth/articleshow/109377859.cms  (17 April 2024)

Manifestos on environmental issues In general, the promises made by the party in the manifesto are largely a continuation of the policies undertaken by the BJP-led government so far. A few flitting avowals, such as measures to protect the Himalayan ecology, fail to impress in the absence of further details, especially since we have seen how the government has pushed ahead with dangerous projects like the Char Dham and large hydropower projects in the Himalayan States without regard to ecology.  https://frontline.thehindu.com/environment/election-manifestos-of-congress-cpim-bjp-environmental-issues/article68075653.ece  (17 April 2024)

MPs who fired most environment questions -A former Union minister, Suresh is the chief whip of the Congress in the Lok Sabha. Representing Kerala’s Mavelikkara constituency, his 42 environment-related questions in the past decade have primarily pertained to his home state, including unauthorised soil extraction, rejuvenation of lakes, and toxic emissions from the Bramhapuram Waste Plant in Cochin. https://theprint.in/feature/indias-green-mps-5-parliamentarians-who-fired-the-most-environment-questions-in-lok-sabha/2042497/  (16 April 2024)

Report Centre makes ‘deemed’ forest reports public -However, details of the reports showed that most states had only provided broad data on such deemed forests without details of their boundaries or exact locations. In fact, some states like West Bengal have not provided any details in their expert committee reports. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/complying-with-top-court-orders-centre-makes-deemed-forest-reports-public-9272449/  (16 April 2024)

Telangana Supreme Court for conservation of forests, advocates rights of nature and reverses Telangana HC’s decision about 106.34 acres of forest land. https://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Home/ShareArticle?OrgId=194d1b07212 (19 April 2024)

Chipko a distant memory The women who led the landmark environmental movement 50 years ago, speak to Down To Earth. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/forests/chipko-a-distant-memory-95618  (20 April 2024)

India chooses to ‘regulate’, not ban, SUP In 2022, India brought into effect the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules (2021) that banned 19 categories of ‘single-use plastics’. It, however, doesn’t include plastic bottles – even those less than 200ml— and multi-layered packaging boxes (like in milk cartons). Moreover, even the single-use plastic items that are banned are not uniformly enforced nationally with several outlets continuing to retail these goods. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/ahead-of-un-meet-india-chooses-to-regulate-not-ban-single-use-plastic/article68088091.ece  (20 April 2024)

UNEP The Champions of the Earth award honours individuals and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. UNEP seeks nominations of individuals and organizations working on innovative and sustainable solutions to restore land, enhance drought resilience, and combat desertification. Nominations are open from 15 April to 5 May 2024. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/nominations-open-2024-champions-earth-award-focus-land-restoration  (15 April 2024)

CLIMATE CHANGE

Opinion Amidst increasing climate-related crises, experts warn that civilisation collapse isn’t just a dystopian concept from movies—it’s a real possibility. (Tannu Jain) https://www.hindustantimes.com/environment/cause-and-effect-understanding-the-real-threats-of-a-civilisation-collapse-101713627553748.html  (20 April 2024)

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan 969MW Neelum-Jhelum project in trouble, again The 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum Hydro­power Project, completed at an estimated approved cost of more than Rs 510 billion, has been partially closed once again within days of its full capacity utilisation after almost 20-month-long repair works. The project was closed in July 2022 due to major cracks in its 3.5km tailrace tunnel (TRT), which was repaired over the next 13 months. Power generation started again in Aug-Sep 2023, attaining its maximum 969MW capacity on March 29. Within a week, on April 3, the 48km-long headrace tunnel (HRT) dropped pressure, and power generation fell to about 400MW “because of debris or cracks in HRT”. An official said a remotely controlled vehicle would need to be arranged abroad, most probably from China, to trace and potentially address the fault, at an estimated cost of about Rs6bn. The project authorities and contractors, in consultation with the Wapda management, tried in-house emergency measures to restore the project but the fault was bigger than anticipated. https://www.dawn.com/news/1827702/969mw-neelum-jhelum-project-in-trouble-again  (16 April 2024)

Neelum-Jhelum generation halved after tunnel malfunction Electricity generation from the Neelum Jhelum Hydel Power Station has been restricted to 530 MW against the installed capacity of 969 MW due to decrease in Head Race Tunnel pressure on April 3. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1179263-neelum-jhelum-generation-halved-after-tunnel-malfunction  (17 April 2024)

Nepal Political uncertainty clouds Nepal’s investment summit The government plans to dangle 148 potential projects, with nearly Rs900 billion worth of ready-to-go projects, before foreign and domestic investors at the third edition of the Nepal Investment Summit slated for April 28-29.

Most are hydropower projects, with 1,902 MW Mugu Karnali storage hydro project, whose cost has yet to be estimated, being the biggest, followed by 1,216 MW Khimti Thoshe Shivalaya storage hydro project in Dolakha, with an estimated cost of Rs231 billion. https://kathmandupost.com/money/2024/04/18/political-uncertainty-clouds-nepal-s-investment-summit  (18 April 2024)

Bhutan EIB loan to add 310 MW of solar, run-of-river hydro The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide a 30-year loan worth EUR 150 million (USD 160.2m) to Bhutan for solar and hydropower plants. The loan will finance 310 MW of small to mid-size run-of-river hydropower and solar photovoltaic projects. https://renewablesnow.com/news/bhutan-gets-eib-loan-to-add-310-mw-of-solar-run-of-river-hydro-855142/  (18 April 2024)

CHINA

Study Millions at risk as half of all major cities are sinking Nearly half of China’s major cities are sinking because of water extraction and due to the increasing weight of urban buildings and infrastructure, a new study has found. The research, published in the journal Science, discovered that 45% of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3 mm per year, with 16% at a rate of over 10 mm per year. Scientists measured land subsidence in every Chinese city with a population of more than 2 million over the period from 2015 to 2022. Of the 82 cities they examined, the team found that some cities are subsiding rapidly, with one in six exceeding 10mm per year. They also found that while China’s biggest city Shanghai continues to subside after sinking up to 3 meters over the past century, Beijing is sinking 45 mm annually near its subways and highways.

“In addition to the national pattern of city subsidence, we identified several natural and human factors that were associated with city subsidence,” the team wrote in the study. The natural factors include the geological setting of each city and the depth of the bedrock, which influenced the amount of weight the ground could hold up without sinking. But “the key to addressing China’s city subsidence could lie in the long-term, sustained control of groundwater extraction,” the researchers emphasised. “Subsidence jeopardizes the structural integrity of buildings and critical infrastructure and exacerbates the impacts of climate change in terms of flooding, particularly in coastal cities where it reinforces sea-level rise,” Robert Nicholls, a professor of climate adaptation at the University of East Anglia in the UK said in a statement. https://www.ndtv.com/science/millions-at-risk-as-almost-half-of-all-major-chinese-cities-are-sinking-warns-study-5481895  (20 April 2024) One in ten residents of China’s coastal cities could be living below sea level within a century, as a result of land subsidence and climate change, according to a paper published in Science. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01149-7  (18 April 2024)

REST OF ASIA

Dubai Floods Flights hit, families stranded at airport Meteorological reports indicate that approximately 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) of rain drenched Dubai late Monday (April 15), with the storm intensifying around 9am on Tuesday (April 16). By day’s end, the city had accumulated more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rain. Typically, Dubai experiences an average annual rainfall of 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) at its international airport.

-The neighboring Sultanate of Oman also experienced severe weather, with the death toll rising to 18 due to the heavy rains. Among the casualties were 10 schoolchildren and an adult, swept away while traveling in a vehicle. This has prompted expressions of condolence from across the region.

-This unusual weather event highlights the challenges faced by regions typically unaccustomed to such heavy rainfall, particularly in infrastructure preparedness and emergency response mechanisms. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/exceptional-weather-hits-gulf-flight-operations-hit-in-dubai/articleshow/109360936.cms  (17 April 2024)

Heaviest rainfall in 75 years -Heavy rains have hit the United Arab Emirates, flooding major highways and disrupting flights at Dubai international airport – in what the government has described as the largest amount of rainfall in the past 75 years. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/17/dubai-floods-uae-rainfall-weather-forecast  (17 April 2024)

Persistent flooding due to lack of storm drains -The failure of water to drain away has proved a major obstacle to recovery efforts in the desert country, with persistent flooding blocking roads around Dubai days later. Impassable roads have affected basic services, with supermarkets unable to restock and many employees struggling to reach their workplaces.

-Dubai’s airport, the world’s busiest for international passengers, has suffered badly from staff shortages with flight cancellations and delays expected to continue into the weekend. Karim Elgendy, associate director at the Buro Happold engineering consultancy, said drainage for storm water had not been widely included in planning for the city, much of which is only a few years old. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/dubai-faces-persistent-flooding-due-to-lack-of-storm-drains-5479631  (19 April 2024)

Reason of unusual floods -It is not yet possible to exactly quantify how much of a role climate change played. That requires a full scientific analysis of natural and human factors, which can take several months. But the record rainfall is consistent with how the climate is changing. Put simply: warmer air can hold more moisture – about 7% extra for every degree Celsius – which can in turn increase the intensity of rain. “The intensity of the rain was record breaking, but this is consistent with a warming climate, with more moisture available to fuel storms and make heavy rainfall events and associated flooding progressively more potent,” explains Richard Allan, professor in climate science at the University of Reading.

-While the BBC has been unable to independently verify when cloud seeding took place, experts say that at best it would have had a minor effect on the storm and that focusing on cloud seeding is “misleading”. “Even if cloud seeding did encourage clouds around Dubai to drop water, the atmosphere would have likely been carrying more water to form clouds in the first place, because of climate change”, says Dr Otto.  https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68839043  (18 April 2024)

The huge rainfall was instead likely due to a normal weather system that was exacerbated by climate change, experts say. A low pressure system in the upper atmosphere, coupled with low pressure at the surface had acted like a pressure ‘squeeze’ on the air, according to Esraa Alnaqbi, a senior forecaster at the UAE government’s National Centre of Meteorology.

That squeeze, intensified by the contrast between warmer temperatures at ground level and colder temperatures higher up, created the conditions for the powerful thunderstorm, she said. The “abnormal phenomenon” was not unexpected in April as when the season changes the pressure changes rapidly, she said, adding that climate change also likely contributed to the storm. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/explainer-what-caused-the-storm-that-brought-dubai-to-a-standstill-5466380  (18 April 2024)

According to CNN, the rain is associated with a larger storm system traversing the Arabian Peninsula and moving across the Gulf of Oman. This same system is also bringing unusually wet weather to nearby Oman and southeastern Iran. At least 18 people have died in recent days as the heavy rains caused flooding in Oman. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/what-caused-unusual-rainfall-in-desert-city-of-dubai-leading-to-floods-101713324760530-amp.html  (17 April 2024)

Early reports of the weather event prompted some speculation that it was worsened by a controversial weather-modification technology. The practice, known as cloud seeding, involves spraying chemical compounds into the air in an effort to wring more rain out of the sky. The United Arab Emirates carries out hundreds of these operations every year in an effort to supplement its water resources in the arid landscape. Exactly how well cloud seeding actually works is an active debate among scientists, but the technique can’t produce rain clouds out of thin air—it can only enhance what’s already there. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/04/dubai-oman-flooding-cloud-seeding-geoengineering/678114/  (18 April 2024)

EUROPE

Italy Death toll from hydroelectric plant explosion rises to 7 as the last bodies are recovered Divers in northern Italy have recovered the last two bodies of workers killed by an explosion that collapsed and flooded several levels of an underground hydroelectric plant, bringing to seven the number of confirmed dead. The explosion On Apr 9 at the Enel Green Power plant, in northern Bologna province, occurred at depth of some 40 meters (130 feet) below water level. Two of the injured were still in serious condition. https://www.hydroreview.com/world-regions/death-toll-from-italian-hydroelectric-plant-explosion-rises-to-7-as-the-last-bodies-are-recovered/  (12 April 2024)

UK Food security threatened by extreme flooding, farmers warn -Record-breaking rain over the past few months has left fields of crops under water and livestock’s health at risk, adding to pressures on food producers. The National Farmers Union has warned of “substantially reduced output” and “potential hits” to the quality of crops in this year’s harvest thanks to weeks of rain since the autumn. “These extremes could soon become the norm,” she told the BBC. “We need a clear plan from government to prepare, adapt and recover from our changing climate in the short and long term so that we can continue to produce food and care for the countryside.”

-Debbie Wilkins is a mixed dairy, beef and arable farmer, with much of her 900 acres of land at Norton Court Farm, near Gloucester, lying in the floodplain. Debbie, whose family have farmed there since 1936, said the land used to flood every six years when she was young, but had flooded three times last year and six times already this year. Meanwhile, beef cattle that would normally be grazing in the fields are being kept off the land because, as Debbie jokes, “cattle don’t do very well underwater”. The flood waters mean there is less feed for the cattle, and reserves are being used up rapidly. If the bad weather continues, livestock may have to be sold off and jobs on the farm cut.  https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68792017  (12 April 2024)

Russia Western Kazakhstan braces for Ural floods, river Ob threatens Siberia Parts of Kazakhstan on the lower reaches of the Ural River prepared for peak floodwater on Thursday (April 18), while three Russian regions struggled to cope more than two weeks into the worst flooding in living memory.

-Kurgan region Governor Vadim Shumkov said work was underway to bolster a dam in the city being subjected to heavy pressure. Kazakhstan has declared a national disaster and diverted funding for relief efforts, evacuating well over 100,000 people and saying 16,000 metric tons of oil production had been lost so far. Workers and volunteers in the cities of Oral and Atyrau were building dams and barriers to protect residential, agricultural and industrial areas from water. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/water-levels-rise-rivers-russias-kurgan-tomsk-regions-2024-04-18/  (19 April 2024)

THE REST OF THE WORLD

USA Problems with Glen Canyon Dam could jeopardize water flowing to Western states A new memo from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is raising concern about the infrastructure at the Glen Canyon Dam and its ability to deliver water downstream should levels at Lake Powell continue to decline. Environmental groups are calling it “the most urgent water problem” for the Colorado River and the 40 million people who rely on it.

Water stored at Lake Powell typically moves through the Glen Canyon Dam hydropower turbines. Below the turbines are the dam’s river outlet works, a separate set of steel pipes originally designed to release excess water. If Lake Powell were to drop below the elevation of 3,490 feet, the outlet works would be the only way to convey water through the dam and downstream to the 30 million people and billion-plus dollar industries that rely on the lower Colorado River basin. But a March 26 memo from the Bureau of Reclamation suggests those outlet works aren’t as reliable as previously thought.

“There are concerns with relying on the river outlet works as the sole means of sustained water releases from Glen Canyon Dam,” the memo reads, noting that the bureau should “not rely” on the outlet works to release water downstream. The Bureau of Reclamation’s findings come after officials recently used the outlet works to deliver more water downstream, an effort to boost ecosystems and study the ecology and hydrology of the Colorado River. The outlet works experienced cavitation, which according to the bureau, is a result of bubbles forming in high velocity flows that can damage or erode coatings, concrete and steel. Repairs could include adding a new epoxy lining to the outlet works, which the bureau has scheduled for later this year. Or even a river-level bypass system, which the Utah Rivers Council has advocated for, allowing water to flow around the dam. The cavitation means the outlet works currently can’t sustain the volume of water required to pass through the dam and deliver the roughly 9 million acre-feet of water allocated to California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico, should Lake Powell drop below 3,490 feet. https://www.hydroreview.com/world-regions/problems-with-glen-canyon-dam-could-jeopardize-water-flowing-to-western-states/  (15 April 2024)

‘Water is more valuable than oil’: the corporation cashing in on America’s drought In an unprecedented deal, a private company purchased land in a tiny Arizona town – and sold its water rights to a suburb 200 miles away. Local residents fear the agreement has ‘opened Pandora’s box’.

One of the biggest battles over Colorado River water is being staged in one of the west’s smallest rural enclaves. Tucked into the bends of the lower Colorado River, Cibola, Arizona, is a community of about 200 people. Nearly a decade ago, Greenstone Resource Partners LLC, a private company backed by global investors, bought almost 500 acres of agricultural land here in Cibola. In a first-of-its-kind deal, the company recently sold the water rights tied to the land to the town of Queen Creek, a suburb of Phoenix, for a $14m gross profit. More than 2,000 acre-feet of water from the Colorado River that was once used to irrigate farmland is now flowing, through a canal system, to the taps of homes more than 200 miles away.

As US states negotiate how they will divide up the river’s dwindling supplies, officials challenging the Greenstone transfer in court fear it will open the floodgates to many more private water sales, allowing investors to profit from scarcity. The purchases have alarmed local residents, who worry that water speculators scavenging agricultural land for valuable water rights will leave rural communities like Cibola in the dust. In February, a federal judge ruled that the Cibola-Queen Creek transfer was done without proper environmental review, ordering the federal Bureau of Reclamation to complete a more thorough evaluation. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/16/arizona-colorado-river-water-rights-drought  (16 April 2024)

Australia Great Barrier Reef suffers worst bleaching on record Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for some 2,300km (1,429 miles) off the country’s northeastern coast, is suffering its worst bleaching event on record.The extent of the bleaching was revealed in aerial surveys after the government agency tasked with the reef’s management confirmed early last month that the reef had been hit by its fifth major bleaching event since 2016. The bleaching, when corals expel the colourful microscopic algae that live in their tissues in an effort to survive, was triggered by an increase in water temperatures that began in December last year. The agency said it surveyed a total of 1,080 reefs and 79 percent of them showed some level of coral bleaching. Some 49 percent of surveyed reefs showed high to extreme levels of bleaching, it said, with the worst-affected areas in the central and southern parts of the World Heritage-listed reef. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/17/australias-great-barrier-reef-suffers-worst-bleaching-on-record  (17 April

Report Haven for nature fell silent The tale starts 30 years ago, when Bernie Krause made his first audio clip in Sugarloaf Ridge state park, 20 minutes’ drive from his house near San Francisco. He chose a spot near an old bigleaf maple. Many people loved this place: there was a creek and a scattering of picnic benches nearby. In his first recording, a stream of chortles, peeps and squeaks erupt from the animals that lived in the rich, scrubby habitat. His sensitive microphones captured the sounds of the creek, creatures rustling through undergrowth, and the songs of the spotted towhee, orange-crowned warbler, house wren and mourning dove.

Over the next three decades he would return each April to the spot at the bigleaf maple, set his recorder down and wait to hear what it would reveal. But in April last year, Krause played back his recording and was greeted with something he had not heard before: total silence. The recorder had run for its usual hour, but picked up no birdsong, no rush of water over stones, no beating wings. “I’ve got an hour of material with nothing, at the high point of spring,” says Krause. “What’s happening here is just a small indication of what’s happening almost everywhere on an even larger scale.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/16/nature-silent-bernie-krause-recording-sound-californian-state-park-aoe   (16 April 2024)

World faces ‘deathly silence’ of nature as wildlife disappears The shift in ecosystem sound is happening in the air, the forests, the soil, and even under the water. Sound data is now being used alongside visual data as a way to monitor conservation efforts and ecosystem health. More sophisticated and cheaper recording equipment – as well as increasing concerns about environmental destruction – are driving the boom in ecoacoustic monitoring.

For many researchers, disappearing soundscapes are a source of grief as well as of scientific interest. “It’s a sad thing to be doing, but it’s also helping me tell a story about the beauty of nature,” said Pijanowski. “As a scientist I have trouble explaining what biodiversity is, but if I play a recording and say what I’m talking about – these are the voices of this place. We can either work to preserve it or not. “Sound is the most powerful trigger of emotions for humans. Acoustic memories are very strong too. I’m thinking about it as a scientist, but it’s hard not to be emotional.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/16/world-faces-deathly-silence-of-nature-as-wildlife-disappears-warn-experts-aoe  (16 April 2024)

Compiled by SANDRP (ht.sandrp@gmail.com)

Also see: DRP News Bulletin 15 April 2024 & DRP News Bulletin 08 April 2024  

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