DRP 021126: Honestly assessing the impacts of Pump Storage Projects
Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 021126: Honestly assessing the impacts of Pump Storage Projects

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(Feature Image: Felled trees lie piled up at the site of Torrent’s proposed pumped-storage project in Karjat. Source: Mumbai Mirror)

Amid growing opposition to the proposed 3,000 MW Saidongar-I pumped-storage hydropower project in Karjat, Maharashtra, the most important question that needs to be asked is whether we are doing honest assessment of impacts of such projects. It may be remembered that these are not even location specific projects. A pump storage project does not have to come in the middle of western ghats, needing destruction of thousands of trees. Can these be called renewable energy projects or ‘clean’ without adequately assessing their impacts on forests, water sources, wildlife and local communities.

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Highest Flood Level Breach in October 2026
Floods · Highest Flood Level · Monsoon · River Basin

Highest Flood Level Breach in October 2026

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(Feature Image: CWC hydrograph of Melliaputti site on Mahendrathanaya river in Sirkakulam district, Andhra Pradesh)

In Oct. 2026, the first month after southwest monsoon season, we could document Highest Flood Level (HFL) breach incident at four flood monitoring sites of Central Water Commission (CWC). The final analysis of HFL breach incidents at 50 flood monitoring sites across country during southwest monsoon season 2026 can be seen here.

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Prioritize Yamuna Rejuvenation, Floodplain Protection rather than pushing Sabarmati type Riverfront Development Project
River Front Development · River Restoration · Urban Flood · Urban Rivers · Yamuna River

Prioritize Yamuna Rejuvenation, Floodplain Protection rather than pushing Sabarmati type Riverfront Development Project

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(Feature Image: Vasudev ghat and Tibetan colony submerged under Yamuna flood water in Sept. 2025. Source: HT)

30 Oct. 2026

To:

  1. Shri C. R. Patil Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti, minister-jalshakti@gov.in
  2. Shri Bhupender Yadav, Hon’ble Union Environment Minister, mefcc@gov.in
  3. Shri Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Hon’ble LG Delhi, lggc.delhi@nic.in; pstolg.delhi@nic.in
  4. Smt. Rekha Gupta, Hon’ble CM Delhi, cmdelhi@nic.in;  secy-cmdelhi@delhi.gov.in
  5. Shri Pravesh Verma, Hon’ble Water Minister Delhi, parveshsahebsingh@gmail.com
  6. Shri Manjinder Sirsa, Hon’ble Environment Minister Delhi, minfs-delhi@delhi.gov.in

Subject: Serious Concerns Regarding the Proposed Sabarmati type Yamuna Riverfront Development (YRFD) Project in Delhi

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Oct 2026: Shintaphu Lake GLOF and Artificial Lake in Bhutan
Bhutan · Climate Change · GLOF · Himalayas

Oct 2026: Shintaphu Lake GLOF and Artificial Lake in Bhutan

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(Feature Image: Shintaphu Lake. Source: The Bhutanese. It is not clear whether the image is old or post Oct 2026 GLOF)

A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) was reported from Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan’s Gasa district on the evening of Oct. 29, 2026. The disaster triggered flash flood alerts in downstream areas of Bhutan and India. Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) is stated to be monitoring the situation. The cause, volume of water released and full extent of the damage are still being assessed.

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HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM PRESENT IN GODAVARI, EXTENT STILL UNKNOWN: Institutional Apathy & Opacity Ahead of Kumbh Mela
Dams · Godavari · River Pollution

HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM PRESENT IN GODAVARI, EXTENT STILL UNKNOWN: Institutional Apathy & Opacity Ahead of Kumbh Mela

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STATEMENT AND MEMORANDUM

To:

  1. Chief Minister of Maharashtra cm@maharashtra.gov.in
  2. Chief Secretary of Maharashtra cs@maharashtra.gov.in
  3. Secretary of the Environment and Climate Change Department for the Government of Maharashtra psec.env@maharashtra.gov.in
  4. Principal Secretary, Public Health Department for the Government of Maharashtra psec.pubhealth@maharashtra.gov.in
  5. Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)  mscb.cpcb@nic.in
  6. Member Secretary of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) ms@mpcb.gov.in
  7. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) ceo@midcindia.org
  8. Municipal Commissioner, Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioner@nmc.gov.in commissionernmc@gmail.com
  9. District Collector, Nashik collectorofficenashik@gmail.com

SUBJECT: INSTITUTIONAL APATHY & OPACITY AHEAD OF KUMBH MELA ON HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM POLLUTION IN NASHIK

Four weeks have elapsed since the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) were formally notified of acute industrial chemical contamination in the groundwater of Ambad (Dattanagar / Maruti Sankul).

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DRP 261026: Time to Prioritize Wetlands Conservation, Protection
Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 261026: Time to Prioritize Wetlands Conservation, Protection

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(Feature Image: Giri taal in Kashipur lying in degraded condition. Bhim Singh Rawat, SANDRP)

The latest directions of the Supreme Court of India offer hope for wetland conservation but also raise serious concerns about the state of their protection. It is welcome that the apex court has recognized the water bodies as vital sources of drinking water and affirmed that their protection falls within the ambit of the fundamental right to life.

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DRP 191026: India Disaster Management Must Shift from Response to Prevention
Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 191026: India Disaster Management Must Shift from Response to Prevention

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(Feature Image: A large part of residential areas witnessed severe flooding in first week of Oct. 2026 in Fazullaganj of Lucknow after heavy rains and flood in Gomti river. Source: Screenshot of FB post)

Two informative reports by Amal Chandra and Venkatesh Dutta in Down To Earth this week have once again highlighted serious gaps in India’s disaster management system. While our forecasting and response have improved in some cases, the number of disasters has also increased sharply. We often fail to understand the exact chain of events and remain reactive until the last moment. A key problem is that our system continues to focus more on response than prevention and lacks a holistic approach to disaster risk reduction.

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Yamuna Mathan 1026: Can Damming Tributaries Revive the River?
Yamuna River

Yamuna Mathan 1026: Can Damming Tributaries Revive the River?

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(Feature Image: Marking Yamuna Rivers Day on Oct. 7 to commemorate Yamuna crusader Manoj Misra’s 72nd birth anniversary, members of Nadi Mitra Mandli, school students and Home Guard personnel gather in Agra to discuss the importance of the Yamuna’s tributaries and raise awareness about their disappearance.)

The agreement to build the 236-m high Kishau dam on the Tons river raises serious concerns about the future of the Yamuna. Tons is a larger river system in upper basin and plays a vital role in sustaining Yamuna’s ecosystem. Ironically, the ₹15,000-cr project is being promoted in the name of Yamuna rejuvenation and being justified with baseless ‘rain water flowing in waste’ argument. These unconvincing and contradictory claims clearly underline the basic fallacy in the govt’s dam-building approach.

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Oct. 2026: Budhi Gandaki Flashflood Affects Four Hydro Projects in Nepal
Climate Change · Dams, Rivers & People · Gandak · Himalayas · Hydro Disaster · Landslide dam

Oct. 2026: Budhi Gandaki Flashflood Affects Four Hydro Projects in Nepal

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(Feature Image: Screengrab of BBC video report showing flood surge in Budhi Gandaki river damaging construction camp of 341 MW Budhigandaki HEP at Salleri in Gorkha district, Nepal in morning hours of Oct. 11, 2026)

The Budhi Gandaki river corridor in Nepal’s Gorkha district has witnessed a flash flood disaster causing extensive damage to public and private property. The flood reportedly began around 4:00 am on October 11, 2026, following the sudden breach of a landslide dam in a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki.

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DRP 121026: Will India’s mining ravaged rivers get justice this time?
Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 121026: Will India’s mining ravaged rivers get justice this time?

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(Feature Image: Google Earth May 2025 imagery showing Sone riverbed ravaged by excessive mechanized sand mining activities near Paliganj in Bihar)

In a significant development last week, the Supreme Court has expanded its illegal sand mining case from the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary to rivers across India. For over six months, the apex court has been hearing the matter and issuing directions to state governments of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. However, the directions issued so far are yet to be fully implemented.

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