On the World Wetlands Day we celebrate Wetlands across the country (Wetlands also include Rivers, tributaries, floodplains, ox box lakes and deltas) as one of the most productive ecosystems of the world. Wetlands not only support largest proportion of biodiversity, but also livelihoods of millions of people through fisheries, mussel and bivalve collection, tourism, rice farming, singada and lotus harvesting, etc. Many wetlands from Western Ghats to Himalayas hold rich cultural values to communities. Healthy wetlands are an excellent adaptation and mitigation measure for local communities against vagaries of Climate Change. Continue reading “World Wetlands Day 2015: Rivers and Wetlands need hydrological protection too!”
Month: February 2015
Landslide Dam blocks Zanskar River tributary, threatens Valley
The picturesque Zanskar Valley in Jammu and Kashmir State in Northern India is under threat as one of the tributaries of the Zanskar River has been blocked by a massive 200 ft high landslide dam (equal to height of a 20 storey building). The landslide dam between Shaday Sumdo and MarShun in the Zanskar subdivision of Kargil district has created about 8 km long lake, whose size is increasing with every passing day. The landslide dam is made of mostly fine grained debris & blocks 97% of the flow of around 50 cusecs flow at this period as per records. While the lake is frozen right now, the threat of its breach looms as soon as the melting season starts. The landslide dam was reportedly created on Dec 31, 2014, when a whole side of mountain soil had landed on the Phuktal River. The landslide lake has been accumulating water for over a month now. Continue reading “Landslide Dam blocks Zanskar River tributary, threatens Valley”
SANDRP 