Delhi

NGT Orders MAILY SE NIRMAL YAMUNA – WILL THIS LEAD TO A REJUVENATED YAMUNA?

February 14, 2015 SANDRP1 Comment

Guest Blog by Manoj Misra (yamunajiye@gmail.com), Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, Delhi

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a landmark judgment pronounced on 13 January 2015[1], has set an ambitious road map for a rejuvenated river Yamuna by 2017. Naming it as “Maily se Nirmal Yamuna rejuvenation project, 2017” the green court in the judgment spread over almost 100 pages has detailed steps necessary to achieve what all previous efforts have miserably failed. Continue reading “NGT Orders MAILY SE NIRMAL YAMUNA – WILL THIS LEAD TO A REJUVENATED YAMUNA?” →

Disasters

Landslide Dam blocks Phutkal River, threatens Zanskar Valley: Update

February 13, 2015February 21, 2015 SANDRP1 Comment

NRSC latest (Feb 7 2015) image of the Phutkal landslide

Feb 13, 2015: The picturesque Zanskar Valley in Jammu and Kashmir State in Northern India continues to remain 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 Mar Shun in the Zanskar subdivision of Kargil district has created about 14 km long lake, whose size is increasing with every passing day. Life and properties of around 4000 people are at risk due to the possible flashfloods when the landslide dam breaches. Continue reading “Landslide Dam blocks Phutkal River, threatens Zanskar Valley: Update” →

Maharashtra

Maharashtra scraps River Regulation Zone : Pandering to industry at the cost of Rivers and People

February 12, 2015February 12, 2015 SANDRP3 Comments

Above: Pollution from a River Kasardi which was denotified as it was affecting some big businesses

When Devendra Fadnavis of BJP became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, one would have thought that the chronically polluted and encroached Nag Nadi from Nagpur, as also other rivers in the state may see better days. This was not just an optimistic hope. The Government at the Centre was making all the correct noises about being concerned about rivers, it had launched the Namami Gange Program for rejuvenation of Ganga River and had changed the name of Ministry of Water Resources to Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Continue reading “Maharashtra scraps River Regulation Zone : Pandering to industry at the cost of Rivers and People” →

Dams

World Wetlands Day 2015: Rivers and Wetlands need hydrological protection too!

February 2, 2015February 10, 2015 SANDRPLeave a comment

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!” →

Disasters

Landslide Dam blocks Zanskar River tributary, threatens Valley

February 1, 2015February 21, 2015 SANDRP13 Comments

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” →

Dams

Overview of Global Inland Fisheries Conference, 26-28 January 2015: Rivers support Livelihoods and Biodiversity!

January 29, 2015February 6, 2015 SANDRP1 Comment

The Global Inland Fisheries Conference in Rome, Italy, organized by FAO and Michigan State University concluded on the 28^th January 2015. The three day conference meant a lot of things: A platform to present the worth, the potential and the challenges of a chronically neglected sector, a place to learn from experiences across the world and, as the conference website says, “a cross-sectoral call to raise the profile of inland fisheries and better incorporate them in agricultural, land use, and water resource planning through development of improved assessment frameworks and value estimation.”

Was it successful in doing all this?

Yes, to an overwhelming extent. But, in the end I was left with some questions as well. Continue reading “Overview of Global Inland Fisheries Conference, 26-28 January 2015: Rivers support Livelihoods and Biodiversity!” →

Delhi

Citizen Memorandum to all political parties in Delhi on Water & Sanitation Imperatives of manifesto

January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 SANDRP2 Comments

Citizens Solidarity

Forum for Right to Water and Sanitation

Basti Vikas Kendra, F Block, New Seemapuri, Delhi 110095

Contact: Devendra Kumar, President(9250878059), Depinder Kapur, Convener(9711178181)

Date: 26^th Jan 2015

Subject: Memorandum for inclusion in your Party manifesto, Delhi Assembly Elections 2015

Dear Sir/Madam,

Drinking water and sanitation is a major priority for residents of Delhi. There is no concrete commitment from any political party as yet in terms of norms, investment, pricing for water and sanitation, or what the elected government will do to ensure improvements in water supply, sanitation and cleanliness of Delhi. The slogan of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is an empty slogan if the political parties are not willing to listen to the demands of the residents of poor and slum settlements of Delhi and commit to providing basic sanitation and water services as a Fundamental Right.

Continue reading “Citizen Memorandum to all political parties in Delhi on Water & Sanitation Imperatives of manifesto” →

Dams

FAO’s First Ever Global Conference on Inland Fisheries in Rome: Opening Day

January 27, 2015January 30, 2015 SANDRP2 Comments

On this Republic Day of India, when the American President Barack Obama joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to witness the ever-inspiring Republic Day Parade, 6000 kms away in Rome I heard a Native American woman say, “With colonization, we were alienated from all that we held dear, not only our natural resources but also our legitimate place in decision-making. We are Salmon people. Revitalization and protection of our fish is our sacred duty and we will do it despite the dams.” A fisherman near Farakka Barrage who was hardly making a living due to the barrage had said something similar to me once.

As the concerns about the environment insensitivity of the current government increase, this coincidence was striking. Continue reading “FAO’s First Ever Global Conference on Inland Fisheries in Rome: Opening Day” →

Dams

Headwater Extinctions by Emmanuel Theophilus: SOME CONCERNS

January 25, 2015January 26, 2015 SANDRP2 Comments

By Prof Prakash Nautiyal, (lotic.biodiversity@gmail.com) HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand

I have gone through the report Headwater extinctions: Hydropower projects in the Himalayan reaches of the Ganga and the Beas: A closer look at impacts on fish and river ecosystems by Emmanuel Theophilus[1], published by SANDRP, thanks for sending the report to me in hard and soft copy. It is indeed excellent, many more pages can be written on the beautiful portrayal. I am flagging some concerns, in context of the whole issue. Continue reading “Headwater Extinctions by Emmanuel Theophilus: SOME CONCERNS” →

Dams

State must ensure water accessibility to all: Bombay HC

January 19, 2015March 9, 2015 SANDRP5 Comments

Blog by Debadityo Sinha (debadityo@gmail.com) (with inputs from Himanshu Thakkar (SANDRP))

In a landmark judgment dated Dec 15, 2014, Mumbai High Court bench of Justices Abhay S Oka & A S Gadkari have ruled: “Right to get water is an integral part of right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India…” Continue reading “State must ensure water accessibility to all: Bombay HC” →