(Feature Image: Thousands form human chain along Mhadei river to celebrate #MahadaiAmchiMai festival. Source: ToI)

On May 20, 2023 when thousands of people of Goa, Rakhondars (protectors) came out to form a 7 km long human chain to save Mhadei or Mahadayi river, they were not only celebrating Goa’s unique Mahadayi River festival, but were also coming together to declare their resolve save and rejuvenate the River that is lifeline of Goa.

A large number of organizations came together, including Earthivist Collective, Goa Heritage Action Group, Save Mhadei Save Goa front, among many others. It was a unique attempt to reconnect with the river, its history, its soul. The people from all kinds of art forms and all walks of life came together in a state where the connection with the river has always been strong for the people.

One hopes their tribe multiplies and they succeed in saving the river from dam building plans and other river affecting activities. That success will provide an example and impetus for river conservation activities elsewhere too.

Goa celebrates Mahadayi festival Thousands of Mhadei’s ‘children’ formed a human chain along the banks of the river on Saturday (May 20), to raise awareness and express their solidarity in preserving the vital ecosystem of the river, which is critical to Goa’s environment and the livelihood and wellbeing of its people.

– The human chain was the centrepiece of the Mhadei Amchi Mai festival, a community engagement event organised by the Earthivist Collective, in association with the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) and the Save Mhadei Save Goa Front in wake of the ongoing attempts to divert water from the inter-state river’s basin by a neighbouring state.

– The human chain comprising thousands of concerned residents of Goa, also referred to by the festival organisers as ‘rakhondars’ (protectors), stretched from the banks of the Mandovi river – also referred to as the Mhadei – from the Santa Monica jetty to the Miramar beach covering a distance of seven kms. “The one -of-a-kind human chain spread over 7 kms, offered people from all over Goa an opportunity to come together and connect with the river, its history and its soul. The Earthivist Collective, GHAG and the Save Mhadei Save Goa Front thanks everyone who joined hands with this festival and showed their support for this vital ecosystem nurtured by the Mhadei river,” said Heta Pandit, historian, author, independent researcher and founding member of GHAG.

– In addition to the human chain, the festival also featured performances by musicians, dancers, creative storytellers and artists along the riverbank. Their artistic expressions in the form of paintings, poems, songs, installations, performances and sand drawings celebrated and prayed for the river, emphasising the importance of its preservation. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/goa/thousands-form-human-chain-along-mhadei-river-to-celebrate-mhadeiamchimai-festival/articleshow/100411546.cms  (22 May 2023)

HYDRO POWER PROJECTS

Centre Delayed 7 HEP projects push up costs by over Rs 31,844 cr Seven projects faced a cumulative cost overrun of Rs 31,884 crore as of March 2023, according to a Business Standard analysis of data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monthly reports. This includes the Subansiri Lower project in Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 14,962.2 crore cost overrun), Himachal Pradesh’s Parbati project (Rs 7,215 crore) and Tapovan-Vishnugad (Rs 4,124.5 crore) in Uttarakhand. The data covered projects of Rs 150 crore or more.

The Parbati project in Himachal Pradesh has faced a 174-month delay. Others facing a delay include Subansiri Lower (165 months), Vishnugad Pipalkoti (144 months) and Tapovan-Vishnugad (141 months). The average for the dozen projects identified in the analysis is 79 months or 6.5 years. A few reasons for time overruns were attributed to disputes with local villagers and delay in finalising agreements. While the analysis looked at hydropower projects, data also showed that as of March 2023, 54 out of 78 power projects overall are delayed. https://www.business-standard.com/economy/news/delayed-hydropower-projects-push-up-costs-by-over-rs-30-000-crore-123052800158_1.html  (28 May 2023)

Pumped Storage Project Laws Diluted Without Assessment  “The Central government is justifying pump storage projects on several grounds like increasing solar and wind power capacity connected to the grid, stabilising the grid, storing power to make it available during non-solar and non-wind power hours and for peaking power and reactive power,” Himanshu Thakkar, of South Asia Network of Dams, Rivers and People says. “The ministry has assumed, rather simplistically, that these projects are environment friendly. No studies were conducted to arrive at this sweeping conclusion,” he adds. According to Thakkar, whenever a major infrastructure project, like a pumped storage project, is taken up, it “will have a significant social and environmental impact. Unfounded claims about the ecologically friendly nature of hydropower projects were also made. But those claims were wrong”. https://www.newsclick.in/pumped-storage-project-laws-diluted-without-assessment  (27 May 2023)

Jammu & Kashmir 7 workers of Pakul hydel project killed 7 workers of under construction Pakal Dul Hydropower project in Kistwar died in a road accident at the hydropower project, three more injured. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jammu/7-workers-of-jk-hydel-project-killed-3-hurt-as-vehicle-falls-into-gorge/articleshow/100489497.cms  (25 May 2023)

The accident happened on Wednesday (May 24) morning after a cruiser vehicle ferrying project workers fell into a deep gorge near the site of the dam project.  https://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/six-persons-dead-three-injured-in-accident-at-kishtwar-hydroelectric-project/  (24 May 2023) The van was transporting 10 employees of the Dangduru Power Project when the accident happened close to the Dangduru Dam site, according to the reports. https://theshillongtimes.com/2023/05/24/7-workers-of-a-power-project-killed-in-accident-in-kishtwar-of-jammu-and-kashmir/  (24 May 2023)

Uttarakhand HC allows NTPC to carry out work in Joshimath tunnel with ‘restrictions’ A division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Ravindra Maithani of state HC on Tuesday permitted NTPC to carry out civil work in the tunnel at Joshimath with certain restrictions. The court said no explosives and heavy machinery would be used for maintenance work and cleaning of the tunnel.

The HC has fixed the next hearing on August 29. Significantly, local residents see the tunnel construction as the main reason for the subsidence in Joshimath, forcing them to take shelter in temporary houses after leaving their own homes which have developed cracks. Incidentally, all civil and maintenance work came to a standstill since the January subsidence in Joshimath. NTPC had filed an application in the court to resume maintenance work “for treating the tunnel to avoid any possible mishap and to strengthen the security of the area”. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/hc-allows-ntpc-to-carry-out-work-in-joshimath-tunnel-with-restrictions/articleshow/100462105.cms  (24 May 2023)

Himachal Pradesh Govt formulating new Green Hydrogen Policy: CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that the state government is formulating a new Green Hydrogen Policy, which aims to promote the use of green hydrogen and establish the state as a leading hub for its production. The state’s abundant renewable energy resources, including ample sunlight, water and wind, make it an ideal location for generating green hydrogen. Sukhu said that the primary objective of the policy is to attract investments in large-scale renewable energy projects, ensuring a consistent and sustainable supply of green electricity for electrolysis. He said that by leveraging its natural advantages, the govt aims to create a favourable environment for the production of green hydrogen. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shimla/hp-to-get-new-green-hydrogen-policy-cm/articleshow/100389859.cms  (21 May 2023)

Shanan project: Punjab, HP at loggerheads An inter-state dispute is imminent as the HP Government has made its intentions clear of taking over of the Punjab Govt’s Shanan project in Mandi. Punjab has refused to give up the project. Digging in its heels after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann received a letter from his Himachal counterpart on May 17, Punjab said it was unfair that an already settled matter was being raked up now.

Sources in the CMO’s said Mann was refuting any claim of the neighbouring hill state on the hydro project through a DO letter to be sent to Sukhu. “The hydro project was given to Punjab as per Section 48, sub-clause 1 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act. The ending of 99-year-old lease that HP Government is referring to, becomes null and void after Independence. The lease was made in the year 1935 before India became an independent nation. This is an already settled issue with the Government of India admitting on two occasions that the project belongs to Punjab,” said Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO.

The Shanan project (Uhl river hydroelectric project) is believed to be worth Rs 1,600 crore and it generates 110 MW of power. When it was built in 1932, it had an installed capacity of 48 MW. This was enhanced by the Punjab Government in 1982. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/shanan-project-punjab-hp-at-loggerheads-511256  (26 May 2023)

MoEF Agenda of EAC meeting on River Valley Projects to be held on June 2, 2023:

1. Vempalli Closed Loop Pumped Storage Hydro Electric Project (1500MW) in 400 ha at Village Ashok Nagar and Bakkannagripalli, Vempalli Mandal, District YSR, Andhra Pradesh by New and Renewable Energy Development Corp of Andhra Pradesh Ltd: TOR

2. Kamalapadu Closed Loop Pumped Storage Hydro Project (950 MW) in 359.57 ha at Village Kamalapadu, Dist Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh by New and Renewable Energy Development Corp of Andhra Pradesh Ltd – Terms of References

3. Kamalapadu Closed Loop Pumped Storage Hydro Project (950 MW) in 359.57 ha at Village Kamalapadu, Dist Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh by New and Renewable Energy Development Corp of Andhra Pradesh Ltd – Terms of References

4. Saidongar Closed Loop Pumped Storage Project (3000 MW+1200 MW) in 415.91 ha at Village Dhak, Pali & Kusur, Taluka Karjat, Kothal & Maval, Dist Raigad & Pune, Mah by Torrent Power Ltd – Terms of Reference

5. Tokarpada Closed Loop Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (1300 MW) in 157.21 ha at Village Tokarpada and Vavar, Tehsil Kaprada Dist Valsad, Gujarat by Torrent Power Ltd – Terms of References

6. Pindval Closed Loop Pumped Storage Project (1000 MW) in 165.88 ha at Village Pindval & Moti Kosbadi, Taluk Dharampur, Dist Valsad, Gujarat by Torrent Power Ltd – Terms of Reference

7. Civil Appeal No. 1628-1629/2021 with IA No. 56030/2021 in the matter titled Noble M. Paikada Vs Union of India & Ors pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court – Comments on National Framework for Sediment Management https://parivesh.nic.in/newupgrade/#/cms/agenda?committee=EAC&ref_type=AGENDA 

Relevant decisions of the FAC meeting held on My 18, 2023, as per the minutes.

1. Diversion of 397.8863 ha forest land for SJVN Ltd for Sunni Dam Hydroelectric Project (382 MW) in Shimla, Kotgarh and Karsog Forest Divisions, in Dist Shimla and Mandi, Himachal Pradesh-Modification in condition of Stage-II approval: “In view of the stated reasons, the request for modification in condition of Stage-II approval cannot be considered at this stage. Therefore, the State Govt. shall ensure that the trees of more than 60 cm girth shall not be felled.” https://forestsclearance.nic.in/writereaddata/FAC_Minutes/51126124212161document(13).pdf 

DAMS

Himachal Pradesh Ensure no muck-dumping in Govind Sagar Lake: HC We hope HC does not stop just at direction of no muck dumping, but fixes responsibility for the muck dumped so far and compensating those that have suffered huge losses.

– The HP High Court on May 22 directed the state authorities to ensure that there is no illegal dumping of muck in the Govind Sagar Lake and its feeding khuds/nallahs. The petitioner said the illegal dumping of muck in the reservoir had adversely affected the production of fish and fishermen were not being able to earn their livelihood. As per a study by the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, the fish production has drastically reduced from 1492 metric ton in 2014 to 250 metric ton in 2022. This drastic reduction in the fish production has badly affected the livelihood of more than 3,000 local families. Next hearing on June 12. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/ensure-no-muck-dumping-in-govind-sagar-lake-hc-510323  (23 May 2023)

Andhra Pradesh Avulapalli reservoir: SC stays NGT order of Rs 100 cr penalty The Supreme Court has stayed an order of the NGT imposing a penalty of Rs 100 crore on Andhra Pradesh for obtaining environmental clearance for the Avulapalli reservoir project in violation of environmental norms. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and M M Sundresh said this would be subject to deposit of Rs 25 crore by the state government with the authorities within a period of eight weeks.

“Issue notice, returnable in the month of October 2023. In the meanwhile, there will be stay of the direction given in the impugned judgment with regard to penalty/compensation, subject to the appellants depositing an amount of Rs.25 crore with the authorities within a period of eight weeks,” the bench said. The deposit will be subject to the outcome of the present appeal, the apex court said. The top court was hearing a plea filed by the Andhra Pradesh government challenging an order of the NGT which set aside environmental clearance granted to the Avulapalli reservoir in the state. https://legal.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/litigation/avulapalli-reservoir-sc-stays-ngt-order-of-rs-100-cr-penalty-on-andhra-pradesh-subject-to-deposit-of-rs-25-cr/100473922  (24 May 2023)  https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-stays-ngt-penalty-andhra-pradesh-avulapalli-reservoir-case-229323    (23 May 2023)

Polavaram Project AP tribals ‘struggled’ to get land without title deeds The case study Village Kondamodalu, a Scheduled Village in Devipatnam Mandal of the erstwhile East Godavari District, is one of the Polavaram Project affected villages. The village is situated on the bank of the river Godavari. The Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) is constructing a big dam on the river Godavari for industrial and agricultural purposes. The people living in the predominant tribal village, Kondamodalu, were displaced under the project and rehabilitated in various places within the Scheduled Area of the Devipatnam and other Mandals in 2022. This case study examines how the tribal rights question has become a serious contested issue in the context of acquisition of lands in the submergence area of Polavaram Project in the erstwhile East Godavari of AP. https://www.counterview.net/2023/05/displaced-by-polavaram-project-ap.html  (28 May 2023)

Kaleshwaram Project The trial run of the first pump in Package-9 was conducted successfully on Tuesday (May 23) morning and water was pumped into the Malkapeta reservoir. This will facilitate pumping of Godavari River water from Mid Manair Dam to the Upper Manair Dam via Malkapeta reservoir and Singa Samudram tank. https://telanganatoday.com/telangana-trial-run-of-kaleshwaram-package-9-first-pump-conducted-successfully  (23 May 2023)

Chhattisgarh Paralkot dam in Kanker district emptied of 21 lakh litre of irrigation waters to recover the mobile phone of food inspector of Pakhanjur town. The mobile worth Rs. 1.5 lakh fell down in the dam on May 21 when the official with his friends visited there for recreation.

The water level was brought down from 10 to 4 feet with the help of two 30 HP diesel pump sets operated for 24 hours. The water could have been used to irrigate about 1500 acres of land.  https://www.bhaskar.com/local/chhattisgarh/kanker/news/expensive-mobile-fell-in-the-dam-the-officer-pumped-millions-of-liters-of-water-131327868.html  (25 May 2023)    The official drops phone in reservoir while taking selfie; Drains 21L litres of water to find it. https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/news/chgarh-official-drops-phone-in-reservoir-while-taking-selfie-drains-21l-litres-of-water-to-find-it-101685208598978.html  (27 May 2023) It took three days to pump millions of litres of water out of the dam, after Rajesh Vishwas dropped the device while taking a selfie. By the time it was found, the phone was too water-logged to work. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65726193  (27 May 2023)

Madhya Pradesh चिनकी बैराज के संबंध में रानी अवंती बाई सागर परियोजना के अधिकारियों के द्वारा प्रभावित गांव के लोगों को वस्तुस्थिति और सही जानकारी नहीं दिए जाने के विरोध में घूरपुर धर्मशाला में प्रभावित ग्रामीणों का धरना दूसरे दिन जारी रहा। जिसमें ग्रामीणों ने प्रशासन से मांग की है कि जमीन के बदले जमीन दी जाए और घर के बदले घर घर दिया जाए। https://www.deshgaon.com/voices/chinki-barrage-villagers-protest-second-day-of-strike/  (20 May 2023) बांध निर्माण और इस पर प्रशसान के रवैये को लेकर किसानों में आक्रोश है। उनका आरोप है कि रानी अवंती बाई सागर परियोजना यानी चिनकी बैराज की जानकारी सार्वजनिक नहीं कर रही है और तथ्यों को छिपा रही है। किसानों ने कहा कि उन्हें नहीं पता कि उनकी कितनी जमीन जा रही है और उन्हें क्या मुआवजा दिया जाना है जबकि बांध निर्माण शुरु हो चुका है और दोनों किनारों पर बसे गांवों की ज़मीनों और घरों पर निशान तक लगाए जा चुके हैं। https://www.deshgaon.com/voices/narsinghpur-the-affected-people-of-chinki-barrage-started-an-indefinite-strike-said-that-the-administration-hid-the-information-from-the-news-of-deshgaon/  (20 May 2023)

Uttar Pradesh सोनभद्र की कनहर बांध परियोजना, विस्थापितों की पूरी कहानी https://ndtv.in/videos/sonbhadra-s-kanhar-dam-project-know-the-full-story-of-the-displaced-685272  (08 Feb. 2023) बिना मुआवजा बेघर होने की आशंका से स्थानीय बाशिंदों का बढ़ा दर्द https://twitter.com/ndtvindia/status/1661645707592486912?s=20  (25 May 2023)

Tamil Nadu CM to release water from Mettur on June 12 Local body administration minister K N Nehru on Saturday (May 27) said CM M K Stalin would release water from Mettur dam on June 12 for Kuruvai crop cultivation. The minister said the water level in the dam stood at 103ft on Saturday (May 27). Officials usually release water for Kuruvai crop cultivation when the water level in the dam crosses 90ft.

The state government usually releases Mettur water on June 12 to help farmers in the delta districts carry out Kuruvai crop cultivation. For the first time in the history of Mettur dam, the state government had released water from the dam on 24 May 2022 – much earlier than the traditional date of June 12 – when the water level crossed 115ft against its full capacity of 120ft. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/cm-to-release-water-from-mettur-dam-on-june-12/articleshow/100561717.cms  (28 May 2023)

Novel Rediscovered: Kamala Markandaya’s ‘The Coffer Dams’ Now it’s the turn of The Coffer Dams (originally published in 1969), a work by Kamala Markandya that tackles issues – among them racism, colonialism, the British class system, indigenous rights, environmental issues and the homogenising forces of modernity – that (as is the case with The Nowhere Man) are as live today as they were when the work was originally published. Something that’s both a tribute to the author’s insight into the evolving world around her and a damning indictment of society’s wayward drift over the past 50 years.

– The plot revolves around the construction of a dam in the hills of Karnataka and the contrasting characters of its principal builder, the Englishman Clinton, who is dangerously attracted to the idea that he might be some modern-day (but more ethically rational) equivalent of early rapacious colonial-era conquerors such as Robert Clive or Richard Wellesley, and his young wife Helen, a woman navigating a ‘man’s town’ (and a man’s marriage), more interested in the lives and fates of displaced locals than bringing modernity to the hills and plains of the region. Between these two poles lies a community of British engineers and builders, imported Indian labourers and the indigenous people of the Malnad, whose elders and women are pushed to one side (their villages displaced) while their young men are lured into the construction of the cofferdams that will pave the way for the construction of the Great Dam itself. https://artreview.com/rediscovered-kamala-markandaya-the-coffer-dams/  (26 Oct. 2020)

INTERLINKING OF RIVERS

Ken-Betwa Interlinking छतरपुर जिला मुख्यालय पर पिछले 12 दिन से केन-बेतवा लिंक परियोजना को लेकर जानकारी छिपाने के आरोप लगाते हुए धरना-प्रदर्शन कर रहे 15 गांव के किसानों ने छत्रसाल चौक पर चक्काजाम कर दिया। किसानों ने आरोप लगाया है कि सरकार बिजावर विधानसभा क्षेत्र के ढोड़न गांव में केन-बेतवा लिंक परियोजना के अंतर्गत एक बड़ा बांध बनाकर 15 गांव के लोगों को विस्थापित कर रही है, लेकिन इस विस्थापन के बदले न तो किसानों से कोई सलाह की जा रही है और न ही उन्हें मुआवजे के बारे में सही जानकारी दी जा रही है। दूसरी तरफ, बीते 12 दिनों से लगातार बिना टेंट-शामियाने के आंदोलन कर रहे किसानों की तबियत बिगड़ रही है। इस धरना-प्रदर्शन का नेतृत्व कर रहे आप नेता अमित भटनागर को तबियत बिगड़ने के बाद मंगलवार (May 23) को अस्पताल में भर्ती करवाना पड़ा। https://www.deshgaon.com/voices/farmers-accuses-of-hiding-information-in-ken-betwa-link-project-many-farmers-protesting-for-12-days-are-ill/  (24 May 2023)

केन बेतवा लिंक परियोजना के लिए अधिग्रहित किए गये बुंदेलखंड के डुबान क्षेत्र के ग्रामीणों को जमीन का मुुआवजा और पुनर्वास के लिए अभी तक जमीन नहीं मिली है। इससे सैकड़ों ग्रामीणों का धैर्य टूट गया। इसके चलते छतरपुर कलेक्ट्रेट के सामने सैकड़ों महिला पुरुष धरना पर बैठ गए। धरना स्थल पर उन्होंने अपनी चिताएं सजा ली हैं। इसी बीच बुधवार (May 17) को आधी रात के बाद मध्य प्रदेश पुलिस ने धरना दे रहे ग्रामीणों पर लाठी चार्ज कर दी। इसमें करीब 10 लोग घायल हो गए। आंदोलन के अगुवा अमित भठनागर समेत कई लोगों को अस्पताल में भर्ती कराए गए हैं। https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/banda/lathis-showered-on-the-villagers-sitting-in-protest-against-the-ken-betwa-link-project-banda-news-c-12-1-241440-2023-05-18  (18 May 2023)

केन बेतवा लिंक परियोजना के डूब क्षेत्र में आए गांव के ग्रामीणों को मुआवजा नहीं मिला तो उन्होंने छतरपुर मैं कलेक्ट्रेट के सामने धरना दे दिया यह धरना पिछले 7 दिन से जारी है जो अब चिता अनशन में बदल चुका है जहां मौजूद ग्रामीणों ने लकड़ियों से चिंताएं बनाई और वही धरने पर बैठे रहे । ग्रामीणों का कहना है केन बेतवा लिंक परियोजना में उनके गांव डूब में आ गए उनको मुआवजे में ना जमीन मिली ना कहीं घर मिले और उनको अनाथो की तरह छोड़ दिया गया। अगर उनकी मांगें नहीं मानी गई तो उनके द्वारा बनाई गई चिताओं पर वह जल जाएंगे इस धरना प्रदर्शन में करीब एक दर्जन गांव के ग्रामीण शामिल हुए हैं। https://www.naidunia.com/madhya-pradesh/chhatarpur-pyre-movement-in-chhatrpur-the-fast-of-the-villagers-of-the-village-drowned-in-the-ken-betwa-link-project-has-turned-into-a-funeral-pyre-movement-8115893  (18 May 2023)

केन- बेतवा लिंक परियोजना के विरोध में 26 जनवरी से शुरू हुई तिरंगा यात्रा का मंगलवार  (Jan. 31) को 15 गांवों में भ्रमण के बाद समापन हो गया। समापन पर महापंचायत और केन नदी में सांकेतिक जल सत्याग्रह भी किया गया। केन-बेतवा लिंक का विरोध डूबक्षेत्र में आने वाले गांवों में शुरू से ही चल रहा है। प्रदेश, मध्य प्रदेश और केंद्र सरकार से परियोजना की औपचारिकताएं पूरी होने के बाद विरोध तेज हो गया है। क्षेत्र के सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता अमित भटनागर के नेतृत्व में गणतंत्र दिवस (26 जनवरी) से आदिवासी ग्रामीणों ने ढोड़न गांव से छह दिवसीय तिरंगा पद यात्रा शुरू की है। https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/banda/tribals-came-out-with-the-tricolor-in-protest-against-the-ken-betwa-link-banda-news-knp741436334-2023-01-31  (31 Jan. 2023)

INTERSTATE WATER DISPUTES

Krishna Water Dispute The nagging dispute over the water share of the Krishna river between AP and Telangana remains unresolved, even nine years after the bifurcation of the combined State. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/explained-the-telangana-andhra-pradesh-water-dispute/article66880971.ece  (23 May 2023)

The long-awaited shifting of the headquarters of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has turned out to be an epic riddle to be resolved on its own. The issue of shifting of the headquarters figured on the agenda of the board meetings more number of times than water sharing issues but yet a solution has not emerged.

The KRMB is presently functioning from an office spread over 7557 sft in Hyderabad. The KRMB member secretary has been insisting for allotment of at least 17000 sft instead. The AP government, which has been firm on shifting the Board headquarters to Visakhapatnam at any cost, was not successful so far in offering office space as per the requirement of the KRMB. https://telanganatoday.com/relocation-of-krmb-to-ap-turns-epic-riddle  (25 May 2023)

Rajasthan-Punjab Canal water dispute flares up passions As the groundwater in Punjab is fast depleting, a debate has kicked off over the quantity of water to be supplied to neighbouring Rajasthan through the Sirhind Feeder canal. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has reportedly assured a Rajasthan MP of increasing the water supply to the state. However, SAD has warned the government against any such move.

The Rajasthan Feeder canal can carry 18,000 cusec of water to Rajasthan, but at present takes only 12,000 cusec to the state. Out of it, the farmers of Rajasthan’s Ganganagar and Hanumangarh districts normally get nearly 1,200 cusec while nearly 10,200 cusec goes to Rewalsar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Nagaur and Gharsana through various channels.

Following the closure of Rajasthan canal for two months for repairs when cotton sowing was at its peak, besides rising demand for drinking water due to increase in temperature, the farmers from Ganganagar and Hanumangarh felt that nearly 600 cusec canal water reaching them through the Sirhind Feeder was inadequate and even protested against the water shortage for some time. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/canal-water-to-rajasthan-flares-up-passions-in-punjab/articleshow/100489546.cms  (25 May 2023)

IRRIGATION

Punjab Canal connected villages getting no water The root of this persistent problem lies in the faulty construction of a water course, known as ‘Khal,’ which was built several decades ago to supply canal water to the affected fields. Tragically, the ‘Khal’ was damaged shortly after its completion and has remained unrepaired ever since, rendering it incapable of fulfilling its intended purpose.

While there is another water course in the village that supplies irrigation to fields in the eastern side, the majority of fields are solely reliant on tubewell water. This has placed an immense burden on groundwater resources and has resulted in exorbitant electricity consumption to operate the tubewells.

Regrettably, this situation is not unique to Gurne Kalan village. Numerous farmers from five villages in the Bhikhi block of Mansa district share the same tale of woe. Approximately 1,800 acres of land in Bodhawal, Phaphrabhaike, Gurnekalan, Gurne Khurd, and Hasanpur villages could be efficiently irrigated through canal water, as multiple ‘Khals’ have been constructed in the area. However, due to the dilapidated condition of these water courses at several locations, only a fraction of the land, around 100 acres, actually receives canal water.  https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-mansa-farmers-canal-water-8618539/  (20 May 2023)

URBAN RIVERS

Mula-Mutha; Pune Irrigation dept slaps ₹507 cr fine on PMC for polluting river The State irrigation department has asked the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to pay ₹507 crores as a fine for polluting city rivers from 2018 till June 2022. The irrigation department recently sent a letter seeking the fine based on a 2016 state government GR order, which directed the PMC to pay the fine to the irrigation department. The irrigation department in its communication has pointed out that one of the major reasons for the pollution of the Mula and Mutha rivers is the discharge of untreated domestic wastewater into the river due to inadequate sewerage systems including pumping stations and sewage treatment capacity in the city as well as open defecation on the riverbanks.

– Reacting to the development, irrigation department executive engineer Vijay Patil said, “We have sent a letter to the PMC administration seeking ₹507 crores from the civic body for failure to curb pollution of the city rivers. Also, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued a letter to that effect. The action has been taken in accordance with the GR issued by the state government in 2016 that directs the recovery of fines from the polluting agency,” he said. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pune-news/pune-municipal-corporation-faces-507-crore-fine-for-polluting-city-rivers-inadequate-sewerage-systems-101684782796524.html  (23 May 2023)

RFD boost flood risks Sarang Yadwadkar, an architect by profession, said a 2014 report of the TERI commissioned by the government had suggested that Pune would experience 37.5 per cent more rain but fewer days of rain and increased frequency of intense rain in the near future. “To create embankments, more land is required and it is done by reclaiming the riverbed or the flood plains. Reduction in width of the river would reduce its cross-sectional area necessary for uninterrupted flow of water,” said Yadwadkar, who is the activist leading the protest against the project.

Critics also point to construction underway inside the blue flood line — which demarcates the”‘ area along Pune’s rivers that is likely to be inundated by the highest flood that can be expected during any 25-year period”. “They are doing this construction and reclaiming the land which will then be open to further construction. They have already proposed food plazas and parking in the current plan,” said Yadwadkar. https://theprint.in/india/could-riverfront-development-boost-flood-risk-rs-5500-cr-project-behind-punes-chipko-moment/1592445/  (25 May 2023)

River revival strategy: An ecological approach. https://puneriverrevival.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/River-revival-strategy-Mutha-stretch-JN-oikos.pdf

Vrishabhavathi; Bengaluru NGT notice to BBMP over park, pool on river stream The BBMP’s proposal to build a park, swimming pool and a school in Laggere has run into controversy with a petition before the NGT pointing out that the project area was a stream carrying water to the Vrishabhavathi river. Officials have been told to file a report by July 7. In their petition before the NGT’s Southern Zone, S R Ganesh and others stated that the project land located between survey number 2 and 4 of Laggere village, Yashwantpura hobli, was a stream known as ‘Rakshasa Halla’ that connects to the Vrishabhavathi river.

Noting that the project proponent was the BBMP, a public authority, the NGT cautioned that structures in violation of the rule face demolition. It could be in the interest of the BBMP to verify the nature of the land before they proceed further in this regard,” the NGT said. The counsel for the state government sought time to file a report on the matter by citing the elections. Posting the matter for July 7, the tribunal asked the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner and the BBMP commissioner to file a report before the next date of hearing. As per the circular issued by the state government, even waterbodies that have become defunct need to be protected from change of land use.   https://www.deccanherald.com/city/ngt-notice-to-bbmp-over-park-pool-on-vrishabhavathi-stream-1221988.html  (26 May 2023)

Sabarmati; Ahmadabad Despite the suo motu intervention by the Gujarat HC in August 2021 to rein in river pollution, the ecological status of the Sabarmati has only gone from bad to worse in the past five years.  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-beautification-led-to-a-polluted-sabramati/articleshow/97861595.cms  (13 Feb. 2023)

Gomti; Lucknow Plans to revive Kukrail river buried in files. (Dainik Jagran, 25 May 2023)

RIVERS

Assam 40 years of legacy waste treated in 9 months North Lakhimpur has treated a legacy waste of around 79,000 metric tonnes (MT) accumulated over 40 years in and near the river Sumdiri, which is not a designated dumping ground.

The waste, cleared in less than a year, has been processed into Refuse-derived fuel, sent to be used as fuel in a cement factory, and to 25 mm and 6 mm organic matter used as fertiliser.

Presently, waste segregation is being taken up as a pilot project in two wards where blue and green dustbins have been distributed for segregation. Awareness and training programmes are going on and the municipal board has procured collection vehicles for segregated waste. https://india.mongabay.com/2023/05/assams-north-lakhimpur-treats-40-years-of-legacy-waste-in-just-nine-months/  (22 May 2023)

Gujarat Vapi CETP effluents don’t meet safety standards: CPCB The CETP’s final discharge point located behind the plant has been a point of contention for villagers and activists. The outlet drains into the Daman Ganga River and damages its water and aquatic ecosystem. According to the last update presented before the NGT’s Principal Bench in Delhi on December 27, 2022, most parameters of the Vapi CETP’s inlet and outlet exceed safety limits.

Despite the findings, SPCB head AG Patel told DTE that there are no complaints from the residents. However, local journalists, activists as well as villagers informed DTE of the pervading atmosphere of fear that the powerful individuals from GIDC will retaliate against them. Most of them are either legally threatened or intimidated to take back their claims, they said. Activist Rohit Prajapati told DTE that the last time CPCB prepared a CEPI report was five years ago. “The score is supposed to be calculated regularly every two or three years and this delay is a cover for the industries.” https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/critically-polluted-treated-effluents-from-vapi-cetp-don-t-meet-safety-standards-find-pollution-control-boards-89547  (24 May 2023)

Jammu & Kashmir Doodh Ganga: Where is that clean stream? Unabated pollution, encroachments and illegal mining pose threat to eco-fragile Doodh Ganga river in central Kashmir’s Budgam and Srinagar districts.  Due to official apathy and public greed, Doodh Ganga has been extensively encroached at many places on its embankments by way of construction of shops and buildings.

In absence of STPs, all drains in entire stretch of Doodh Ganga from Chadoora to Srinagar flows into this stream. As this was not enough, tons of solid waste including garbage is being dumped on its embankments at Branwar, Mochwa, Chadoora, Bagh-e-Mehtab, Tengpora and Chanapora. Doodh Ganga also faces threat of extinction from large-scale illegal mining especially in Chadoora. https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/editorial-page/doodh-ganga-where-is-that-clean-stream  (29 May 2023)

GODAVARI Telangana Govt to divert river water to reviveHussainsagar State Cabinet recently decided to pump fresh water into Hyderabad’s iconic Hussainsagar Lake by diverting fresh waters from the River Godavari into the Hussainsagar, ensuring a perennial supply of clean water as the lake has emerged as a major tourist attraction, surrounded by new developments

Two proposals have been put forward for consideration. The first involves laying a dedicated independent water pipeline, of about 55-60 km length from Kondapochamma Sagar to Hussainsagar. The second suggests connecting the Osmansagar reservoir to Hussainsagar either through a pipeline or an existing channel.

Apart of revitalising Hussain Sagar, the State government has also proposed bringing an additional 7,000 million cubic feet of Godavari water from Kondapochamma Sagar and Mallannasagar reservoirs to Himayatsagar and Osmansagar. This initiative aims to address the drinking water scarcity not only in Greater Hyderabad but also in the surrounding municipalities.

Once the Godavari waters are channelled to Osmansagar via Kondapochamma Sagar, a flow rate of 50 cubic feet per second (cusecs) will be directed to Hussainsagar. This influx is expected to alleviate stagnation, mitigate sewage-related issues in the lake area and any surplus water in Hussainsagar will naturally merge with the River Musi, further enhancing the ecological balance.   https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2023/may/21/fresh-water-to-flow-in-hussainsagar-in-telangana-2577059.html  (21 May 2023)

GANGA Uttarakhand Showing signs of new impending disaster, parts od land in Badrinath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, about 45 km from the sinking Joshimath, land have been found to sink upto 1 ft. This is due to the ongoing work of the Alaknanda Riverfront development work under the Badrinath masterplan work.

रिवर फ्रंट डेवेलपमेंट के नाम पर बदरीनाथ मंदिर के चरणों से गुजर रही अलकनन्दा के तट को भारी मशीनों से खोदा जा रहा है। बेतहासा और अवैज्ञानिक निर्माण के दुष्परिणाम का पहला संकेत क्रूम और प्रह्लाद जलधाराओं के बंद होने से सामने आने लगा है। जहां पर ये धारे थे वहां मलबे के बड़े ढेर नजर आ रहे हैं। ये दोनों ही जल श्रोत पौराणिक महत्व के थे। क्रूम धारा के जल से भगवान बदरीनाथ का अभिषेक होता है।

विशेषज्ञों के अनुसार मंदिर और बदरीनाथ पुरी के नीचे बहने वाली अलकनन्दा के तट पर जेसीबी मशीनों से की जा रही खुदाई के कारण ये जलधाराएं बन्द हुई हैं और अगर आगे भी इसी तरह काम होता रहा तो बदरीनाथ के गर्म पानी के तप्तकुण्ड भी एक दिन सूख जायेंगे। जल श्रोतों के नीचे खुदाई करने से अक्सर वे अपना भूमिगत मार्ग बदल देती है। अगर वहां शेषनेत्र झील के आसपास भी इसी तरह भारी मशीनों से खुदाई की गयी तो इस झील का सूखना भी अवश्यंभावी है। https://janchowk.com/pahlapanna/modis-dream-heavy-on-badrinath-baikunth-dham-turned-into-debris/  (24 May 2023)

गंगा की मुख्य धारा अलकनंदा के उदगम क्षेत्र बद्रीनाथ में ही मल जल शोधन संयंत्र (STP) के टैंक के मल  मूत्र को पवित्र नदी में प्रवाहित कर नमामि गंगे परियोजना को पलीता लगाया जा रहा है। यह सब प्रधानमंत्री मोदी के ड्रीम प्रोजेक्ट के नाम से प्रचारित बद्रीनाथ मास्टर प्लान के नाम पर हो रहा है। https://uttarakhandhimalaya.in/ganges-being-polluted-at-its-source-at-badrinath/   (24 May 2023) waste has been dumped in Alaknanda right below the Badrinath Temple in the name of “masterplan” and we are spending crores in the name of Clean Ganga? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb_1n_PNix0  (24 April 2023)

Where has the Bhyram temple vanished? The Bhyram (also mentioned Bhairam) temple, above the confluence of Jadh Ganga and Bhagirathi rivers in Uttarkashi, where the famous Scottish writer, painter and explorer James Baillie Fraser once visited has disappeared. A visit to the site, where the Hindu shrine had existed, hints that the shrine was possibly hit by some natural calamity and is under heavy boulders. The Bhyram temple has faded away from the memory of the local people and many claim the foreign writers and travellers have wrongly pronounced the Bhairo temple as Bhyram temple.   https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/confluence-of-jadh-ganga-and-bhagirathi-where-has-the-temple-visited-by-james-baillie-fraser-prince-waldemar-vanished-12656532.html  (28 May 2023)

NMCG Plan to geo-tag drains along Ganges All drains carrying discharge from villages located on the banks of the Ganga river will be geo-tagged to prevent solid waste flowing into the water body, according to an official document. The information on the geo-tagged drains will then be shared with the urban local bodies, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the rural Swachh Bharat Mission (G) for initiating immediate action.

In a meeting held last month, a senior NMCG official informed that due to the construction of a tunnel at Uttarkashi, debris were being dumped along the banks of the Ganga, which was causing an increase in the level of solid waste pollution in the river water. He also pointed out that at many locations along the banks of the Ganga, solid waste was being dumped, which was making its way into the river water.

“This is creating problems in the treatment of waste water at STPs. In this regard, the secretary, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, stated that funds under AMRUT 2.0 could be used to instal screens and stop solid waste from making its way into the river water. He also sought cooperation from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in this regard,” the document stated. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-geo-tag-drains-along-ganges-to-prevent-discharge-of-solid-waste-into-river/article66877832.ece  (22 May 2023)

West Bengal Central panel to find out a permanent solution to erosion  The Centre has constituted a high-power committee to find out a permanent solution to the Ganga’s erosion in Malda and Murshidabad districts, said R.D. Deshpande senior official of the Farakka Barrage Project Authority (FBPA) on Sunday (May 14) while attending a seminar organised by the Ganga Bhangan Pratirodh Action Committee (GBPAC) and the Jana Andolan, a Calcutta-based social organisation, at Town Hall where around 500 erosion victims were present. Those representing the social organisations have said as the Ganga is the national river, the Centre must shoulder the responsibility of taking up the anti-erosion work. https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/central-panel-to-find-out-a-permanent-solution-to-gangas-erosion-in-malda-and-murshidabad/cid/1936916  (15 May 2023)

YAMUNA SANDRP Blog Haryana: Upgraded Kundli CETP Fails to Stop Yamuna Pollution  Kundli CETP is mere a glimpse of how inefficiently the CETPs and STPs are functioning in the upper Yamuna segment. This is undoubtedly a persisting business-as-usual scenario unless the concerned agencies are made accountable and the common public is made part of planning and monitoring system.

Given the deep broken governance system, the citizens are bound to suffer from inevitable saga of failing pollution control mechanism, public money going down in drain and further degradation of natural resources including the Yamuna River. Delhi citizens are also among those that will continue to suffer as the effluents will pollute their drinking water. https://sandrp.in/2023/05/23/haryana-upgraded-kundli-cetp-fails-to-stop-yamuna-pollution/  (23 May 2023)

NGT directs CPCB, DPCC to look into ‘illegal’ dyeing factories NGT has directed the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee, the CPCB and the DPCC to look into illegal dyeing units in the national Capital. The tribunal also directed the agencies to jointly file an action taken report on the compliance status in respect of the units named in the application. In 2004, the Supreme Court directed the shifting or closure of industrial activities operating in violation of the master plan of Delhi and also laid down the monitoring mechanism. The matter has been posted for further proceedings on October. https://www.millenniumpost.in/delhi/ngt-directs-monitoring-committee-cpcb-and-dpcc-to-look-into-citys-illegal-dyeing-factories-520214  (28 May 2023) 

NGT sets up panel to resolve sewage issue Observing that channelling, treating and using sewage scientifically is the responsibility of statutory authorities, the NGT has set up a committee to resolve the issue of sewage and toxic gas release from South Delhi’s Kushak drain.

The NGT was hearing a petition alleging violation of environmental norms in maintaining the Kushak stormwater drain near houses in the B-block of Greater Kailash-I. A Bench of NGT Chairperson Justice AK Goel said the grievance needed to be remedied but the covering of a drain could be allowed only if a proper separate pipeline to carry sewage was provided and only rainwater was carried into the drain, which is not the case here.

The 6.5-kilometre-long Kushak drain carries stormwater and sewage from several south Delhi localities and meets the Barapullah drain near Nizamuddin West before flowing into the Yamuna river. “Channeling/treating and using sewage scientifically as per norms is the responsibility of statutory authorities like the Municipal Corporation and the DJB to effectuate the right of citizens to a clean environment,” the Bench said. It said the solution was to prevent the flow of sewage into the drain and its periodic cleaning, including desilting and ensuring that water does not stagnate.

Sewage flow may be intercepted at the appropriate location and channelised to the nearest STPs, it said. The tribunal said the DJB will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance and the committee has to meet within two weeks. The applicants are free to make their representation before it. The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 26. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/ngt-sets-up-panel-to-resolve-sewage-issue-in-south-delhi-510062  (22 May 2023)

Plight of floodplain farmers According to a study, the Yamuna floodplains are home to more than 2,500 agrarian families, most of them rural migrants. Researchers estimate about 4,500 acres of farmland supports these small-scale farmers in a stretch of 22 km of the Yamuna floodplains, from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla barrage, the areas from where the river enters and exits the national capital. Most of these people have been practicing agriculture along the river for over 20 years but few actually own the land they cultivate–as is the case with Islam and Ram Prakash. While most of the farmers do sharecropping or cultivate the land on rent, its ownership lies with the DDA.

Of the Rs 7,643 crore budget of the DDA for 2023-24, it plans to spend Rs 405 crore for the redevelopment of the Yamuna riverfront. Divided in 10 separate sub-projects, which also includes creation of biodiversity parks along the river, the rejuvenation and restoration project is estimated to cost Rs 928 crore.

This tussle of environment vs human rights has already converted into a legal battle as the evictions from the Yamuna floodplains have been challenged in different courts of the city. However, there remains a common ground to explore for the stakeholders. CR Babu says that the wetlands in the biodiversity parks can be used for pisciculture to create livelihood opportunities for the affected farmers. “This has been recommended to the NGT by the expert committee.” https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/the-despair-of-delhi-s-yamuna-farmers-as-the-bulldozers-arrive-in-droves-123052200624_1.html  (22 May 2023)

The appeal filed by the AAP government on Tuesday (May 23) sought directions to set aside the NGT order saying that it was unconstitutional and violative of the two successive constitution bench decisions in July 2018 and May 11. The AAP government said that the NGT order of January 9 is sidelines the elected government and appoints an “unelected figurehead who does not have any authority to act on his own except on the aid and advice of the elected Delhi government.” https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/aap-challenges-ngt-order-appointing-lg-as-head-of-yamuna-pollution-committee-calls-it-unconstitutional-and-violative-of-constitution-bench-decisions-101684942352437.html  (24 May 2023)

Revamp of Bhalswa lake becomes new flashpoint between L-G, Delhi govt. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/redevelopment-of-bhalswa-lake-saurabh-bharadwaj-vk-saxena-delhi-govt-8625534/  (24 May 2023)

Delhi water minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Friday (May 26) said the government was proactively working to achieve their target of cleaning the Yamuna by 2025, with a six-point action plan in place which is tackling different sources of pollution. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhi-government-s-six-point-action-plan-aims-to-clean-yamuna-by-2025-with-increased-sewage-treatment-capacity-and-modernized-cetps-101685126533989.html  (26 May 2023)

The faecal coliform level is still 160 times higher than the max permissible limit. The river water thus continues to be not suitable for drinking even after conventional treatment. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/yamuna-pollution-level-dips-for-first-time-this-yr/articleshow/100460295.cms  (24 May 2023)

Haryana Industrial waste draining into river Dhanora escape, a drain constructed to divert extra water of the Western Yamuna Canal and surplus rainwater to the Yamuna, continues to haunt residents living in the vicinity due to contaminated water in it. The drain has also become a headache for the SPCB as it is polluting the Yamuna by discharging polluted water containing toxic waste of industries in Yamunanagar, said an official.

Residents claim that the problem had been unresolved for the past several years, despite raising the issue at different platforms. They say the drain is deteriorating the quality of groundwater and animals and people are suffering from skin diseases due to polluted groundwater. Besides, the foul smell has made their lives miserable.

The HSPCB says the flow of toxic waste would be curtailed soon. “Treated and untreated water from industries of Yamunanagar is discharged into this drain, but in the coming days, only treated water would flow into the drain as a 30 MLD CTP-cum-STP and a CTP for metal industry are being constructed in Yamunanagar and Jagadhri,” says SK Arora, Regional Officer, HSPCB, Karnal. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/effluent-mess-industrial-waste-draining-into-yamuna-river-villagers-suffer-510916  (25 May 2023)

Faridabad 20 units sealed for flouting pollution norms As many as 20 industrial units, a majority of them engaged in dyeing work, have been inspected and sealed in the past two days in the city by the SPCB for violating pollution norms. The department has sealed around 45 units since March. “These units had been discharging harmful chemicals into drains, resulting in the release of untreated waste discharge into the Yamuna river and other water bodies in the district,” an official said. About 100 more such units have been issued notices, sources in the department of pollution control stated. They have been directed to produce the relevant documents and measures regarding pollution control and an NOC from the department within two weeks.

While notices had been served, the closure was affected after the department failed to get any response from the offenders. As many units were of “shifting” nature, the authorities found their premises locked during inspection. Though disconnection of power and water supply of the violating units is recommended, re-connection in some cases has also surfaced, according to sources.

Violations came to light after complaints were lodged by residents on portals like the NMCG, which forward complaints to the authorities concerned for compliance and submission of the Action Taken Report. The CM’s flying squad had also detected two such units last week, that had been operating without an NOC from the pollution department and discharging chemical-laced water into drains. Complaints against over 200 such units have been lodged in the last two years. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/20-units-sealed-in-two-days-for-flouting-pollution-norms-notice-served-to-100-more-510445  (23 May 2023)

Gurugram More than 75 MLD untreated sewage reaching Yamuna River from Gurugram. (Dainik Bhaskar, 21 May 2023)

RIVERS BIODIVERSITY

IUCN 25 of 29 native turtle species under threat Reckless poaching and illegal trade have pushed 25 of 29 native turtle species into the “red zone”, posing serious threat to its survival in the country, as per data provided by Traffic India, a UK based wildlife trade monitoring network of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Some of these endangered turtle species are being smuggled mainly via UP and West Bengal — states sharing borders with Nepal, Bangladesh and the Northeast. Airports of Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru are also considered major entry and exit points. “As we mark World Turtle Day on May 23, we are witnessing certain disturbing facts. IUCN has enlisted 25 of the 29 species — two tortoises and the rest freshwater turtles — on its red list in India.

– Said Merwyn Fernandes of Traffic India: “at least 1,11,310 tortoises and freshwater turtles” were found to be part of the illegal trade in 19 states and two UTs in India between September 2009 and 2019, and over 11,000 people might be involved every year in this network. “UP and Bengal account for over 60% of all seizures. Among 14 native species found to be traded, Indian star tortoise accounted for 49%, followed by Indian softshell turtle (26%), Indian flapshell turtle (15%) and spotted pond turtle (9%),” Fernandes said. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/25-of-29-native-turtle-species-under-threat-due-to-poaching-illegal-trade-says-iucn/articleshow/100432822.cms 

FISH, FISHERIES, FISHERFOLKS

Jammu & Kashmir Mass fish death in Dal lake raises alarm It is an annual phenomenon which affects only one type of fish, the official claimed. However, lake dwellers, who live in houseboats in the lake, contradicted the official’s claim saying they had never seen such large-scale fish deaths there.

“The reason for the deaths is the increase in the water level of the lake. The lake authorities have kept the water level up. Now, it has become a problem as the fish have died. It has caused a foul smell already and one cannot sit here,” said Ghulam Mohammad, a Dal Lake dweller.” A few fish would die earlier also but this is unprecedented. I have not seen this in 60 years of my life here,” he added.

Some blamed the addition of chemicals to sewage water before it is released into the lake for the fish deaths. “They put chemicals in these drains which has caused the deaths. These drains should be closed. This lake provides us with livelihood,” said Bashir Ahmed, a fisherman for over 40 years at the lake. The fisherman also said he had not seen fish deaths of this scale in his lifetime. Adil Ahmad, a frequent visitor to the lakeside, said the pollutants discharged from houseboats and waste material dumped into the lake was responsible for the situation. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/srinagar/fish-deaths-dal-lake-8629334/  (25 May 2023)

The fish have been floating for the past two days which has created a foul odor in the entire area, Arshid Hussain, a local said. This is not the first time that the death of fish has been reported in the Kashmir valley. Earlier fish deaths have been reported from several parts of the valley. https://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/thousands-of-fish-found-dead-in-dal-lake/

Video: Why are fish dying in Dal lake? https://www.greaterkashmir.com/videos/video-explained-why-are-fish-dying-in-dal-lake  (26 May 2023)

SAND MINING

Report Beneath the Sand The South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) has documented 418 deaths in 16 months across the country from December 2020 to March 2022 due to violence and accidents linked to sand-mining activities. However, the actual death toll could be higher. In Bihar alone, SANDRP recorded at least 76 people who died and 103 others who were injured in sand-mining-related violence and accidents between December 2020 and March 2022. https://www.beneaththesands.earth/we-cant-run-away  (27 April 2023)

DTE CPCB’s new guidelines for India’s stone crusher sector The CPCB published the Environmental Guidelines for Stone Crushing units May 12, 2023. The CPCB document outlines ways to measure source emissions, store materials and other general principles to combat air pollution from stone crushing units. However, the document doesn’t mention a water consumption cap to check over-utilisation of the resource by these units.

CPCB guidelines will prevent stone crushers from operating without consent to establish or operate, which is a much-needed clause as many of the stone crushers in the country are illegal. CPCB guidelines also advocated a district-level committee to be constituted under the chairmanship of the district magistrate / deputy commissioner to conduct surprise inspections for surveillance of stone crushing units.

However, it is not clear if the regional office of the concerned state pollution control board will be included in the committee or not. It is required to involve SPCBs as this will help the authorities to take immediate actions against the non-complying units and will improve enforcement in the long run. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/cpcb-s-new-guidelines-for-india-s-stone-crusher-sector-a-welcome-step-89597  (26 May 2023)

डाउन टू अर्थ ने बेतवा, केन, सोन, यमुना, कठजोड़ी, नर्मदा, हुगली और चंबल नदियों की सेटेलाइट तस्वीरों का विश्लेषण किया https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/river/yamuna/Satellite-pictures-revealed-the-reality-of-nine-big-rivers-of-the-country-89121   (14 May 2023)

Tamil Nadu Panchayat president, 2 others held for assaulting RI The Tiruchi district rural police on Sunday (May 28) arrested three persons, including a panchayat president, for preventing a government official from discharging his duties by assaulting him when he was inquiring about the illegal mining of red sand near Thuraiyur. Activists had drawn the attention of government officials through petitions regarding the illegal mining of red sand in Narasingapuram, a village in Thuraiyur block. Acting upon the petitions, Revenue Inspector Prabhakaran was conducting the inspection at Narasingapuram on Saturday night. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/panchayat-president-two-others-held-for-assaulting-revenue-inspector-probing-illegal-sand-mining/article66904397.ece  (28 May 2023)

Haryana SPCB holds public hearings on mining in 3 blocks To take environmental clearance from the SEIAA for the excavation of sand in mining blocks, the SPCB is holding public hearings to take suggestions and objections from people. The government has auctioned 8 mining blocks, namely Jarauli, Shergarh, Nabiabad, Nagal, Dabaripar, Kunda Kalan, Dhakwala and Chandraon. So far, the public hearings have been held in 3 blocks, where people submitted their objections against the mining work. They fear accidents due to mining vehicles and the occurrence of floods. “There is a possibility of flooding due to the excavation of sand from the riverbed. Also, the mining vehicles are overloaded and ply at a high speed, which can lead to accidents,” said a resident of the Jaroli block.

“The HSPCB has started hearings to collect objections and suggestions of the general public. The hearings were conducted in the Jaroli block on May 8, Kunda Kalan block on May 15 and Nabiabad block on May 18,” said SK Arora, HSPCB Regional Officer. “Of the 8 blocks, the letter of intents of Nagal, Dabripar, Kunda Kalan, Dakwala and Chandraon Garhpur Tapu blocks have already been revoked by the Department of Mining and Geology,” said Bhupinder Singh, District Mining Officer. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/hspcb-holds-public-hearings-on-sand-mining-in-three-blocks-511273  (26 May 2023)

In an interesting turnaround of events, the Mines and Geology Department has asked the Jhajjar SP for the registration of a case against a Jhajjar-based firm for making fake sale of 40,402 MT of mining materials to screening plants in Yamunanagar district a month ago. It has also asked to take immediate legal action against those involved in this illegal act of issuing fake e-Ravaana passes.

The development has taken place three weeks after the Jhajjar police sent back the case without taking any action against M/S Shri Ram Builders, Bahadurgarh, pleading that beneficiaries belonged to Yamunanagar and fake e-Ravaana passes were used in Yamunanagar and so the action would be taken against the firm there only. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/jhajjar-sp-directed-to-book-firm-for-fake-sale-of-minerals-510452  (23 May 2023)

Uttar Pradesh Private firms fined ₹ 15cr by NGT for illegal mining The NGT has imposed a fine of ₹15.96 crore on two private firms engaged in mining activities near river Son in Sonbhadra district. The tribunal also directed the MoEF&CC, along with the state ministries of environment and forest in UP and Bihar, to look into the question of declaring parts of river Son, running in both states, as ‘Son Ghadiyal Wildlife Sanctuary’ in accordance with law within three months.

The NGT was hearing a matter regarding the illegal mining of sand and morrum (a minor mineral derived from the weathering and disintegration of granitic rocks) near Son in the Sonbhadra district. The tribunal noted that the issue pertained to such illegal mining near ESZ and protected reserved forests, in violation of various conditions of EC, consent orders and environmental laws, directly causing damage to the environment and aquatic ecology, particularly the flora and fauna in the area.

It said as the Environment (Protection) Act is included in the schedule of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and both respondents had committed an offence under the EP Act, the Directorate of Enforcement could look into these aspects and take further action. Forming a joint committee comprising representatives of the SEIAA, the state’s Ministry of Environment and Forest, UPPCB and DM, Sonbhadra, the green tribunal directed it to revisit all mining leases in the Son river bed in Sonbhadra district and take appropriate decision or action within three months. It said till the committee took a decision, no further mining in the riverbed is allowed. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/private-firms-fined-rs-15-crore-by-green-tribunal-for-illegal-mining-in-up-4069176  (26 May 2023)

बुंदेलखंड के हमीरपुर में बेतवा नदी का सीना चीर, खनन माफिया निकाल रहे लाल सोना। नदी में बनाया कच्चा पुल, खनन विभाग के संरक्षण मे माफियाओं के हौसले बुलंद। प्रतिबंधित पोकलैंड मशीनों से खनन जारी, NGT के आदेशो को खुलेआम ठेंगा, घुरौली में संचालित खण्ड संख्या 26/6 का मामला। https://twitter.com/BundeliJunction/status/1661075883631980545?s=20  (23 May 2023)

Sentinel Hub September 2022- May 2023 time-lapse animation shows excessive mechanized riverbed mining in Betwa river at Ghuroli mine in Mohana just upstream Bundelkhand Expressway, Hamirpur. Similar situation at many locations along the river.  https://twitter.com/Indian_Rivers/status/1661625049999376384?s=20  (24 May 2023)

Overloaded trucks carrying sand Dhoulahera sand mine in Sardhau area under Rajapur tehsil in Chitrakoot district. https://public.app/video/sp_tmtubd6y6ivb9  (02 May 2023)

Madhya Pradesh Sand mines to be auctioned through clusters at Tehsils The new mining policy has been prepared, and it may be put up at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday (May 16). Now, the mines will be auctioned through clusters to be formed in Tehsils by changing the policy the Congress government’s policy. According to the new policy, the mines will be given for three years, but the government may extend the time for another two years. The government was planning to hand over sand mines to Panchayats, but keeping in mind the loss to the state exchequer, it was decided to hand over the mines to contractors.

Another change is being made in the mining policy, according to which 50% of amount should be deposited in advance. At present, 25% of the amount is being deposited. Since many contractors have left the mines in several districts, a provision for depositing 50% of total cost is being made in the new policy. The mine contractors will be given a big relief under the new policy. Taking environmental clearance and permission for mining will be the responsibility of the mining department under the new policy. https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/bhopal-sand-mines-to-be-auctioned-through-clusters-at-tehsils  (15 May 2023)

पुलिस टीम पर लाठी–डंडों से हमला सीधी जिले के रामपुर नैकिन थाना प्रभारी के निर्देश पर अवैध रेत का परिवहन रोकने के लिए एक टीम ग्राम भितरी पहुंची। यहां पुलिस टीम ने रेत का परिवहन कर रहे ट्रैक्टर-ट्राली को जब्त कर लिया। 12 से ज्यादा ग्रामीणों ने ट्रैक्टर को छुड़ाने के लिए पुलिसकर्मियों पर लाठी और डंडों से हमला कर दिया। इसमें दो पुलिसकर्मी घायल हो गए। दो अन्य को भी चोट आई हैं।

पुलिसकर्मियों पर हमले और मारपीट का वीडियो भी सामने आया है। इसमें 12-15 लोग पुलिसकर्मियों को पीटते दिख रहे हैं। यह वीडियो सोमवार (May 22) को है। मंगलवार (May 23) को सामने आया है। ग्रामीणों ने आरोप लगाया कि पुलिसकर्मियों ने रेत से भरा ट्रैक्टर-ट्रॉली जब्त कर लिया था। उसके बाद पुलिस टीम ने रुपयों की मांग की। इसको लेकर विवाद हो गया। ग्रामीणों को पुलिस कर्मियों ने पीटना शुरू कर दिया। इसके बाद पुलिसकर्मियों पर ग्रामीण हावी हो गए। उन्होंने लाठी और डंडों से हमला कर दिया। https://www.bhaskar.com/local/mp/sidhi/news/controversy-over-transaction-of-money-on-catching-tractors-transporting-sand-illegally-131318071.html  (24 May 2023)

रेत खनन करने वालों पर की कार्रवाई की मांग नर्मदा बचाओ आंदोलन के कार्यकर्ताओं की ओर से क्षेत्र में अवैध रेत खनन रोक लगाने के लिए कई बार आवेदन दिया गया, लेकिन आज तक कोई भी ठोस रेत माफियों पर स्थायी व ठोस कार्रवाई नहीं की जा रही है। नर्मदा बचाओ आंदोलन के प्रमुख मुकेश भगोरिया ने बताया कि आज शनिवार (May 20) की सुबह मनावर के समीप ग्राम उड़नदना में नर्मदा नदी सरदार सरोवर डूब क्षेत्र में नदी के बीच से बालू अवैध नाव, जेसीबी, ट्रैक्टर के माध्यम से दिन रात रेत खनन हो रहा है।

कई बार जिला खनिज विभाग के अधिकारीय को मय सबूत दस्तावेज भेजे गए, लेकिन राजनीति संरक्षण के चलते माफियाओं पर कोई कार्रवाई नहीं हुई।जबकि सरदार सरोवर डूब क्षेत्र में जबलपुर उच्चत्तम न्यायालय के ओर से 6 मई 2015 आदेश अनुसार रेत खनन पर सख्त रोक है, लेकिन कार्य जारी है। https://www.bhaskar.com/local/mp/dhar/manawar/news/activists-of-narmada-bachao-andolan-will-give-memorandum-to-cm-demanding-action-against-illegal-sand-miners-131305184.html  (20 May 2023)

जबलपुर कलेक्ट्रेट कार्यालय में आज मध्य भारत मोर्चा के पदाधिकारियों और कार्यकर्ताओं के द्वारा बेलखेड़ा के पावला घाट समेत नर्मदा नदी के अन्य घाटों पर हो रहे धड़ल्ले से अवैध उत्खनन को लेकर अनोखा प्रदर्शन किया गया जहाँ पोस्टर पहनकर आए आशीष मिश्रा और उनके साथियों ने माइनिंग अधिकारी पर गंभीर आरोप लगाते हुए कहा कि जिस प्रकार से रेत माफियाओं के द्वारा नर्मदा नदी को अवैध रूप से मशीनों के द्वार छलनी किया जा रहा है। जिसके साक्ष्य मध्य भारत मोर्चा के द्वारा पूर्व में कई बार माइनिंग अधिकारी को दिए गए। https://mpbreakingnews.in/madhya-pradesh/jabalpur/jabalpur-news-madhya-bharat-morcha-unique-performance-regarding-illegal-mining-in-narmada-memorandum-submitted-to-collector-msa/  (16 May 2023)

नर्मदा नदी में बेखौफ हो रहा रेत का खनन खनिज मंत्री विजतेंद्र प्रताप सिंह के प्रभार वाले जिले नर्मदापुरम और प्रदेश के स्वास्थ्य मंत्री डॉ. प्रभूराम चौधरी के गढ़ रायसेन में प्रतिबंध होने के बाद भी यहां धड़ल्ले से रेत का अवैध खनन हो रहा है. ऐसा नहीं है कि रेत के अवैध उत्खनन और परिवहन की जानकारी खनिज विभाग के अधिकारियों को नहीं है. उनकी नाक के नीचे यह सब हो रहा है.

बीते साल प्रदेश सरकार ने नर्मदापुरम में रेत ठेके निरस्त कर दिए थे. यह रेत के ठेके छत्तीसगढ़ की कंपनी आरके ट्रांसपोर्ट एंड कंस्ट्रक्शन के पास था. कंपनी द्वारा सरकार को किस्त जमा नहीं की थी, जिसके बाद कंपनी को बकायादा नोटिस दिया गया. नोटिस की भी कंपनी द्वारा अनदेखी की गई, जिससे सरकार ने एक्शन लेते हुए कंपनी का ठेका निरस्त करने के साथ ही उसे ब्लैक लिस्ट कर दिया था. नर्मदापुरम में रेत के ठेके निरस्त होने के बावजूद रेत का अवैध उत्खनन जारी है. रेत का अवैध उत्खनन कर ट्रांसपोर्ट किया जा रहा है. रेत से भरे ओवर लोड डंपर जहां हादसों का सबब बन रहे हैं तो वहीं सड़कों को भी नुकसान पहुंचा रहे हैं. नर्मदापुरम से रेत भरकर यह डंपर राजधानी भोपाल, विदिशा, बैरासरिया, देवास, इंदौर सहित अन्य शहरों की तरफ जा रहे हैं. 

नर्मदा के करबला-खर्राघाट, डोंगरवाड़ा, बरंडुआ, पुलघाट-खोजनपुर, ग्राम रायपुर, मालाखेड़ी, बांद्राभान, सांगाखेड़ा पुल, निमसाडिय़ा और तवा पुल के आसपास रेत का अवैध खनन जारी है. https://www.abplive.com/states/madhya-pradesh/narmadapuram-illegal-sand-mining-is-devastating-narmada-river-and-ecosystem-road-accidents-ann-2399735  (04 May 2023)

आदिवासी अंचलों में अवैध खनन के मामले लगातार सामने आ रहे हैं। डिंडौरी जिले के 9 से ज्यादा ऐसी जगहें हैं जहां अवैध खनन जोरों पर चल रहा है। लेकिन प्रशासन आंख मूंदे बैठा हुआ है। लेकिन अब इस मामले को एक बार फिर एनजीटी तक पहुंचाया गया है। अवैध खनन के बढ़ते अवैध खनन के मामले को लेकर अधिवक्ता सम्यक जैन ने एनजीटी की प्रधान पीठ में याचिका दायर की है। यह याचिका बारह अलग- अलग बिंदुओं पर लगाई गई है कि कैसे प्रशासन के नाक के नीचे आदिवासी अंचल में अवैध खनन किया जा रहा है।

याचिका में कहा गया है कि जिम्मेदार अधिकारी अपनी जवाबदेही से परे अपनी अधिकारिक क्षमता का दुरूपयोग कर रहे हैं और परिवहन में लगे वाहन एनजीटी के नियम निर्देशों व संसद द्वारा बनाए गए कानून का उल्लंघन कर रहे हैं। पत्र में खनिज अधिकारियों के मिलीभगत का भी उल्लेख है। अधिवक्ता ने दायार याचिका में नर्मदा के अवैध खनन का जिक्र करते हुए बताया है कि जनपथ डिंडौरी जिले के अंतर्गत गाड़ासरई, शोभापुर, बंजर, रहंगी, तेली टोला, रूसा, करंजिया, सिवनी- तवा नदी, भीमकुंडी सहित अन्य जगहों पर अवैध खनन जारी है। https://www.patrika.com/bhopal-news/in-the-tribal-area-the-mining-mafia-is-openly-sieving-the-chest-of-na-8121490/  (24 March 2023)

नर्मदा नदी को जीवित इकाई (लाइव एंटिटी ) घोषित करने के बाद भी अवैध उत्खनन पर अंकुश नहीं लग पाया है। अब सरकार नदी के संरक्षण के नाम पर साढ़े तीन अरब रुपए खर्च करने की तैयारी में है। इन रुपयों को रेत उत्खनन और प्रदूषण को रोकने में खर्च किया जाएगा। पर्यावरण विभाग ने नर्मदा के संरक्षण को लेकर विशेष पायलेट प्रोजेक्ट तैयार किया है। इस प्रोजेक्ट के तहत नर्मदा नदी की वास्तविक स्थिति का सर्वे किया जाएगा। विभाग का दावा है कि इसके तहत जिलेवार घाटों के आधार पर नर्मदा की गहराई, तट की स्थिति, कैचमेंट का जीआईएस सर्वे, वनस्पति के साथ नदी पर आश्रित जंगलों का पूरा खाका तैयार किया जाएगा। नर्मदा के जलीय जीवों का अपडेट डाटा भी सरकार के पास होगा। प्रोजेक्ट पर चरणबद्ध तरीके से काम होगा। प्रोजेक्ट के पहले फेज में ही करीब 350 करोड़ रुपये खर्च होने का अनुमान है। फिर प्रदेश की अन्य बड़ी नदियों चंबल, सोन, ताप्ती, बेतवा के संरक्षण संबंधित कवायद की जाएगी

प्रदेश के 16 जिलों को छूकर निकलने वाली नर्मदा नदी में अवैध उत्खनन की भयावहता की कहानी 4 जिले के आंकड़े ही कह देते हैं। खनिज विभाग ने केवल सीहोर, हरदा, नर्मदापुरम और देवास जिले में 10 माह के दौरान अवैध उत्खनन और परिवहन के 588 प्रकरण दर्ज किए हैं। जुर्माने के तौर पर 5 करोड़ 63 लाख से अधिक की वसूली की गई है। पोकलेन मशीनें, डंपर और बड़ी संख्या में ट्रक-ट्रेक्टट्रेर ट्रालियां भी जब्त की गई है। नर्मदा में अवैध उत्खनन और परिवहन का मुद्दा विधानसभा के बजट सत्र में भी उठ चुका है। हालांकि , शासकीय तंत्र के साथ मिली भगत के कारण रेत माफियाओं पर कोई कार्रवाई नहीं हो पा रही है।

नर्मदा प्रवाह के लिए उसकी 41 सहायक नदियां भी जरूरी हैं। इनके संरक्षण के लिए अब तक कोई ठोस कदम नहीं उठाया गया। नर्मदा की प्रमुख सहायक नदियों में गौर नदी शामिल है। लेकिन मौजूदा हालात ये हैं कि इसे गोबर नदी कहा जाने लगा है। बताया जाता है कि करीब 50 साल पहले मंडला से निकलने वाली इस नदी का पा  लोग पीने में उपयोग करते थे। आज के समय में यह नदी जबलपुर की सीमा में आकर यहां किनारों पर स्थित डेयरियों की गंदगी लेकर जमतरा पुल के पास नर्मदा में मिलती है।

प्रदूषदूण और अवैध खनन के चलते नर्मदा नदी का ईको सिस्टम बेहद प्रभावित हो रहा है। कई जलचर गायब हो गए हैं। मछलियों की कई प्रजाति भी कम हो गई हैं। दूसरी तरफ प्रदेश के 4 दर्जन से अधिक स्थानों पर नर्मदा जल की गुणवत्ता परीक्षण की जो सैंपलिंग हुई है उसमें भी प्रदूषण का स्तर कम होता नजर नहीं आ रहा । नर्मदा को जीवित इकाई घोषित करते समय सीएम ने कहा था कि नर्मदा मइया के भी अधिकार होंगे उसे नुकसान पहुंचा ने वाले को दंडित किया जाएगा। लेकिन हकीकत में ऐसा कुछ सामने नहीं आया। https://www.humsamvet.com/mp-info/shivraj-government-will-spend-rs-350-crore-in-the-name-of-narmada-conservation-24136  (20 March 2023)

सीहोर में करीब 30 स्वीकृत खदानें है, जिनसे शासन को करीब 150 करोड़ का सालभर में राजस्व मिलता है, जबकि सीहोर में रेत के अवैध खनन का कारोबार ही 350 करोड़ से ज्यादा का है। पर जो स्थिति सामने आई है उससे सवाल खड़े होना तो लाजमी है। छीपानेर से जैत तक नर्मदा नदी के एक ओर बुधनी विधानसभा है तो दूसरी ओर हरदा और नर्मदापुरम जिले का हिस्सा। द सूत्र ने अपनी पड़ताल में करीब 8 घाटों को शामिल किया। और हकीकत यह है कि इन इलाकों में जहां भी नर्मदा नदी के बीच से रेत निकालते हुए तस्वीर सामने आईं, वे सभी इलाके सीएम की अपनी खुद की विधानसभा बुधनी के ही थे। https://thesootr.com/madhya-pradesh/mp-cm-shivraj-home-distt-business-of-illegal-mining-more-than-350-crore/33723  (16 March 2023)

आयकर विभाग ने विभाग के मुख्यालय से जो दस्तावेज बरामद किए हैं उनसे पता चलता है कि विभाग ने नर्मदा सहित अन्य नदियों से अवैध उत्खनन और परिवहन को रेगुलर करने में करीब 3,200 करोड़ रुपए का राजस्व वसूला। इससे स्पष्ट होता है कि नदी को बड़ी-बड़ी मशीनों के जरिए लगातार छलनी किया जा रहा है जिससे उसका ईको सिस्टम ही गड़बड़ा गया है। https://peoplesupdate.com/narmada-our-lifeline-and-living-unit-yet-illegal-mining-is-not-curbed/  (12 March 2023)

नर्मदा नदी की सहायक बुढ़नेर नदी में रेत खनन खिलाफ एक महिला ने मोर्चा खोल दिया है। मंडला जिले के इंद्रा में बहने वाली इस नदी की सफेद रेत के अंधाधुंध खनन के खिलाफ विजयश्री ने सत्याग्रह आरंभ कर दिया है। डिंडौरी मार्ग पर जिला मुख्यालय से 35 दूर वह डेढ़ वर्ष पहले वह अपने पर्यावरण प्रेमी पति एटिला कोवेक्स के साथ बसने आईं, लेकिन यहां प्रकृति के साथ छेड़छाड़ बर्दाश्त नहीं कर सकीं। इस दंपती ने जिस बुढ़नेर के तट पर अपना खूबसूरत कच्चा आशियाना बनाया उसके तटबंध को रेत खनन करने वालों ने तहस-नहस कर दिया है। विजयश्री को रेत खनन का विरोध करने के कारण जान से मारने की धमकी और पैसों का लालच भी मिला, लेकिन वह डिगी नहीं। मामले की शिकायत मुख्यमंत्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान तक पहुंचने के बाद जिला प्रशासन हरकत में तो आया है, जांच शुरू कर दी गई है, लेकिन खनन का काम जारी है। https://www.naidunia.com/madhya-pradesh/jabalpur-woman-opened-front-against-sand-mining-in-budhner-river-in-mandla-7988519  (23 Dec. 2022)

नदी कुछ कह रही है :

नदियां कह रहीं हैं कुछ बड़ी विकलता से  उनकी सुनो

चुप न रहो  उनकी भाषा बोलो

बालू की ढेर में बदल चुकीं धूल-चट्टानों में छिपीं

इनकी कराह सुनो, पल-पल की इनकी गुहार,

भयात्तुर आर्त्तनाद सुनो, चेतकर इनको बचाने की, हर सजग पुकार सुनो

(कविता : अनिता रश्मि) Shared by Arun Singh, Panna MP (May 17, 2023) https://twitter.com/Arun__Singh_/status/1658660022891708417?s=20

Rajasthan जोधपुर में बेखौफ बजरी माफिया, एसीपी पर किया हमला बजरी का अवैध खनन करने वाले माफिया इन दिनों बेखौफ हो चले है। उन्हें पुलिस का कोई भय नहीं हैं। माफिया पुलिस के ऊपर हमला करने से भी नहीं चूक रहे हैं इसकी एक बानगी बुधवार को नजर आई। बजरी से भरे डंपर को रोकने पर माफिया ने एसीपी की गाड़ी पर डंपर चढ़ाने का प्रयास किया हालांकि गनीमत रही की एयर बैग खुलने से एसीपी की जान बच गई। घटना के बाद आमजन में विश्वास और अपराधियों में भय का नारा देने वाली पुलिस पर सवाल खड़े होने लगे हैं। घटना सुबह 5 बजे विवेक विहार थाना क्षेत्र के सालावास गांव की है।

बता दें कि इन दिनों शहर में अवैध रूप से बजरी परिवहन कर निकलने वाले डंपर पुलिस से बचने के लिए नंबर भी नहीं लिखते हैं। कई बार हादसे होने के बाद नंबर नहीं होने की वजह से लोग डंपर की पहचान भी नहीं कर पाते हैं। बुधवार (May 24) को चालक ने एसीपी की गाड़ी पर डंपर से टक्कर मारी उस पर भी नंबर नहीं लिखे हुए थे। इसके चलते उसकी पहचान करना मुश्किल हो रहा है। शहर में पाल बाईपास से पाल रोड गायत्री नगर एम्स रोड होते हुए बजरी से भरे डंपर शहर में प्रवेश करते हैं। क्षेत्रवासियों ने नाम नहीं बताने की शर्त पर बताया कि गायत्री नगर से रोजाना 30 से 40 बिना नंबरी डंपर तेज स्पीड में डंपर निकलते हैं। रात के अंधेरे के बजाय यह डंपर दिन के उजाले में निकलते हैं। इसके बावजूद इन पर पुलिस की टीम कोई कार्रवाई नहीं करती है। https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jodhpur/news/the-car-collided-with-a-dumper-life-was-saved-by-the-opening-of-the-airbag-131321364.html  (25 May 2023)

टोंक जिले में खनन माफिया के हौसले बुलंद हो रहे हैं। बेखौफ बजरी माफिया अब ग्रामीणों पर ही नहीं पुलिस कर्मियों पर भी हमला कर रहे हैं। रविवार सुबह भी बनेठा थाना क्षेत्र में बनास नदी में अवैध बजरी खनन रोकने जा रहे 2 पुलिसकर्मियों पर 50-60 भूमाफियों ने जानलेवा हमला कर दिया। हमले में एक पुलिसकर्मी घायल हो गया, जिसे अस्पताल में भर्ती कराया है, जबकि दूसरे पुलिसकर्मी को प्राथमिक इलाज के बाद छुट्टी दे दी। पुलिस ने खनन माफिया के खिलाफ पुलिसकर्मियों की हत्या का प्रयास करने, राज कार्य में बाधा डालने का मामला दर्ज कर जांच शुरू कर दी है। https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/tonk/news/mining-mafia-attacked-two-constables-in-tonk-131087326.html  (26 March 2023)

थाना प्रभारी हेमराज मीना ने बताया कि रविवार सुबह कॉन्स्टेबल परशुराम (40) और रोडू लाल प्राईवेट बोलेरो कार लेकर बनास नदी में बजरी खनन करने वालों पर कार्रवाई कर लिए जा रहे थे। इस दौरान खददो की झोपड़ियां में 50-60 लोगों ने उनको रोककर मारपीट की और उनकी बोलेरो गाड़ी में तोड़फोड़ की। हमलावरों में ज्यादातर लोग सुरेली गांव के थे।

राजस्थान में बजरी माफियाओं के बीच वर्चस्व की लड़ाई बढ़ती जा रही है। अवैध खनन को लेकर बजरी माफियाओं का गुट तैयार हो गया। इसी वर्चस्व की लड़ाई में गुरुवार देर रात एक युवक की हत्या कर दी गई। इससे पहले 10 से ज्यादा लोगों ने सरिया से हमला कर उसे अधमरा कर दिया। इसके बाद हॉस्पिटल लाया गया तो रास्ते में ही दम तोड़ दिया। मामला जोधपुर के लूणी थाना क्षेत्र में रात 12 बजे का है। जानकारी के अनुसार मृतक धुंधाड़ाा निवासी ओमाराम (34) क्षेत्र में लूणी नदी से बजरी खनन से जुड़ा हुआ था। इसी क्षेत्र में दूसरा गुट भी बजरी खनन से जुड़ा है। ओमाराम के बहनोई भीमाराम ने बताया कि कल देर रात ओमाराम समुजा से धुंधाड़ा के बीच में आ रहा था। इस दौरान लूणी नदी पर बने पुल से थोड़ा पहले कुछ लोगों ने उसकी स्कॉर्पियो को टक्कर मार दी। https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jodhpur/news/scorpio-attacked-for-supremacy-in-gravel-mining-stopped-breathing-on-the-way-to-the-hospital-130323077.html  (15 Sept. 2022)

बिलाड़ा क्षेत्र में अवैध बजरी खनन माफिया को न तो पुलिस का डर और न ही प्रशासन का भय है। खुले आम बिना भय के अवैध खनन कर रहे हैं। शुक्रवार को ग्रामीणों के साथ कवरेज करने गए भास्कर संवाददाता चेतनकुमार मालवीय पर खनन माफियाओं ने हमला कर दिया। उनके दोनों मोबाइल, नकदी, चेन व अंगूठी लूट ली। बचाव में आए ग्रामीण दयालराम को भी बुरी तरह पीटा। ग्रामीण का भी मोबाइल व बाइक छीनकर भाग गए। भास्कर संवाददाता तो किसी तरह नदी किनारे फसल में जा छिपे।

पीछे बदमाशों ने ग्रामीण युवक की पिटाई कर उसे अधमरी हाल में छोड़ भाग गए। दैनिक भास्कर बिलाड़ा के सवांददाता चेतन कुमार मालवीय शुक्रवार को गांवों की समस्या का कवरेज करने गए थे। पंचायत समिति क्षेत्र के पिचियाक, जसवन्तपुरा के बाद खारिया मीठापुर, उदलियावस होते हुए झाक ग्राम गए। झाक ग्राम पंचायत में किसान व ग्रामीण मौजूद थे। उन्होंने अपनी समस्याएं बताई और कहा कि गांव में बड़े स्तर पर अवैध बजरी खनन हो रहा है। प्रशासन सुनवाई नहीं कर रहा। ग्रामीणों ने एक युवक को साथ अवैध खनन की साइट दिखाने भेजा। दयालराम व संवाददाता बाइक पर एक किसान के खेत में गए। बाद में अवैध बजरी खनन स्थल पर गए। जहां पर फोटो ले रहे थे कि पीछे से दो चार बदमाश एकाएक आए और लाठी सरियों से ताबड़तोड़ वार कर दिए। https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jodhpur/news/mafia-attack-on-bhaskar-correspondent-who-went-to-cover-illegal-mining-saved-life-by-hiding-in-the-crop-one-villager-also-injured-128960170.html  (2021)

WETLANDS, LAKES, WATER BODIES

Maharashtra Now, a helpline no. for mangrove complaints The Raigad district collector office at Alibaug has launched a Toll Free number ‘1077’ and a WhatsApp number ‘8275152363’ for alert citizens and environmentalists to lodge a complaint against mangroves destruction by miscreants dumping debris or erecting bunds to block the flow of tidal water to the mangroves for land grabbing and also illegal sand excavation and transportation by sand mafia operating in Raigad district.

Dr Padmashree Bainade, Resident Deputy Collector of Raigad district informed that the High Court had passed an order on September 17, 2018 in a PIL (87/2006) seeking measures to be taken by the government officers for protection and conservation of mangroves. Accordingly, the government’s Revenue and Forest Department had issued a notification on October 16, 2018, giving instructions to form ‘Control Committees’ at the divisional level as well as at district and taluka level for the protection and conservation of mangroves in the districts along the coastal belt.

Thus, in accordance with the letter dated November 3, 2018 from the Konkan Divisional Commissioner and as per the order of the Raigad district collector on November 16, 2018, Control Committees have been formed at the district and taluka level. Subsequently, the Raigad district collector office has launched a toll free number ‘1077’ and also a WhatsApp number ‘8275152363’ on which the citizens of Raigad district can file a complaint against mangroves destruction and also regarding illegal sand mining and transportation. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/now-a-helpline-no-for-mangrove-complaints/articleshow/98377774.cms  (03 March 2023)

Illegal dumping is not stopped in Ulwe The unregulated debris dumping by ‘mafia’ in the mangrove belts of Ulwe has alarmed the local environmentalists who warn if this is not stopped now then it will be too late to protect the natural defence barriers. The speed at which waste is being dumped here will fully damage these mangroves resulting in massive flooding of the areas in future.

Despite the Bombay high court’s order in 2018 that there should be no form of destruction or cutting of mangroves in the entire state, the ‘dumping mafia’ continue to pollute and damage the area. Multiple mailers and video footage of dumpers dumping debris into the mangroves were shot and sent to authorities. The activists said they are aggravated by the indifference of the civic authorities on this pressing issue. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/unregulated-debris-dumping-by-mafia-in-navi-mumbai-mangroves-alarms-environmentalists-threatens-natural-defence-barriers-and-future-flooding-101684610514917.html  (21 May 2023)

DTE 1st waterbodies census: Experts question the methodology There is confusion regarding the definition of waterbodies used; there are also discrepancies about whether waterbodies are in rural or urban areas and whether or not they have been encroached upon. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/india-s-first-census-of-waterbodies-is-a-much-awaited-one-but-experts-question-the-methodology-here-is-why-89234  (28 May 20230

Opinion This article is written by Pranjali Aggarwal from University Institute of Legal Studies, Punjab University, Chandigarh. This article elucidates the importance of wetlands and various laws that protect the wetlands in India. https://blog.ipleaders.in/global-importance-of-the-wetland-sites-laws-to-protect-wetlands-in-india/  (13 Oct. 2021)

WATER OPTIONS

Kerala First water budget Several government departments, agencies, and research institutes, 94 gram panchayats in 15 block panchayats, together created the base document for water conservation, which is currently limited to rural areas. The consumption of water for domestic use, irrigation, business, tourism and industrial needs were factored in, while calculating the total water demand and the differences in consumption patterns for each panchayat were also accounted for. Experts believe that water budgets can be an effective instrument to ensure sustainable development. https://india.mongabay.com/2023/05/keralas-water-budget-a-step-towards-effective-water-management/  (25 May 2023)

Tamil Nadu Chitlapakkam Lake Festival, an exercise to showcase a people’s movement  On June 2, 2019, Chitlapakkam Lake Festival got off to a start. Technically, it was not a lake festival. Residents of Chitlapakkam and beyond had gathered en masse around the waterbody to give it a through scrub. The event however carried the unmistakable spirit of a lake festival. On the same day in 2020, residents again showed up en masse for the lake — this time, on a screen as the pandemic had locked them indoors, but not the spirit of celebration. Residents called the event Chitlapakkam Lake Festival.

The Lake Festival continued in 2021 and then 2022, and now in 2023, yet another day is in the offing to celebrate a waterbody that has given the neighbourhood its identity and its residents a cause to fight for. The battle began in 2017, having been triggered by the sight of a waste segregation unit established by the Chitlapakkam Selection Grade Town Panchayat (the governing entity before Chitlapakkam got subsumed in the Tambaram Municipal Corporation) on what was the buffer zone for the lake. The unit was set up without a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from SPCB.

Between 2017 and 2019, with Chitlapakkam Rising giving a call for action, lake volunteerism grew. Lake volunteers would clean the lake, submit petitions to government departments concerned, and also knock on the doors of the judiciary to have the unit removed from the lake. Looking back, the mass cleaning drive on June 2,2019 — ‘Saving Chitlapakkam Lake’ — was a watershed event. Residents meanwhile demanded the removal of a ‘hazardous’ and illegal’ waste incinerator set up near the lakebed by the town panchayat. The NGT asked the district administration to remove the resource recovery centre and the incinerator. However, the district administration failed to take action, forcing the Tribunal to censure and order the removal of the facilities immediately. Following the order, the incinerator and resource recovery were removed from the lake bed on November 30, 2020. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chitlapakkam-lake-festival-an-exercise-to-showcase-a-peoples-movement/article66900255.ece  (27 May 2023)

Maharashtra Stepwells to get a facelift The govt plans to rejuvenate at least 75 stepwells to mark the 75th year of Indian Independence, which is currently underway. The state culture department has taken the initiative and formed a committee of 22 members to draw up a detailed scheme for the rejuvenation of stepwells. The department also issued a government resolution to this effect last week.

The proposal for conserving stepwells came from a Mumbai resident, Rohan Kale, who heads the ‘Maharashtra Barav Mohim (Maharashtra stepwells campaign)’ aimed at documenting and attempting to preserve the historic stepwells. The government formed the committee last week naming Kale as chief coordinator. However, he has for now stepped down due to disagreements with the state culture department on the committee’s constitution.

Kale, who got a special mention in PM Modi’s Mann ki Baat radio broadcast in March 2022 for his work on stepwells, has travelled extensively across Maharashtra to prepare an exhaustive data bank on the state’s stepwells, and tied up with various architectural colleges to figure out a way to conserve them. https://theprint.in/india/maharashtras-centuries-old-stepwells-to-get-a-facelift-could-be-tapped-as-water-source/1590193/  (24 May 2023)

Madhya Pradesh Citizen efforts to rejuvenate Chandrabhaga, a tributary of Kshipra.

Goa 74-year-old wins biodiversity award Of the numerous communities and individuals presented with the state biodiversity awards on Tuesday (May 23), two individuals stood out – 74-year-old Balkrishna Ayya from Loliem, Canacona, and 80-year-old Rukmini Pandurang Naik from Bagwada, Khandola.

Balkrishna single-handedly built a well to end the thirst of his community Hundolle-Madditalap in Loliem. Balkrishna, for most of his life, worked as a sculptor and art teacher in a school. But it was around 10-12 years ago that he began noticing his hamlet’s struggle to get clean drinking water, and decided that he could not depend on anyone else for a solution. The community of around 20 to 25 homes lives in an area devoid of natural water sources.

“I decided to start work on a step-well,” said Balkrishna, who dug into his own savings and built the well single-handedly, barring the odd pair of helping hands. Finally, at around 40m deep, when water surfaced, he installed a pump and began laying a pipeline to supply the water to other houses that were without water supply. It was no short of a miracle for the people living in such a dry area. He continued extending the pipeline until around 20 to 25 homes were covered,” said Dattaprasad Prabhugaonkar from the Loliem village panchayat. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/74-year-old-who-single-handedly-dug-a-well-in-water-starved-loliem-wins-biodiversity-award/articleshow/100462593.cms  (24 May 2023) 

Jharkhand Sarees from water hyacinth Jamshedpur-based environmental scientist Gaurav Anand has found a way to make good use of water hyacinth. He extracts fiber from the plant to make sarees and this vocation is a livelihood for nearly 500 households. The 46-year-old quit his corporate career in 2022 and founded Swacchata Pukare Foundation to dedicate himself full-time to the cause. Water hyacinth is also used in making mats, paper and other handicraft products. Anand said the initiative has helped empower women living near the water bodies in the bordering areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal. https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2023/may/28/sarees-from-water-hyacinth-provide-livelihood-for-households-in-jharkhand-west-bengal-2579200.html  (28 May 2023)

Chhattisgarh According to this report massive scale soil and water conservation efforts are ongoing in state forests.

GROUNDWATER

Punjab CPCB report may now seal factory’s fate Water samples drawn from 29 borewells near a liquor unit in Ferozepur’s Zira, currently lying shut following protest by villagers and farmer unions, were found unfit for drinking, the CPCB has found. The findings that form part of a report that CPCB has submitted before the NGT.

It was alleged that the distillery has drilled 25 deep borewells in its compound and dumped toxic water in them leading to high pollution in groundwater in a radius of 15 kms, affecting over a dozen villages. The inspection team found that 10 borewells and six piezometers were installed on the plant premises allegedly without obtaining permission from the CGWB or the PWRDA (Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority). The CPCB report said two of these borewells were installed at a distance of a few metres, in violation of guidelines. These two borewells were found sealed and buried in the soil.

The CPCB team has recommended an investigation to establish the contaminated zone and take remedial action. It has also directed the PPCB to consider the alleged violations and take necessary remedial measures for the decontamination of the affected sites. The CPCB has told the PPCB to undertake a detailed environmental site assessment by engaging a professional agency having expertise in the assessment and remediation of contaminated groundwater and soil. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/zira-liquor-factory-cpcb-report-water-unfit-drinking-borewell-cyanide-8620580/  (21 May 2023)

In its letter to PPCB on May 17, the CPCB member secretary Prashant Gargava has stated that to prevent further contamination, the PPCB will be responsible for conducting regular monitoring of groundwater quality in the affected area. The board has been asked to submit an action taken report within 45 days, listing the measures taken and progress made in addressing the issue. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/impose-compensation-or-take-legal-action-against-zira-distillery-cpcb-orders-ppcb/articleshow/100390019.cms  (21 May 2023)

EDIT IN TRIBUNE: The CPCB at last finds out what was known for decades about the practice of many of the polluting units in NW India. This is of course plain criminal practice and sooner this is effectively stopped better it is. But can our toothless pollution control bodies achieve that?

– The inference drawn by the CPCB that a liquor factory in Punjab’s Ferozepur district was injecting contaminated water into the ground through reverse boring is in line with what the protesting villagers have been claiming for months. An agitation was launched in Zira in July last year, demanding the closure of the ethanol unit for allegedly polluting groundwater in villages and also causing air pollution. Unlike boring, which is done to lift underground water, reverse boring involves drilling a deep trench to dispose of waste water. The latter gets mixed with underground water and pollutes it. The findings fly in the face of claims that it was a zero-liquid-discharge factory. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/editorials/pollution-zone-510306 (23 May 2023)

Punjab Moga to re-establish permanent watercourses All the five blocks of the district — Moga-1, Moga-2, Baghapurna, Nihal Singh Wala and Kot Ise Khan — fall in the dark zone due to overexploitation of groundwater. The water recharging in these blocks is also taking place at a slow rate. According to the official record, the water table is depleting at a rate of 1 metre every year, thus posing a serious threat to groundwater levels.

Moga deputy commissioner Kulwant Singh instructed the irrigation and canal departments to prepare and send a report regarding the actual length, infrastructure and other facts of the canals, distributaries, minors and watercourses in the district so that the matter can be tabled at the government level. He said action should be initiated for the cleaning and revival of watercourses.

Of 1.72 lakh hectare area under paddy cultivation, only 4,800 (2%) hectare is irrigated by the Sirhind feeder and Abohar canal and the rest with the help of tubewells. In a majority of villages, the water table has gone down to around 200 to 300 feet, while earlier it was at 150 feet. The decline in groundwater levels is compelling farmers to install more tubewells to extract water. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/moga-district-administration-to-restore-permanent-watercourses-to-check-decline-in-groundwater-levels-101685043543834.html  (26 May 2023)

Punjab & Haryana GSI to assess groundwater contamination by heavy metals The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is taking up a project to determine the level of contamination by trace elements and heavy metals in groundwater in parts of Punjab and Haryana and prepare a geo-environmental map to identify contaminated and non-contaminated areas. The project, to be executed over a two-year period, will cover areas in the districts of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Nawanshahr in Punjab and parts of Rohtak and Bhiwani districts in Haryana, according to GSI officials. The project will also trace the geogenic, that is, factors originating in the soil, as well as anthropogenic, that is related to human activity, causes of the contamination and suggest possible remedial measures. GSI has earlier carried out several hydro-geological and geo-environmental studies in different parts of Punjab and Haryana to locate the occurrence of groundwater and assess the quality of groundwater from open wells.

According to experts, the highly industrialised areas of Ludhiana and Jalandhar districts of Punjab are also affected by heavy metal pollution. Seven districts of Punjab and 14 districts of Haryana have fluoride concentration beyond the permissible limits, according to the hydrological investigation carried out by the CGWB. Some studies have indicated industrial and domestic effluents, aerosols, fly ash, exhaust from fertiliser plants, sewage sludges and pesticides as probable reasons for the presence of high levels of toxic contaminants in these areas. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/geological-survey-of-india-to-assess-groundwater-contamination-by-heavy-metals-in-punjab-and-haryana-511828  (27 May 2023)

Delhi Recharges more groundwater than it extracts?? “The increase in groundwater extraction can be attributed to refinement in the database. About 12,000 private tubewells, which have been registered with DJB, have been incorporated in the estimation. Refinement of data on piped water supply and increased piped water supply by DJB in many areas led to an increase in recharge due to return seepages,” the report, titled ‘Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment of India – 2022’, said compared to 2020-21.

Experts said the news of groundwater extraction being less than recharge is welcome, but also pointed out that the report was “silent” on many aspects. “In Delhi, out of 34 assessment units, over 44% are overexploited, which is higher than the national average. In those tehsils, overexploitation will lead to a sharp decline of water levels and depletion of groundwater levels,” said Dr SK Sarkar, distinguished fellow, water division, TERI.

He pointed out that the report stated that due to additional data, both total extraction and recharge have gone up. “The artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting augments groundwater. If piped water supply is high, the dependence on groundwater is less. In Delhi, recharge has gone up, but how? The report is silent on this aspect,” he said, adding that the report also does not mention the quality of groundwater. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/turning-the-table-delhi-recharges-more-groundwater-than-it-extracts/articleshow/99280263.cms  (06 April 2023)

Study Use lesser groundwater in farming to prevent arsenic exposure A recent study by a group of environmental scholars and researchers from two leading institutions from West Bengal and one from Australia has suggested lesser use of groundwater in farming to prevent arsenic exposure for farm products, especially in case of rice. The study paper by scholars and researchers from the School of Environmental Studies, the National Institute of Biological Genomics and Australia’s University of Newcastle pointed out that since groundwater is more prone to arsenic exposure, farm products produced by using that water also become prone to the same exposure. https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1084223  (28 May 2023)

URBAN WATER

Court not a ‘substitute for governance’ All these fines have been levied in connection with a single case on solid and liquid waste management violations, proceedings for which ended on May 22.  “Our conclusion is that enacting laws and directions of courts/tribunals are not a substitute for good governance,” said the NGT’s principal bench, led by chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel. “Unless the administration accords high priority of the subject, undesirable situation as found may not be remedied.”

The case began in 2018, when the tribunal took suo motu cognisance of environmental violations by various state governments. This was in accordance with two Supreme Court orders in 2014 and 2017 on monitoring compliance with solid and liquid waste management norms. Over the years, all the chief secretaries from the respective states and UTs appeared before the NGT. Penalties were imposed because the states and UTs could not remove mounds of garbage, meet waste processing targets, set up enough sewage treatment plants, or stop the discharge of sewage into already polluted rivers. https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/05/22/ngt-on-waste-management-rs-79000-cr-fines-but-courts-not-a-substitute-for-governance  (22 May 2023)

Bengaluru Lake rejuvenation carried out under CSR schemes not effective in absence of DPRs, tests, surveys or studies. ‘Important rules ignored; encroachments not taken into account.  https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/cover-story/murky-waters/articleshow/100536437.cms  (27 May 2023)

The Cubbon Park Walkers Association has alleged that despite Smart City renovations, Cubbon Park is receiving sewage in its drains. The Horticulture Department says rain is to be blamed and there is no sewage inflow. https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/civic/blame-game-over-sewage-at-cubbon-park/articleshow/100537232.cms  (27 May 2023)

Mangaluru Water scarcity in city affects beer production in processing unit. https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1082307  (22 May 2023)

Udupi city municipality council households face acute water shortage, district hospital in trouble. Hiriyadka Baje dam, a major source of drinking water for Udupi city and the surrounding 7 grama panchayats has just 3 meters of water.  https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1082955  (24 May 2023)

Hosur ‘Groundwater not fit for use’ Groundwater in Nethaji Nagar in ward 18 of Hosur has chromium content and is unfit for any use, preliminary results of test conducted by Hosur Municipal Corporation has revealed. Corporation officials said water would be supplied to the locality through tankers as a temporary measure and a pipeline would be laid at the cost of `30 lakh to draw water from the Hogenakkal drinking water supply scheme.

In a report published on April 7, under the title ‘Nethaji Nagar locals say groundwater polluted, blame industrial units,’ TNIE highlighted that people in ward 18 reported skin allergies. Following this, HMC collected water samples from 15 places (two HMC borewells and 13 individual borewells) on April 11 and sent them to Chief Water Analyst’s Laboratory at Coimbatore for testing. https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/may/26/ground-water-in-hosur-ward-18-has-chromium-not-fit-for-use-2578669.html  (26 May 2023)

Kochi NGT has asked the departments concerned to make a concerted effort to ensure that the health of the citizens is not affected by air and water-borne diseases owing to the presence of toxic waste at the Brahmapuram dump yard following the massive fire on March 2. The Southern Bench of the tribunal made the observation while considering a report filed by the Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self-Government department on the proposed action plan to check the possibility of contaminated ash percolating into the nearby Chitrapuzha. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/ensure-measures-are-in-place-to-check-air-water-pollution-from-burnt-waste-at-brahmapuram-ngt/article66873939.ece  (20 May 2023)

Alappuzha Mankombu Sree Bhagavathy Temple in Alappuzha, which is nearly 1000 years old, was raised some six feet off the ground using screw jacks without affecting the temple’s antiquity. This process would cost around Rs 3 and a half crore, according to sources. The authorities tried this method as the temple had been gradually losing its height and waterlogging posed a menace in completing daily poojas. One of the major temples in the Kuttanad area in central Kerala, located below sea level, will finally get rescued from the marshy land and regular waterlogging that had sunk the structure by more than three feet in the past decade by this. During the 2018 flood, water gushed up to Devi’s idol and the temple compound remained submerged for an entire year causing massive inconvenience to the devotees. https://www.news18.com/india/1000-year-old-temple-lifted-6-feet-using-400-screw-jacks-to-get-rid-of-waterlogging-7933537.html  (27 May 2023)

Hyderabad Social activists oppose retraction of GO 111 Social activists, who are strongly opposed to the withdrawal of GO 111 to facilitate developmental activities around Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, said that the decision to withdraw it is unscientific and lacks stakeholders’ support. Activists are planning to visit all 84 villages covered under GO 111 to create awareness of environmental issues. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/250523/telangana-social-activists-oppose-retraction-of-go-111.html  (25 May 2023) The GO 111 was introduced 27 years ago by the then Telugu Desam Government, imposing restrictions on construction and polluting industries in 84 villages that fall under the catchment areas to the two lakes. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/telanganas-decision-to-abolish-go-111-limiting-construction-in-hyderabad-lakes-catchment-area-opposed/article66888138.ece  (24 May 2023) The then Nizam had built the two reservoirs after the historic Musi river floods that caused ₹20 crore financial loss and deaths of 50,000 people. https://www.siasat.com/revanth-alleges-scam-behind-abrogation-of-go-111-2596251/  (23 May 2023)

As State Cabinet announces the scrapping of G.O. 111, realty begins to boom around Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs, reigniting the debate on the definition and actual cost of real estate development. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/twin-reservoirs-of-hyderabad-shrivel-in-realty-storm/article66874500.ece  (26 May 2023)

Mumbai The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has served notices to more than 330 housing societies across the city for surpassing their allocated water quotas. These societies have been requested to monitor their water usage to avoid facing financial penalties. https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/navi-mumbai-nmmc-issues-notice-to-over-330-societies-for-wasting-water  (20 May 2023)

Jamshedpur Residents protest water crisis & motor confiscation In a bid to draw attention to the pressing water crisis in Mango and the confiscation of motors by the Mango Municipal Corporation, the people of Mango, led by Congress leader Jitendra Singh, staged a demonstration at the DC’s office. The protesters presented a demand letter, urging the authorities to take responsibility for ensuring uninterrupted water supply to the residents of Mango. The demonstration was a response to the ongoing water crisis that has plagued the residents of Mango, causing immense inconvenience and distress. The protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the Mango Municipal Corporation’s handling of the situation and the seizure of motors, which further exacerbated the water scarcity issue. https://avenuemail.in/jamshedpur-residents-protest-water-crisis-and-motor-confiscation/  (25 May 2023)

Guwahati 1 dead, 30 injured as water supply pipe bursts A Gammon JICA water supply main line pipe burst in the Kharguli area of Guwahati on Thursday (May 25) at around 3 p.m. The burst caused a massive water gush that swept away several vehicles and damaged at least 40 houses. Reportedly, over 600 people were affected and around 30 persons have been injured in the incident. One person, Sumitra Rabha, was killed in the incident. She was a resident of one of the houses that was damaged by the water gush.

The incident has once again raised the issue of the poor quality of infrastructure in Guwahati. The city has been facing a number of problems due to the poor quality of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. The authorities need to take steps to improve the quality of infrastructure in the city to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. https://www.pratidintime.com/guwahati-news-breaking-latest/breaking-1-dead-30-injured-as-water-supply-pipe-bursts-in-guwahati  (25 May 2023)

Shimla Due to the shutdown of the Jutogh-Gumma-Sainj-Hulli power transmission line for maintenance work, water supply will be suspended in some areas of Shimla on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 23 & 24).  However, officials of the SJPNL have assured the city residents that no single area will remain dry for two consecutive days.  https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/water-supply-to-be-suspended-in-shimla-510311  (23 May 2023)

Punjab Real-time telemetering to study usage of treated water The state government has decided to install a real-time telemetering system to gauge the usage of treated water from STPs for irrigation in comparison to the harmful practice of overreliance of tubewells. The Punjab soil and water conservation department has tied up with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for the project and it will be jointly implemented by the varsity’s departments of agronomy, soil conservation and the remote sensing centre.

The findings will help in better policy formulation for the irrigation schemes. Besides, soil health of the fields that have been using treated water will also be studied as part of the project. “Though farmers who have been using water supply from STPs have claimed that treated water use comes with the benefit of less reliance on fertilisers, the PAU will now study soil health patterns to establish this,’ added the official. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/real-time-telemetering-to-study-if-farmers-are-giving-up-groundwater/articleshow/100561765.cms  (28 May 2023)

Jalandhar Areas near Kala Sanghian drain high on chromium A recent water and soil study, conducted by a research group of the Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar, has disclosed the dangerous level of contamination of chromium in the areas of the district around the Kala Sanghian drain. The study also found that due to the poor solubility of trivalent chromium, the hexavalent form of chromium, known to be highly mobile and water soluble, predominates in groundwater.

Jalandhar is an industrial hub known for hand tools and leather industries. Chromium and its salts are also used in the manufacture of catalysts, pigments, paints and fungicides in the ceramic and glass industry. The Kala Sanghian drain, which runs through the city, carries sewage and effluents from various industries. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/areas-near-kala-sanghian-drain-high-on-chromium-509732  (21 May 2023)

Rewari Units releasing effluents into domestic sewers under lens DC Mohammad Imran Raza has directed officials of the PHED to identify all those industrial units in the district, which are releasing effluents directly into domestic sewer lines so that action can be taken against them. He has also asked them to present a report in this regard within a week and to review the progress into the matter on a weekly basis to check the release of effluents. As per department officials, the effluents reach the STPs being operated by the district authorities and deteriorate their environmental parameters.

Sources said the NGT had recently asked the district authorities to carry out the requisite inspection of all industrial units regarding installation of ETPs and take remedial measures in case of violations to ensure that effluents are treated and reused for purposes as permissible in accordance with the directions issued by the tribunal. A local resident, Prakash Yadav, had approached the NGT claiming that sewage from various STPs operated in Rewari district was being discharged in hundreds of acres of vacant land of dried-up Sahibi river, leading to the contamination of groundwater and damage to trees and other vegetation in nearby areas. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/units-releasing-effluents-into-domestic-sewers-under-lens-509424  (20 May 2023)

WATER POLLUTION

Tamil Nadu 5 manual scavenging deaths in 18 days Activists allege that successive governments in the state have failed to effectively enforce the ban on manual scavenging through awareness campaigns, rehabilitation measures and technological advancements.

Since May 1, in a span of 18 days, at least five persons in Tamil Nadu — four Dalit men and a Muslim man — have died from manual scavenging, a caste-based practice that has been banned in India since 1993. Between 2017 and 2022, of the 400 persons who died while cleaning sewers or septic tanks in India as per Union government figures, Tamil Nadu accounted for the second-highest number of deaths (56) after Uttar Pradesh (61). Yet, the state government has failed to curb the outlawed, inhumane practice.

The latest spate of manual scavenging deaths has once again alarmed activists and civil society, who are persuading the government to urgently intervene and enforce the ban through strict action against perpetrators who engage people for such work, awareness campaigns, adequate rehabilitation of persons involved in such work, promoting sanitation engineering education in state universities and funding research and development of machinery that can contribute to ending the practice.

Although the Union government acknowledges that hundreds of persons have died while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks — at least 1035 since 1993 according to its own figures — it has repeatedly denied any reports of people engaged in manual scavenging or dying because of it, as defined under the MS Act. Earlier on May 19, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) warned private sewage truck owners against employing people to clean septic tanks. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-saw-five-manual-scavenging-deaths-18-days-all-deterrents-only-paper-177544  (23 May 2023)

Death by sewage: clean-ups, caste and contracts in India. https://www.newmandala.org/death-by-sewage-clean-ups-caste-and-contracts-in-india/  (15 Nov. 2018)

Karnataka Boy dies, 50 others fall sick after drinking contaminated tap water A three-year-old boy died and more than 50 people took ill after consuming contaminated water at Rekalmaradi village in Devagurga taluk in Raichur district, officials said. As many as 25 people who suffered vomiting and loose motion were taken to a primary health centre on Thursday (May 25) and more than 30 on Friday (May 26). Those whose condition worsened were rushed to Raichur Institution of Medical Sciences (RIMS). As many as 30 people are still undergoing treatment, health department officials said.

Raichur district health officer Dr Surendra Babu said, “Most of the infected were women and children as they were at home and consumed tap water mixed with drain water. All the infected were rushed to PHC at Devagurga and the critically ill were taken to RIMS at Raichur.” Rekalmaradi village with less than 2,000 population has six borewells which went dry after temperature went up and all the three RO plants which the gram panchayat has set up are not working. People are depending on private borewells and panchayat tap connection from where they get water once in 15-20 days, villagers said. On Thursday (May 25), the underground pipeline that supplies water to taps burst and drain water got mixed with tap water. People fell ill after taking this contaminated water, villagers said.

Dr Babu said such incidents are common in Kalyan Karnataka region where drinking water is being supplied to every village through tankers in summers. Tap water is not supplied as groundwater level goes down. Ramesh Karoshi, a villager from Rekalmaradi, said Devagurga panchayat is to be blamed for the tragedy. “Despite dozens of representations the panchayat officials did not respond. The underground pipeline got broken about a month ago. As the village is being supplied tap water once in 15-20 days, people used the water supplied on Thursday (May 25) and Friday (May 26),” he said.

Kallappa Tore, another villager, said, “Poor people didn’t have other option than drinking the water supplied by the panchayat.” Karoshi said that after the tragedy, the broken underground pipeline was replaced and ROs were made functional. “The administration which not care despite many petitions has now woken up. We would have saved Hanumesh had the administration been sincere,” he said. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/contaminated-water-in-raichur-village-kills-3-year-old-boy-leaves-over-50-ill-101685214569880.html  (28 May 2023)

Gujarat ONGC pipeline leak led to water pollution SPCB on Wednesday (May 24) implicated Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for allegedly causing water contamination in Bharuch district, where locals claimed it caused death of 25 camels. “We have issued directives to ONGC under the Environment (Protection) Act for causing water and ground pollution. Our investigation indicates that a leakage in the ONGC pipelines led to pollution in a waterbody within Bharuch district,” RB Trivedi, the vigilance officer of SPCB, said in a directive issued on Wednesday (May 24).

The development comes days after the death of 25 camels at Kacchipura village in Vagara taluka of the district on Sunday (May 21). While the authorities said the exact cause of the camel deaths will be ascertained after the post-mortem and forensic science laboratory (FSL) reports, villagers have alleged that a leakage in the pipeline carrying crude oil has contaminated water in the area. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ongc-implicated-in-water-contamination-causing-death-of-25-camels-in-ahmedabad-s-bharuch-district-gujarat-pollution-control-board-101684954778386.html  (25 May 2023)

JJM/ RURAL WATER SUPPLY

Gujarat In over 100 villages in Narmada district in Gujarat, the taps, tanks, borewells etc have been set up under Nal Se Jal project, but there is no water in the taps for over a year. Gujarati video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMtO7JvqNbA  (26 May 2023)

Chhattisgarh Odisha based company Bansal Infrastructure found securing Rs. 520 Jal Jivan Mission tender on the basis of a fake certificate. (Dainik Bhaskar, 23 May 2023)

Uttar Pradesh बूंद–बूंद पानी को तरस रहे ग्रामीण—आदिवासी यह कहानी प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी के संसदीय क्षेत्र बनारस से सटे चंदौली जिले के नौगढ़ प्रखंड के सुदूरवर्ती गांव केल्हड़िया की है। देश के रक्षा मंत्री राजनाथ सिंह भी इसी इलाके के रहने वाले हैं। केंद्र सरकार के भारी उद्योग मंत्री महेंद्रनाथ पांडेय चंदौली के सांसद हैं। सत्ता में दोनों दिग्गज नेताओं की मौजूदगी के बावजूद केल्हड़िया के लोग पीने के पानी के लिए त्राहिमाम-त्राहिमाम कर रहे हैं।

नौगढ़ ब्लॉक मुख्यालय से क़रीब 44 किमी दूर जंगलों से घिरा दुर्गम गांव है केल्हड़िया। चारों तरफ जंगल, पहाड़ और पत्थर होने की वजह से यहां गरमियों में पानी के लिए सबसे अधिक परेशानी रहती है। केल्हड़िया के पास पहाड़ के एक दर्रे से पानी निकला करता था, लेकिन इस साल वह सोता भी सूख गया है। हर साल गर्मियों में यह चुआड़ सूख जाता है। तब टैंकर से पानी की सप्लाई होती है। मई-जून की दोपहरिया जब आग बरसाती है तब केल्हड़िया गांव के कुछ लोग औरतों-बच्चों और मवेशियों को लेकर लोग मूसाखाड़ बांध की तलहटी में पलायन कर जाते हैं। वहीं छप्पर डालकर रहते हैं और जब बारिश शुरू होती है तो गांव लौट आते हैं। यह कहानी सिर्फ़ एक बरस की नहीं, हर साल दोहराई जाती है।

नौगढ़ प्रखंड में पानी की समस्या को लेकर योजनाएं तो कई बार बनी, लेकिन ज़मीनी हक़ीक़त नहीं बदली। गरमी के दिनों में सूखे जैसे हालात के चलते नौगढ़ इलाक़े की सभी ग्राम सभाओं में ज़्यादातर हैंडपंप शो-पीस बन गए हैं। इस इलाक़े में क़रीब 65 बंधियां ऐसी हैं, जिनमें अजुरी भर पानी नहीं है। जिन गांवों के पास से कर्मनाशा और चंद्रप्रभा नदियां गुजरती हैं, वो भी किसी काम की नहीं रह गई हैं। गहराई अधिक होने के कारण नदी में उतरना और फिर पानी लेकर ऊपर आना आसान काम नहीं है।

योगी सरकार ने जून 2020 में ‘हर घर जल’ योजना की शुरुआत की और वादा किया कि जून 2022 तक नौगढ़ के हर घर तक पाइपलाइन से पानी पहुंचा दिया जाएगा। बाद में इसकी डेड लाइन बढ़ाकर 2024 कर दी गई। ‘हर घर जल’ योजना के तहत पेयजल का इंतजाम करने के लिए नौगढ़ के लिए 250 करोड़ की योजना को मंजूरी दी गई है। इस योजना के तहत भैसोढ़ा बांध के पानी को शोधित करने के बाद करीब छह सौ किलोमीटर पाइप लाइन से सभी घरों में पहुंचाया जाना है। https://hindi.newsclick.in/Ground-report-Water-crisis-in-Naugarh-of-Chandauli-in-UP  (27 May 2023)

WATER

NBWUE Apathy of officials delay water use efficiency The apathy of National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (NBWUE) officials in preparing a survey report on ‘improving use of water efficiency’ through star rating-based system has brought an embarrassment for the government in general and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in particular as the bureau was tasked to submit the report by March end, but they have not yet come out with the draft report even when the month of May is in its last leg. According to a senior official, the NBWUE was constituted in December last with an objective to improve water use efficiency across different sectors of irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industries, cities and all other areas where water is used. “Given the fact the water reserves of the country are depleting, a robust mechanism to save water is the need of the hour. Under the given circumstances, the dilly-dallying in preparing survey report by concerned officials has come as a big obstacle for the ministry to chalk out strategies for adopting ‘Water Efficiency Rating’ for water-using products and technologies,” the official explained. https://www.millenniumpost.in/nation/apathy-of-officials-delay-water-use-efficiency-report-519822  (24 May 2023)

UN Half of bottled water sales enough to provide safe tap water to all Half of the money spent globally on bottled water—sales of which have exploded in recent decades—would be enough to provide universal access to clean drinking water from taps, according to a UN study released on March 16, 2023. A shift in drinking habits away from bottled water would also lead to a big drop in plastics waste, as an estimated 85 percent of bottles end up in landfills, the report says.

– However, the study’s Canada-based authors flag that a misconception around the safety of both tap and bottled water plays a major role in individuals’ preferences.

– “The perception is that bottled water is the healthiest option,” lead author Zeineb Bouhlel told AFP. “But we’ve shown that this is not necessarily the case, and people are paying a lot more for bottled water, from 150 to 1,000 times higher than for a liter of tap water,” she said. According to the study, contaminants have been found in hundreds of bottled water brands in more than 40 countries, often exceeding local or global standards.

– Over the past decade, global bottled water sales jumped 73 percent to almost $270 billion and 350 billion liters. https://www.forbesindia.com/article/lifes/half-of-bottled-water-sales-enough-to-provide-safe-tap-water-to-all-un-report/83771/1  (18 March 2023)

West Bengal Road to Bhutan blocked against acute water crisis Traffic on the Banarhat-Samtse road in Jalpaiguri that connects neighbouring Bhutan came to a halt for around eight hours on Thursday (May 25) as over 400 residents blocked the stretch to protest against an acute water crisis. Sources said that earlier, water was drawn from some hilly streams of Bhutan to the garden through pipelines. “The supply stopped some months back because of some faults in the pipes. The water supply became inadequate but we somehow managed. But now, the situation is terrible. At times, we don’t even have water to wash our hands after work,” Gitalmaya Kali, a resident of the tea garden, said. https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/road-to-bhutan-blocked-for-8-hours-as-over-400-residents-protest-against-acute-water-crisis/cid/1939739  (26 May 2023)

Rajasthan सोलर प्लांट से 5 डिग्री पारा बढ़ने से 100 जलस्रोत सूखे Worrying impacts of solar plants in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jesalmer and other arid areas of Rajasthan. बीकानेर, बाड़मेर, जैसलमेर और जोधपुर में सोलर पैनल की वजह से तापमान 3 से 5 डिग्री तक बढ़ गया है। ग्रीन एनर्जी का दावा कर पश्चिमी राजस्थान में बड़े-बड़े प्लांट लग रहे हैं। बीकानेर में छोटे-बड़े 67 प्लांट हैं, जिनसे करीब 4051 मेगावाट बिजली का उत्पादन होता है। इसके अलावा 12 प्लांट लगने की प्रक्रिया चल रही है। इन सोलर प्लांट को लगाने के लिए खेजड़ी, रोहिडा, केर, बेर और कुमटिया जैसे लाखों पेड़ काट दिए गए हैं। इससे तापमान बढ़ा। साथ ही तितलियां और मधुमक्खी जैसे कीट-पतंगे भी इलाके से गायब हो गए। ग्रीन एनर्जी के नाम पर प्राकृतिक संसाधनों के अंधाधुंध दोहन का दूसरा पहलू भी है। इन प्लांट को साफ और ठंडा रखने के लिए हर हफ्ते 4 करोड़ लीटर पानी ( 3 लाख लोगों की रोज की जरूरत जितना ) खर्च हो रहा है।

नतीजा यह हुआ कि कई इलाकों के प्राकृतिक जलस्रोत सूख गए हैं। बीकानेर की गजनेर तहसील का दौरा किया तो यहां छोटे-बड़े 12 प्लांट मिले। इनमें प्लेटों की नियमित सफाई के लिए ठेकेदार तालाबों और डिग्गियों का पानी सप्लाई करते हैं। इससे यहां 110 में से 100 जलस्रोत सूख गए हैं या उनमें बहुत कम पानी बचा है। जिन इलाकों में बड़ी संख्या में सोलर प्लांट लगे वहां मधुमक्खी के छत्ते गायब हो गए। तितलियां दिखाई नहीं दे रही हैं। पक्षियों की संख्या भी कम हो गई है। कीड़े-मकोड़े मर गए। पेड़ों में फ्रूटिंग- फ्लॉवरिंग भी रुक गई है। एमजीएस विवि के प्रोफेसर अनिल कुमार छंगाणी कहते हैं- ग्रीन एनर्जी के नाम पर प्राकृतिक संसाधनों का दोहन हो रहा है। https://khetkhajana.com/agriculture-news/4745.html  (25 May 2023)

बांदा धूप की तपन और भीषण गर्मी से केन नदी का पानी सिमटने लगा है। केन नदी के दोनों किनारों भूरागढ़ और कंचन पुरवा की तरह बने इंटेकवेल से चैनेल में पानी पहुंचाने के लिए जल संस्थान ने कवायद शुरू कर दी है। बालू की बोरियां लगाकर चैनेल तक पानी पहुंचाया जाएगा। जिससे इंटेकवेल के कुओं को भरपूर पानी मिल सके। विभागीय अधिकारियों के मुताबिक मौजूदा में केन नदी से लगभग 19 एमएलडी पानी मिल रहा है। नदी सिमटने से करीब डेढ़ एमएलडी पानी कम मिल रहा है। बालू की दीवार बनाकर पानी इंटेकवेल तक पहुंचाया जाएगा।

बदौसा। जिले की प्रमुख नदियों में शामिल बागै नदी का जल स्तर गर्मी में बेहद घट गया है। जल प्रवाह की कमी से नदी नाले में तब्दील होती जा रही है। दर्जनों गांवों के लिए जीवनदायिनी बनी नदी की धारा कम होने से जल संकट का खतरा मंडराएगा। https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/banda/by-making-a-wall-of-sand-water-will-reach-to-the-intakewell-banda-news-c-12-1-233924-2023-05-15  (15 May 2023)

Maharashtra Women village risk their lives to fetch water. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/watch-women-in-maharashtra-village-risk-their-lives-to-fetch-water-101685021823141.html   (25 May 2023)

MONSOON 2023

IMD Below normal rainfall forecast in Northwest region The Northwest region comprising Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh is expected to get below normal rainfall during the Southwest monsoon (June to September), as per the forecast predicted by IMD on Friday (May 26) under its long-range forecast outlook for 2023. Going by the below normal rainfall, the farmers while going in for kharif crop especially transplanting water guzzling paddy may have to depend more on drawing of underground water, which is already is depleting fast in Punjab. Already farmers are drawing water through nearly 14 lakh tube wells in Punjab to irrigate paddy and basmati in over 30 lakh hectares of land. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/below-normal-rainfall-forecast-in-northwest-region-may-affect-kharif-crops-forcing-paddy-farmers-to-draw-more-underground-water/articleshow/100535207.cms  (26 May 2023)

There is a nearly 100% probability of El Nino conditions during monsoon months. They are expected to continue until next year. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indias-monsoon-rainfall-expected-to-be-below-normal-in-northwest-normal-in-rest-of-country-imd-forecast-101685090113963.html  (26 May 2023) 

Forecasters are struggling to catch up with changes to India’s monsoon rains that are ruining farmers’ crops and livelihoods. https://www.context.news/climate-risks/monsoons-in-india-become-unpredictable-as-pollution-wreaks-havoc  (09 June 2021)  

As per IMD’s long-range forecast outlook for the 2023 southwest monsoon season; Telangana is expected to experience below normal rainfall throughout the monsoon period. Moreover, June is predicted to witness a similar pattern, with the State receiving below average rainfall accompanied by above normal maximum temperatures. The onset of monsoon season along the Kerala coast is also projected to be delayed by approximately three days, as indicated by the weather department. https://telanganatoday.com/hotter-june-expected-in-telangana-as-imd-predicts-less-rainfall  (26 May 2023)

IMD’s updated long range forecast for monsoon this year has indicated below normal rainfall over most of Maharashtra from June to September. The only exception in the state is parts of Konkan, where there is an equal probability of below-normal, normal or above- normal rainfall. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/below-normal-rain-forecast-for-most-of-state-this-year/articleshow/100539586.cms  (27 May 2023)

Jammu & Kashmir According to weather experts, over the years, Kashmir valley has been witnessing erratic weather patterns, with less precipitation during winters. This could impact agriculture, horticulture, and generation of hydro-electricity. https://www.gaonconnection.com/lead-stories/kashmir-weather-climate-change-agriculture-horticulture-chillia-kalan-heat-wave-global-warming-52024  (04 May 2023)

URBAN FLOODS

Bengaluru 39% of work to build sidewalls along rajakaluves completed The BBMP, which began remodelling rajakaluves by building concrete walls on either side of the drain in January, has completed 39 per cent of the work. Officials said the Rs 1,500-crore project, which the state government sanctioned after last year’s floods that affected Eastern Bengaluru, will be completed in the next six months. The delay is an indication that houses that submerged last year continue to be vulnerable. Some parts of the city have been flooded multiple times in the last week before the onset of the monsoon.

Comprising four large valleys, the city has 859 kms of primary drains, out of which work has been completed along 491 km. The BBMP said the Rs 1,500 crore has been utilised to shore up 195 km of rajakaluves. Going by this estimation, 173 km of large drains do not have sidewalls. Residents affected by flooding dubbed the remodelling work either unnecessary or incomplete. https://www.deccanherald.com/city/39-of-work-to-build-sidewalls-along-rajakaluves-completed-1221727.html  (25 May 2023)

BBMP, which had put its stormwater drain encroachment drive on hold, resumed it on Wednesday (May 25), razing a furniture godown in Hoysala Nagar of KR Puram assembly in Mahadevapura zone. The drive will intensify from Thursday (May 26), and police protection will be sought for a smooth operation, said officials. After a meeting with CM Siddaramaiah to review monsoon preparedness, Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said Rs 5 lakh has been allocated to each ward to prevent rain damage. He said there is already a control room for rain emergency management. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2023/may/25/bbmp-to-turn-bulldozers-on-stormwater-drain-encroachments-2578316.html  (25 May 2023)

Residents of Blessing Garden Layout, flooded at least three times in the last one year, are worried over the way the BBMP is executing the stormwater drain (SWD) remodelling project. Though the layout is located at least half a kilometre away from the rajakaluve, they fear every downpour can flood their homes, leading to damage and distress.

Currently, the BBMP is constructing concrete walls on both sides of the rajakaluve between Kothanur police station and St Mary’s School, extending up to the bridge. This project is included in the Rs 1,500-crore grant provided by the state government after last year’s devastating floods.

The project has raised multiple quality issues. The contractor has left some parts of the drain incomplete, creating a potential flood risk near the bridge. Residents have also complained about the reduction in width from 12 metres to just 8 metres in certain areas, which could render the entire project useless. Additionally, there is no indication of any plans to increase the height of the sidewall being built near the vineyard. https://www.deccanherald.com/city/bengaluru-infrastructure/bbmps-drain-remodelling-project-no-blessing-for-this-flood-prone-layout-1221989.html  (26 May 2023)

A 31-year-old man drowned in a storm drain after heavy rainfall in Bengaluru on Sunday (May 21). Officials said Lokesh got into the drain to check the depth of water despite warnings from residents. The force of the water washed him away and his body was found in another drain in Byatarayanapura, about 12 km away. This was the second death reported after the heavy rainfall on Sunday. Bhanu Rekha, a 22-year-old Infosys staffer, died after her car was stuck in neck-deep waters at an underpass. Five of her relatives were rescued. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/man-drowns-in-bengaluru-storm-drain-despite-warnings-second-death-reported-after-heavy-rainfall-investigations-underway-101684752972967.html  (22 May 2023) 

An FIR was registered at Bengaluru’s Halasuru Gate Police Station in connection with the death of a 23-year-old woman after her car gets submerged in the flooded underpass in Bengaluru’s K.R. Circle, police said. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/fir-lodged-after-man-drowns-in-stormwater-drain-in-bengaluru-101684827885310.html  (23 May 2023)

Slums are the most affected with stormwater drains not being cleaned, drain walls needing immediate repair, say organisations working for their upliftment.

Hundreds of migrants living in the narrow streets of Chalavadipalya ward in Bengaluru West, one of the 226 vulnerable areas declared by KSNDMC, say they are looking at their worst nightmares again. The disaster management centre recently released a list of areas prone to flooding even after one cm of rainfall. Locals living in Chalavadipalya ward slums of the ward with a total population of nearly 25,000 people according to the 2011 census say the stormwater drains in their area have not been cleared of silt yet. https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/their-worst-nightmares-in-flood-prone-regions/articleshow/100429122.cms  (23 May 2023)

A 43-year-old techie residing in his plush villa will be relocating to a nearby gated community as fear of flooding during monsoon looms large at the upscale Rainbow Drive Layout off Sarjapur Road. Karthik Krishnan has rented a house at Muthanallur cross on Sarjapur-Marathahalli road, to which he will be shifting his family on June 1 and will end up paying ₹1.2 lakh a month. This is not an isolated instance of flood-driven displacement in the tech city. Many residents of Sri Sai Layout in Horamavu have also relocated to escape the deluge caused by the torrential rains. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/fear-of-flooding-forces-techie-to-leave-108-crore-villa-and-cough-up-rent-in-lakhs/article66889112.ece  (24 May 2023)

Busy with elections, Bengaluru caught unprepared for onset of monsoon. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/busy-with-elections-city-caught-unprepared-for-onset-of-monsoon/article66881649.ece  (23 May 2023)

Dying Lakes, Drowning Cities The Heavy Rainfall In Bengaluru, Which Led To The Death Of A Young Infosys Employee In A Flooded Underpass, Has Revived The Discussion Around The Role Of Water Bodies In Preventing Such Floods. Unfortunately, With Rapid Concretisation, Water Bodies Are Vanishing Across Cities. https://www.news9plus.com/shortvideo/7A7AE899-D9ED-41AF-AC05-755E2B738E26 

CLOUD BURSTS

Study This paper examines the environmental and economic impact of cloudburst-triggered debris flow and flash flood in four villages of Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand Himalaya. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358845712_Environmental_and_economic_impact_of_cloudburst-triggered_debris_flows_and_flash_floods_in_Uttarakhand_Himalaya_a_case_study  (15 Feb. 2022)

THERMAL POWER

Maharashtra Gadkari objects to proposed thermal power plant  Union minister Nitin Gadkari has written a letter to deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and expressed concern over the construction of two new power plants at Koradi in Nagpur after receiving complaints of pollution. The development came after residents and environmental activists expressed concerns because of the possible pollution due to the new power plants and wrote a letter to Gadkari. The union minister then wrote to Fadnavis, who is also the energy minister and suggested shifting the proposed plant to Parshivani which is about 25 kilometres from Koradi. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/union-minister-gadkari-urges-maharashtra-to-relocate-power-plants-from-polluted-koradi-to-parshivani-101684609615954.html  (21 May 2023)

ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE

Opinion Use data, technology to safeguard environment By Madhav Gadgil For months now, residents of Barsu and several other nearby villages in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district have been up in arms against a proposed oil refinery project. Earlier this month, the police detained several protesters, led by women, after they stopped vehicles carrying soil survey equipment from entering the village. The locals are against the project because they fear it will pollute their area. But the government wants to proceed with the project in the broader national interest. https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/use-data-technology-to-safeguard-environment-101685024854179.html  (25 May 2023)

CLIMATE CHANGE

Book Review A deep dive into the imbalances of climate justice in India ‘Climate Justice in India’ is a collection of insightful and well-researched articles by a dozen of the finest scholars and professors of environment, economic, development issues and social justice from around the world.  https://india.mongabay.com/2023/05/book-review-a-deep-dive-into-the-imbalances-of-climate-justice-in-india/  (24 May 2023)

SOUTH ASIA

India-Bangladesh Renewal of the Ganges water treaty?  The Ganges Water Treaty between Bangladesh and India will expire in 2026, as the year will complete the treaty’s 30-year lifespan. Bangladesh and India signed this treaty in 1996 to share water among themselves. Under the treaty, the upper riparian India and lower riparian Bangladesh agreed to share the water of this transboundary river. After 27 years, many new issues have arisen that need to be solved. Whether the treaty would be renewed or not is also another concern for Bangladesh..  https://www.dhakatribune.com/op-ed/2023/05/22/where-the-river-goes  (22 May 2023)

IWT Task force for speedy completion of projects in J&K  The second meeting of the inter-ministerial task force, formed in December 2016 to look into all the strategic aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, was chaired in Srinagar by deputy national security adviser Vikram Misri on May 26, 2023. The meeting took stock of progress on various hydropower projects in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-stresses-need-to-complete-hydropower-projects-in-jammu-and-kashmir-for-better-use-of-indus-river-waters-101685098875033.html  (26 May 2023)

India-Nepal Nepal hydropower drive puts India over China, but what’s the risk? Nepal has 124 operating hydropower plants, with a combined capacity of 2,600 MW, and a further 235 are under construction. Together they will able to generate a total of 8,667 MW, according to the Department of Electricity Development. Indian companies have contracts to build and operate 10 plants, while Chinese developers have such contracts for five of them, said Durga Narayan Bhusal, an engineer at the department. Nepal generates about 2,700 MW of electricity – the vast majority from hydropower – said the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), which is above the nation’s demand of 1,700 MW. https://www.eco-business.com/news/nepal-hydropower-drive-puts-india-over-china-but-whats-the-risk/  (25 May 2023)

Arun HEP India’s SJVN gets 669 MW Lower Arun HEP development right in Nepal in addition to the 900 MW Arun III under construction with the approval of Project Dev Agreement by Investment Board of Nepal headed by Nepal. PM. https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/indias-satluj-jal-vidyut-nigam-limited-gets-second-hydro-project-in-nepal/100579686  (29 May 2023)

Nepal IPPAN denounces vandalism at Likhu Khola 2 hydro project  Issuing a statement on May 25, 2023, Independent Power Producers’ Association – Nepal (IPPAN) has stated that a few people had reached the office site of the 55 MW Likhu Khola 2 Hydropower Project and affected the project work by obstructing the operation of the project, padlocking it and harassing the employees working at the site. People were protesting against the impacts of the projects.  https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/ippan-denounces-vandalism-at-likhu-khola-2-hydro-project  (26 May 2023)

ASIA

Ukraine blames Russian-occupied dam as village grapples with flooding The Kakhovka dam, one of six dams on the Dnipro that carves through central and southern Ukraine, was captured at the start of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion. “The rise of the Dnipro’s water level, as a result of which settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region were flooded, is linked to the Russian occupation of the Kakhovka dam,” state company Ukrhydroenergo, which owns the dams, said in a statement. It said the 17-metre (56-foot) level in the pool held back by the dam was a metre higher than normal for this time of year.

But it said it was unable to say what exactly Russian forces were doing at the dam because it did not have access itself. The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment about the Ukrainian allegation. A Russian energy official warned earlier this month that the dam risked being overwhelmed by record-high water levels. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-blames-russian-occupied-dam-village-grapples-with-flooding-2023-05-25/  (25 May 2023)

THE REST OF THE WORLD

USA 1.9 trillion gallons of water. Amount consumed within the Colorado River basin in a typical year. 79% of water used in a typical year from Colorado river is used in agriculture, of which 55% goes for livestock feed. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/05/22/climate/colorado-river-water.html  (22 May 2023)

The first water is the body by Natalie Diaz. https://emergencemagazine.org/poem/the-first-water-is-the-body/  (18 May 2023)

UK 11bn litres of raw sewage released in rivers in a year In a study of 30 treatment works in 2020 run by nine of the 10 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, the volume of raw sewage discharged was estimated at 11bn litres – or the equivalent volume to 4,352 Olympic pools. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/27/30-water-treatment-works-11bn-litres-raw-sewage-a-year  (27 May 2023)

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

Also see: DRP News Bulletin 22 May 2023 & DRP News Bulletin 15 May 2023  

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