(Feature Image: Cover page of CAG report on Wetlands management in J&K)
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India report is revealing official document on how systemic governance failure has failed the wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir. The fact that 518 out of 697 lakes have shrunk or disappeared, reflects on decades of ineffective policies. As per the report, the multiple departments operated in isolation with no accountability, no shared database and no management plans thus making the wetlands vulnerable to encroachment.
The report finds that govt response has been selective and superficial. Focus remained on a few high-profile lakes like Dal Lake and Wular Lake, while over 690 lakes were simply ignored. Even these flagship projects are marked by chronic delays, weak planning and failing sewage systems exposing serious gaps in capacity and intent. The report has linked how the disappearance of lakes, added into 2014 flood damages underlining that wetland destruction is not only ecological loss but mismanagement of disaster also.
The CAG recommendations of law, authority, scientific planning sounds as routine. Without fixing accountability and enforcement, they risk becoming another layer of paperwork. What J&K needs is not more institutions, but political will, strict regulation, and recognition of wetlands as critical infrastructure—not expendable land.
CAG flags crisis in Kashmir: 518 or 697 lakes shrink or disappear In a major ecological warning linked to fragmented governance and unchecked land-use changes, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report Titled “Conservation and Management of Lakes in Jammu and Kashmir for the period ended March 2022,” says that 518 out of 697 lakes in Jammu and Kashmir have either disappeared or witnessed a significant reduction in their area. Citing data from the J&K Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department (EE&RSD), it noted that the total lake area J&K has declined by 2,851.26 ha compared to the base year of 1967. The reference year for this assessment was 2014 for the Kashmir & 2020 for the Jammu division.
Of the total lakes, 315 (45%) covering 1,537.07 ha have completely disappeared from official records. These include 80 lakes under the Forest & 235 under the Revenue and Agriculture departments. It highlighted that shrinking lake areas contributed to the devastating floods in Jammu and Kashmir in September 2014, as lakes act as natural flood buffers. This also means ecosystem besides loss of water resources, food & biodiversity, disruption of water, carbon and nutrient cycles.
According to the report, government conservation efforts were limited to only six lakes—Dal, Wular, Hokersar, Manasbal, Surinsar, and Mansar—which were examined in detail. For the remaining 691 lakes, the Forest Department neither identified eligible water bodies nor formulated plans to seek assistance under schemes of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
CAG report on Conservation and Management of Lakes in J&K Conclusion of Chapter 2 titled Statutory and regulatory arrangements for Conservation and Management of Lakes, changes in areas of Lakes and land use changes in Lakes: – There were significant changes in land use and classification use of areas in respect of Lakes. Audit analysis of the data obtained from EE&RSD revealed that out of total 697 Lakes, 315 Lakes (45 per cent) having water area of 1,537.07 hectares had disappeared, while water area of 203 Lakes 24 (29 per cent) had decreased.
Further, Audit analysis of remote sensing data for the period 2014-2020 related to 63 test-checked Lakes revealed that there was decrease in area of open water expanse and increase of area under other land uses like built-up, pasture, vacant land, fallow land, agriculture, horticulture, plantation and cropland. Although various existing laws, rules, and policies contained sporadic provisions for conservation and management of Lakes, there was no specific and comprehensive legal statute /Act dedicated to Conservation and Management of Lakes. Although Development Authorities were established for the development of areas including the areas of six detailed-checked Lakes, no clear and specific mandate had been put in place by these Authorities in their Acts for Conservation and Management of Lakes.
J&K has lost 315 lakes since 1967 Jammu and Kashmir has lost nearly 3,000ha of lakes since 1967. The decline contributed to the devastating 2014 Kashmir floods, states a Comptroller and Auditor General of India report. In 1967, Jammu had 367 lakes and Kashmir 330. But by 2020, as many as 259 lakes had disappeared in Jammu, accounting for a loss of 297ha. The report tabled in the J&K legislative assembly last week states, Kashmir lost 56 lakes by 2014, and its loss was far greater in area, at 1,537 ha. Overall, J&K lost 315 lakes, nearly 45% of those recorded in 1967. Worse, the area of the remaining lakes shrunk by 1,314ha.
518 lakes out of 697 in J&K either disappeared or receding: CAG The CAG report highlighted that four administrative departments and the Forest Department did not have lake generic management programs and as such they failed to check growing anthropogenic pressures around lakes, resulting in loss and decrease in open water area and increase in aquatic vegetation. “This adversely affected the ecosystem of the lakes,” it said.
It further pointed out that failure to formulate conservation and management programs and to undertake lake generic management activities by the district administrations concerned and the Forest Department in respect of 44 lakes resulted in anthropogenic pressures, generated by human activities including construction works. “These anthropogenic pressures led to land use changes in these lakes,” it added.
315 lakes vanished, 203 shrunk in 6 decades: CAG The CAG attributed the disappearance and degradation of lakes primarily to changes in land use within lake bodies and their catchment areas, along with deforestation, climate change and unregulated human activities. Recommending urgent action, the CAG called for enactment of a comprehensive law for conservation and management of lakes and the establishment of a centralised, specialised authority to ensure coordinated efforts. It also stressed the need for enhanced funding, scientific planning, and deployment of experts including hydrologists, ecologists and GIS specialists.
STPs Malfunctioning Dal Lake was included under the National Lake Conservation Programme (NLCP) in September 2005 with a project approved at ₹298.77 crore, with a target completion date of 2010. That date was extended multiple times. The project had not been completed as of March 2022. Despite the project having been sanctioned in September 2005, no Project Management Consultant had been appointed by LC&MA as of December 2022, over 17 years later.
5 STPs were installed at a cost of ₹45.01 crore. The report found they were not treating sewage to the required parameters. Ammoniacal nitrogen, required to be removed at a rate exceeding 90 per cent, was being removed at only 14 to 65 per cent across the five plants. Nitrate nitrogen showed an average increase ranging from 13 to 161 per cent.
7 Kashmir lakes become ‘invisible’, dry up The revelation came to the fore through analysis of Google Earth Pro images to ascertain land use changes in lakes and their catchments in J&K. Audit analysis of the data from J&K Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department (EE&RSD) revealed that the total area of lakes in J&K decreased by 2851.26 hectares compared to the base year 1967, with 2014 as the reference year for Kashmir Division and 2020 for Jammu division.
HYDRO POWER PROJECTS
Lower Subansiri HEP: Assam, Meghalaya flat high tariff, refuse extra power The cost of power from the Lower Subansiri Hydro Electric Project (LSHEP) has gone up to Rs 7.7 per unit (from cost of Rs 3 per unit during conception) and is so high that Assam and Meghalaya have refused to take extra power over and above the firm allocation and free power. Punjab has refused to take even allocated 16 MW share The project still faces unresolved compliance issues such as restricting hydro peaking (water discharge) in the river to safeguard against the movement of elephants and other wildlife. The project has so far commissioned three of the eight units of 250 MW each.
“The State Commission has categorically disallowed procurement of power from Subhansiri Lower HEP on account of the tariff being provisional, excessive, and not aligned with economical procurement or consumer interest,” Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd wrote to Eastern Regional Power Committee in January 2026.
Half of Subansiri Lower’s power — 22% through ‘firm’ allocation, 13% as free power and 15% through unallocated central share — is envisaged for the north-eastern states. It is the additional share from the “unallocated central pool” that Assam and Meghalaya are unwilling to absorb as they do not have choice about allocated share and free power.
Of LSHEP’s current generation of 750 MW, Assam’s allocated share is 78 MW with another 7.5MW (1%) as free power. Meghalaya gets no free power, its firm allocation is 19MW. From the unallocated central share, Assam has been allocated an additional 49.65 MW and Meghalaya 36.75 MW, which they have refused to purchase.
HP HC cracks down on unscientific silt flushing at Shanan HEP The High Court of Himachal Pradesh has issued stringent directions regulating desilting operations at the Shanan Hydroelectric Project in Barot, holding that unscientific discharge of silt into the Uhl River has caused serious ecological damage, including fish mortality and degradation of a nationally important trout habitat. The Division Bench of Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi, while deciding CWPIL No. 01 of 2025 (Court on its own motion vs. State of Himachal Pradesh & Others), emphasized that economic considerations of hydropower generation cannot override environmental protection and aquatic life.
The Court recorded that trout in the Uhl River were effectively “caught in a sandstorm of silt,” unable to breathe or reproduce due to high turbidity levels. It noted that the river, a designated cold-water trout habitat, had suffered repeated ecological stress due to desilting activities carried out during the critical breeding season (November–February). Referring to earlier proceedings in CWPIL No. 57 of 2018, the Bench observed that despite explicit undertakings and judicial directions prohibiting unscientific dumping of silt, the project authorities had continued similar practices in 2024–25.
The Court found this to be a clear violation of prior orders and expert recommendations. It upheld the imposition of environmental compensation of ₹12 lakh on the project proponent and further directed that the amount be utilized for ecological restoration, including restocking of trout species in the affected river stretches. The matter has been listed for further compliance review on July 31, 2026. The Court has directed the authorities to file a detailed compliance affidavit before the next hearing.
Key Directions To prevent recurrence of such environmental harm, the Court issued a set of directions:
• Seasonal Restriction: Absolute prohibition on desilting operations before March 1 each year, thereby protecting the trout breeding period.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Mandatory installation of sensors to monitor TSS levels and water quality at the desilting site and downstream locations.
• Environmental Flow Compliance: Strict enforcement of minimum 15% water release during lean seasons, subject to inspection by the Fisheries Department.
• Institutional Oversight: Constitution of a River Monitoring Committee under the Deputy Commissioner with representation from Fisheries, Electricity Department, and project authorities.
• Ecological Restoration: Directed restocking of Brown and Rainbow Trout using compensation funds, with periodic reporting to the Court.
This ruling is likely to have wider implications for hydroelectric projects across Himachal Pradesh and other hill states. By mandating scientific sediment management, real-time monitoring, and strict adherence to ecological safeguards, the Court has reinforced the principle that river ecosystems—especially fragile cold-water fisheries—cannot be compromised for short-term operational convenience.
Plan of cascade of HEPs in Meghalaya On Google maps, a deep green stretch about 100 kilometers long along the India-Bangladesh border, right north of the northeastern corner of Bangladesh, draws special attention. It is a densely forested hilly terrain on the Khasi hills in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. It includes the Cherrapunji-Mawsynram reserve forest, one of the wettest places on earth.
From the right side of that deep green patch, the Myntdu river, which flows through the Jaintia hills in Meghalaya, enters the Bangladesh plains, where it is called Sari-Goyain. From the left, the Kynshi river enters Bangladesh and becomes known as Jadukata. Both flow into the Surma river, which is part of Bangladesh’s Meghna river system. Surma, too, is a transboundary river known as Barak in India. If Meghalayas’s hydropower development plan materializes as envisaged, there will be at least seven hydropower projects on the Myntdu and Kynshi.
In 2012, India commissioned a large hydroelectric project on the Myntdu River, known as Myntdu-Leshka Stage I. Bangladesh did not object to it. However, when India announced its intention to build 210 MW Stage II of the Myntdu-Leshka project in 2013, downstream from Stage I, Bangladesh raised objections. Since then, this has remained an issue in India-Bangladesh bilateral talks through the Joint River Commission. The project is now gaining momentum with DPR ready. The Selim (170MW) hydroelectric project upstream of Myntdu-Leshka Stage I (126MW) has also seen a revival. Its Detailed Project Report is currently being prepared.
A cascade of RoR projects can increase the region’s disaster vulnerability potential from erosion, landslide, earthquake and flash floods, said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of South Asia Network of Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP). They have studied the impacts of several cascading RoR projects in the north Indian Himalayas. “For downstream areas, a series of RoR projects can impact not only the amount of flow but also its pattern, particularly in non-monsoon months,” Thakkar said. Major catchment degradation, too, can alter the flow pattern. Past experiences show aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity gets badly impacted.
According to Thakkar, the cumulative impact of multiple projects is much higher than the sum of one or two additional projects. This is why carrying capacity study and cumulative impact assessments are necessary. The nature and extent of project-affected changes also depend on the flow pattern of the river and the rainfall pattern of the region.
Cabinet clears ₹40,000-Cr for two mega HEPs in Arunachal The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has cleared Rs. 26,069.50 crore for the 1720 Mw Kamala Hydro Electric Project (HEP), to be constructed across Kamle, Kra Daadi, and Kurung Kumey districts, with an estimated completion period of 96 months. The will be developed through a joint venture between NHPC Limited and the state govt. The Centre will provide Rs. 4,743.98 crore for flood moderation, Rs. 1,340 crore for enabling infrastructure including roads, bridges and transmission systems, and Rs. 750 crore as central financial assistance for the state’s equity share.
The Cabinet also approved Rs.14,105.83 crore for the 1200 Mw Kalai-II Hydro Electric Project on the Lohit river in Anjaw district, to be completed in 78 months. Kalai-II will be implemented through a joint venture between THDC India Limited and the government of Arunachal Pradesh. The Centre will extend Rs. 599.88 crore towards enabling infrastructure and Rs. 750 crore as central financial assistance for the state’s equity share.
Although development projects are welcome, Arunachal Pradesh is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the most ecologically fragile regions, prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides. The government must take these factors into account, along with public concerns regarding potential displacement from their land. All such projects should meet strict environmental and community standards before implementation. The government should proceed cautiously to avoid future challenges.
Andhra PSPs raise legal, environmental and corruption concerns: EAS Sarma Successive AP governments have allotted sites with valuable natural resources to private parties such as the Adani Group, Navayuga Group, Chinta Green Energy Group through highly non-transparent procedures, raising concerns of impropriety and breach of public trust. Central investigating agencies should investigate and take action.
To ensure that the proposed pumped storage projects (PSPs) optimise the use of water and other resources and minimise the cost of storage, the Union Ministry of Power has issued guidelines vide communication F.No. 15-14/9/2022-H-II(Part) dated 10-4-2023. The portion of those guidelines w.r.t private promoters is extracted here: “PSP project may also be awarded to private developers by following a two stage competitive bidding process. PSUS may also be allowed to participate in the bidding process. The first stage shall be for pre-qualification based on criteria of financial strength, experience of developing infrastructure projects of similar size,past track record of developing proiects, turnover and ability to meet performance guarantees. ln the second stage, bids are to be called based on quantifiable parameters such as concession period of the project or any other parameter as specified by the Central/State Government”. These guidelines are being flouted in AP.
AP has given a go by to the competitive bidding format and resorted to awarding sites to favourite private promoters on a highly non-transparent nomination basis, raising serious concerns of impropriety and breach of public trust. In the ultimate analysis, most of these projects are cost-intensive, they heavily degrade forests and, in the Scheduled Areas, they are prima facie illegal.
In the 2-G Spectrum and Coalgate cases, the apex court held that those who are involved in irregularly alienating natural resources to private parties through non-transparent procedures should be deemed to be liable under the Prevention of Corruption Act and they should be proceeded against. Therefore it is necessary to get this thoroughly investigated, preferably by the Central investigating agencies, and those responsible proceeded against in order to safeguard the public interest.
DAMS
Expedite KLIP barrage works: CM The CM on April 09 has directed the officials to repair and bring into use the three barrages — Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram of Kaleshwaram project. He said that the work should be completed as per the recommendations of the National Dam Safety Authority. He also directed officials to come up with a special action plan for repairs and continuous monitoring. He insisted that tests and sample collections being conducted under the supervision of the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) should be completed before the onset of the rainy season. The CM suggested setting up a base camp at Medigadda, and said that he would personally visit and inspect once the work begins.
Nangal Dam lake loses 24% storage capacity due to siltation According to data presented in Parliament by Union Jal Shakti Minister in response to a query by Congress MP Manish Tewari, the lake’s storage capacity has declined from its designed level of 25.22 million cubic metres (MCM) to just 19 MCM. This marks a reduction of over 6 MCM, a significant loss for a reservoir that plays a pivotal role in regulating water distribution downstream.
The issue has also reignited a broader debate over water resource management and mining practices in the region. Environmentalists and policy observers have questioned why authorities have not prioritised desilting of reservoirs, which contain millions of cubic metres of sand deposited as silt, while natural rivers and hill ecosystems continue to face degradation due to excessive and often illegal mining.
The situation at Nangal underscores a growing national challenge. Many reservoirs across India are witnessing declining storage capacities due to sedimentation, reducing their effectiveness over time. Without timely intervention, experts caution, this could compromise water security, irrigation systems, and power generation infrastructure.
Pay ₹1,000 cr for building twin dams: Punjab to J&K The Punjab Government has asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to share the construction cost of the Ranjit Sagar and Shahpur Kandi dams, as per the previously agreed terms between the two states. With around Rs 973 crore as unpaid dues, the Punjab Government has sought a meeting with its counterparts in the Jal Shakti Department of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the issue. A letter has been sent by the state’s Water Resources Department, seeking a meeting and an early resolution to the issue. Punjab is seeking Rs 301.02 crore as J&K’s share in the Ranjit Sagar Dam and Rs 672.42 crore for the construction of the Shahpur Kandi Dam project.
₹150 crore sanctioned for replacing Dowleswaram Barrage gates The Andhra Pradesh government has sanctioned ₹150.09 crore for replacing the gates of the Dowleswaram Barrage on the Godavari, Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu informed the Legislative Assembly on Feb. 17. Replying to a question by Anaparthi MLA Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy during the Question Hour, the Minister described the Dowleswaram Barrage as the ‘lifeline’ of the Godavari delta system, irrigating about 10.13 lakh acres in the undivided twin Godavari districts and meeting drinking water and industrial needs.
Patel Engineering lowest Bidder for Renuka Dam According to HPPCL, the Renuka Ji Dam Project has been conceived as a storage scheme on the Giri River in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The project includes the construction of a 148m high rockfill dam at Dadahu and a dam-toe powerhouse. The reservoir is designed to provide 49,800 hectare-metres of live storage capacity and a firm water supply of 23m3/sec to Delhi. The dam site is located approximately 5km upstream of Jateon Barrage of the Giri Hydel Project and about 400m downstream of the confluence of Jogar-Ka-Khala with the Giri River.
INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
MP Tribal women on funderal piers to oppose Ken Betwa Project Hundreds of tribal farmers, mostly women, lay on mock funeral pyres in MP’s Chhatarpur district on April 9 during a protest against the proposed Ken-Betwa river linking project, signalling their resolve to oppose it till their last breath. In viral images, women, many holding small children, lay on the pyres as part of what they called “chita andolan”, demanding justice or death. The agitation is being led by tribal women along with Jai Kisan Sangathan leader Amit Bhatnagar.
Certainly very good alternatives are available, and the government should give up the KBRLP while agreeing to spend this budget on other proven ways of water conservation and on various aspects of welfare and livelihood support for people. An excellent, ecologically protective source of minor irrigation is the Mangal Turbine, invented by farmer-scientist Mangal Singh from a village of Bundelkhand. It is this kind of promising initiative by local people which should be promoted, instead of taking up such highly wasteful and non-viable projects as KBRLP. (Bharat Dogra)
The Ken-Betwa river linking project, with all its pending anomalies, has now reached a stage where, as with many large projects, voices of dissent and the legitimate demands of affected local people are being suppressed through repression. (Satyam Shrivastav)
TN HC seeks state report on plea to desilt Vaigai Dam The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on April 7 2026 directed Tamil Nadu to file a report on a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the authorities to desilt the Vaigai dam for improving its storage capacity. A Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and M. Jothiraman were hearing the petition filed by K. K. Ramesh of Madurai. He said the dam was the main source of water for Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts. Next hearing on April 29.
Andhra Pradesh plans river-linking project to plug water gaps CM on April 06 announced a comprehensive blueprint for an integrated water grid to link major rivers across the state to address water scarcity concerns and improve irrigation systems. Outlining the long-term vision, Naidu said the government planned to go beyond major rivers such as the Krishna and Godavari and link rivers in water-rich areas such as Srikakulam in northern Andhra Pradesh with drought-prone places such as Anantapur in the southern part of the state.
While the Godavari and the Krishna rivers were already linked in 2015 through the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project, the current plan will also connect the tributaries of the Godavari and Krishna, as well as some major rivers in northern Andhra Pradesh. The Pranahita, Indravati, Bhima, Pennar and Tungabhadra flow in the central and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh, while the Vamsadhara, Nagavalli and Champavathi flow in the northern parts of the state.
INTERSTATE WATER DISPUTES
Haryana writes to BBMB about Beas water share concerns Haryana has raised fresh concerns over its share of river waters and written to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), apprehending that it may not receive its due quota from the Beas river in the ongoing cycle. Haryana said that releases from the BSL have remained at low since March 4, indicating that enough water has not been discharged towards the Sutlej during this period. This, the state argued, has effectively reduced the Beas share of water to Haryana through the Bhakra system, raising fears of receiving less than its allocated share.
The reduced discharge through the BSL is linked to technical issues at the Dehar power house, only two out of the six turbines at the Dehar project are currently operational, significantly limiting the transfer water from the Beas basin to the Sutlej. The BBMB has attributed the problem to ageing infrastructure, stating that the Dehar power house, which is over four decades old, requires urgent overhauling. The BBMB has already engaged the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to provide consultancy services for the renovation and modernisation of the turbines. The repair and overhaul process is expected to take time, during which the diversion capacity may remain constrained.
The BBMB officials sought to allay fears by asserting that there is sufficient water available in the Bhakra Dam reservoir to meet the requirements of all partner states. The Board officials maintained that water supply to Haryana would not be affected. Water sharing among BBMB partner states — Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan is governed by the Bhakra Nangal Agreement of 1966 and the Ravi-Beas Agreement of 1982. Under these agreements, Haryana is entitled to 32.31 % of Sutlej waters and 21 % of Ravi and Beas waters. Water released from the Bhakra dam flows through the Bhakra Main Line canal, also known as the Nangal Hydel Channel, reaching Haryana through outlets such as the Sonda Head and further into the Nirwana branch canal. Haryana also supplies around 500 cusecs of drinking water to Delhi through this system.
CLIMATE CRISIS
A more troubling picture of Sea Level Rise and river delta sinking Now a ground-breaking Dutch analysis of actual sea levels as measured by tidal gauges has found that almost the entire scientific literature has dramatically underestimated current sea levels. Katharina Seeger and Philip Minderhoud, geographers at Wageningen University & Research, in the Netherlands, say seas are on average almost 1 foot higher than standard estimates, which are based on global models that assume calm seas and ignore ocean currents and the effect of winds. Sea levels are not rising faster than thought, but the baseline for future rise is considerably higher in most places.
The other new study focused on the world’s river deltas. It has long been known that many deltas are sinking under the influence of groundwater pumping. But as Robert Nicholls, climate adaptation researcher at the University of East Anglia, notes, “Now at last we have a consistent data set, with high spatial resolution.”
That data comes from Leonard Ohenhen, an earth system scientist at the University of California, Irvine, who used satellite-mounted radar to produce 3D maps of subsidence on 40 of the world’s biggest and most populous river deltas. He has found that subsidence afflicts more than half those deltas. Most startlingly, in 18 cases subsidence rates exceed those of rising tides — hence, more than doubling the effective yearly rise in local sea levels, and in some cases multiplying it tenfold.
IRRIGATION
PM-KUSUM can cut farm power subsidies boost solar irrigation: Report Solar‑powered irrigation can cut agricultural power subsidies, provide reliable daytime electricity, boost farmers’ incomes, and create jobs, according to a new report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
The report titled ‘Scaling Solar Power for Irrigation in India: Lessons from PM‑KUSUM’, added that in many states, decentralised solar irrigation already costs ₹3–4 per unit, far below utilities’ ₹6–7 per unit supply cost. Using a purpose-designed methodology, researchers estimate that solarizing just 10 per cent of agricultural electricity demand could generate significant savings for states for over a 25-year period ₹2,543 crore in Rajasthan, ₹6,305 crore in Madhya Pradesh, ₹3,113 crore in Karnataka, and ₹1,935 crore in Tamil Nadu.
URBAN RIVERS
Pune Riverfront Plan Raises Red Flags The Mula-Mutha riverfront development project is set to create nearly 1,544 acres of new land through reclamation along the riverbed and banks, raising concerns about large-scale construction and its impact on the river ecosystem. Under the river conservation, rejuvenation and beautification scheme, authorities plan to build embankments and carry out landfilling along the river.
In addition, around 180 acres of government land along the riverbanks will also be developed under the project. With an estimated cost of nearly Rs 5,000 crore, questions are being raised about whether the initiative could turn the riverfront into a “concrete jungle” rather than restoring its ecological balance. Notably, project documents indicate that nearly 80% of the total expenditure will be spent on construction activities. Critics have pointed out that there is no explicit mention of measures to clean or purify the river water in the proposal, raising questions about how the project would achieve true river rejuvenation.
After Ramnadi-Mula devrai row, citizens seek protection for buffer zone After earlier protests forced changes to the Riverfront Development (RFD) project near the Ramnadi–Mula devrai (sacred grove) in Pune, citizens are now demanding protection of the surrounding buffer zone. While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) claims the buffer zone is outside the RFD project area and already protected, residents argue that ongoing and proposed activities still threaten the ecosystem.
NGT grants interim stay on tree cutting in Nashik till April 28 The Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 07 granted an interim stay on the felling of trees in the city till April 28, providing a temporary relief to environmental activists who challenged NMC’s ongoing tree-cutting drive linked to development works in view of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.
The interim order was passed while hearing an urgent mention of an application filed by city-based tree activist Manish Baviskar against the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) in original application No. 38/2026. The hearing was held on April 7 before Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and judicial member Sujit Kumar Bajpayee of the NGT’s Pune bench, who issued directions restraining authorities from cutting any trees in the city until the next date of hearing.
Kota’s Chambal Riverfront: ₹1,200 cr project stares at losses When it was first inaugurated in 2023, the Chambal River Front in Kota was meant to be picture perfect – a Rs 1,200 crore project with 26 ghats, ornate pillars, miniatures of Lal Qila and Taj Mahal, a 25-tonne gunmetal face mask of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and, above all, a serene walkway for leisurely evening strolls. But low footfall and mounting costs have since triggered a political debate: is the former Congress government’s showpiece project turning into a costly drain on public funds? According to officials at the Kota Development Authority (KDA), which manages the project, the Chambal River Front has been incurring losses of around 50%. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/jaipur/over-two-years-since-inauguration-kotas-chambal-riverfront-struggles-with-losses-political-heat-10631747/ (12 April 2026)
Adi Ganga facing threat from new barrage As civil society prepares to challenge the barrage proposal, the Adi Ganga stands at a critical juncture. One path leads to ecological restoration—reclaiming floodplains, removing obstructions, treating sewage and allowing the river to breathe again. The other leads to irreversible engineering, real estate-driven beautification and further ecological collapse.
The choice is not merely about a barrage. It is about whether urban governance in Bengal can move beyond concrete-driven solutions and acknowledge rivers as living systems—and whether the lives of people like Purnima Modak count in that decision. For now, the Adi Ganga waits—buried under neglect, flowing only in fragments, carrying the memory of a river that once shaped Bengal’s history, and the warning of what happens when development erases ecology.
ADB team meets HYDRAA chief The team reviewed HYDRAA’s activities, particularly its efforts in restoring lakes across the city, and discussed the benefits of reviving the chain of interconnected water bodies for the health of Musi river. Using archival footage, officials demonstrated the earlier condition of several lakes and the transformation achieved after restoration, including Bathukamma Kunta in Amberpet, Bam Rukn-ud-Daula lake in the Old City, and Nalla Cheruvu in Kukatpally.
RIVERS
Chhatradi: Thirty-Six Spring Fountains of the Ravi Another brilliant report by Parineeta Dandekar, with amazing photos by Abhay Kanvinde. Based on their field visit and fascinating research. About water springs and Panihars of Chhatradi on the banks of Ravi river in Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. The 12th century historical 36 (that is what chhatradi literally means) water fountains are maintained by the community, and they continue to quench the thirst of 1000 people and many more animals.
Raj Naun: Can Stories Save our Springs? Raj Naun is not alone. Across the Ravi basin, structures like those at Tatwani, Sarol, Kandu, Chhatradi, Brehi and others face the same erasure: loved by the people who use them, invisible to the institutions that should protect them. There is an urgent need to undertake watershed-based rejuvenation of the Raj Naun and such unique, place-specific groundwater-based structures in Chamba and surrounding areas.
If stories alone could sustain water sources, Raj Naun would be flowing today. The story is intact, sung every April by women who have not forgotten, drunk every day by hundreds of people who know exactly whose water this is. What is absent is accountability and will : of municipalities, of departments, of political parties that hang their banners over a dying spring and consider their job done.
Jojari pollution: SC orders creation of special courts to prosecute polluting industries The Supreme Court recently directed the Rajasthan High Court to establish special courts in Jodhpur, Pali and Balotra to prosecute entities responsible for the severe pollution of the Jojari, Bandi and Luni rivers. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta ordered the immediate closure of any industrial unit or common effluent treatment plant found violating pollution control norms or discharging untreated effluents.
The Court also barred the pollution control board from granting consent to establish or operate any hazardous industry along the riverbanks. The order was passed after reviewing the first status report submitted by the High-Level Ecosystem Oversight Committee, which was constituted by the Court in November 2025 to supervise river restoration efforts.
The bench noted that the State’s failure to undertake timely remedial measures had allowed the situation to deteriorate to a critical state. The Court also criticised the State government for failing to even provide necessary administrative staff to the oversight Committee for three months, calling it a reflection of the State’s lack of seriousness.
The Court also found evidence of deliberate attempts to conceal the pollution. It observed that freshly laid soil and earthen bunds were used to cover up sludge and contaminated water just before the Committee’s inspections, and tire tracks showed heavy vehicles had been moved into the riverbed to obscure evidence.
The bench strongly condemned these cover-up efforts, stating they were intended to defeat the purpose of regulatory oversight. “Such acts cannot be brushed aside as inadvertent or incidental. Rather, they reflect a conscious attempt to manipulate ground realities and present a sanitised picture before the Committee,” the bench held. The matter will be heard next on July 21 when the oversight committee will submit a further status report.
Waste plastic destroys fragile ecosystem along Godavari river The unchecked use of polythene and plastic products in Kovvur town in East Godavari, is fast turning into an environmental disaster, posing a serious threat to public health and the fragile ecosystem along the banks of the Godavari River. Located near key infrastructure such as the Road-cum-Rail Bridge, the Third Rail Bridge, and the Old Rail Bridge along the national highway, the area is witnessing alarming levels of plastic pollution. Spread across 16.947 sqkms with a population of around 43,000 in 23 wards, Kovvur generates nearly 25 metric tonnes of waste.
Devotees pour 11000 litres milk into Narmada, raise pollution fears Videos of devotees pouring 11,000 litres of milk into the Narmada river in Sehore district in Madhya Pradesh have gone viral on social media this week. The incident allegedly occurred on April 8 and was, ironically, part of rituals to worship the Narmada river.
If people truly worshipped rivers they should not be doing anything that will be detrimental to them, water expert Himanshu Thakkar said. The release of such a large quantity of milk will be bad for the river and biodiversity in the river, as well as the people who depend on it for their livelihoods. “Firstly, it will require a lot of bioresources to digest the milk, so the biochemical oxygen demand will go up drastically,” Thakkar, who is coordinator of the SANDRP, said.
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms in water to decompose organic matter. An increased BOD is a sign of heavy pollution. “Secondly, the transparency of the water will go down and this will affect various organisms in the river, below the surface. The dissolved oxygen in the immediate vicinity will be absorbed entirely. This sudden decrease in dissolved oxygen can even have immediate impacts like fish kills,” Thakkar said. People who use the water will be adversely affected, including fisherfolk, he added.
And fishing is an important livelihood for people along the Narmada. A report by Mongabay India in 2019 noted that thousands of farmers have turned to fishing from farming after major dams such as the Sardar Sarovar project were built on the river. Moreover, pollution is already a grave concern in the Narmada.
“The state of our rivers is so bad. They’re supposed to be sacred, we supposedly worship them. But we are actually contributing to [their] degradation. What kind of sacredness or worship is this? It defies logic. Anybody who understands science even a little will see that we are worsening the state of our rivers … If we truly worship our rivers, religion should be persuading people to stop polluting rivers. But religion never stands up for that. It is unfortunate,” he said.
While the state can regulate these activities if it wants to, it is very difficult for it to do so beyond a point, Thakkar said. “It will mean being unpopular, which governments do not want.” With regards to the Narmada, the river is one of the most dammed rivers and there is very little flow in the river, Thakkar added. “The flow is even less in these summer days, so the impact will be much greater compared to rivers having more flows. The state and religious bodies must stand up for the rivers.”
NGT seeks report on carrying capacity of Uttarakhand pilgrimage centres NGT on April 07 directed govt to file a report on the carrying capacity of pilgrimage centres in Uttarakhand at least one week before the next date of hearing on July 21, 2026. An execution application was filed seeking execution of the order dated February 8, 2023. The matter related to large-scale unregulated violation of environmental norms along the pilgrim tracks of Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib, Yamunotri and Gomukh pilgrimage centres in Uttarakhand.
Will Govts Ensure Survival of Chambal River Sanctuary? Two critical developments over the past month have once again highlighted the scale of threats undermining the ecological integrity of the Chambal, the largest tributary of the Yamuna. The rich aquatic life in the Chambal Sanctuary has already been adversely affected by the gradual decline in river flows and unabated illegal sand mining.
Yamuna’s dirtier in March The pollution load in the Yamuna shot up this March compared to two months prior, according to Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) monthly analysis. The water quality, however, is better than it was in March 2025. Activists have raised questions regarding the improvement. “If we talk about the Najafgarh drain, the BOD was 65 in Feb and 60 in March, which means the pollution load has dropped but data shows that the river is far more polluted now than it was in Feb,” said environment activist Pankaj Kumar, from Earth Warrior.
“DPCC’s latest monthly Yamuna water quality test report only reconfirms that a great river continues to be ecologically dead and is functioning like a toxic sewage canal,” said Bhim Singh Rawat from SANDRP. “It is totally unfit for any kind of use and this has grave health implications,” he said. “That fecal coliform levels are six times higher even at Palla shows that untreated effluents are entering from Haryana and contaminating potable water supply in Delhi,” he added. “Overall, it underlines the abysmal failure of pollution prevention, control mechanisms as fundamental flaws continue to plague the treatment infrastructure in the city.” He added that the river’s flow is almost similar to last year, ruling out improvement due to dilution.
To be sure, experts said the pollution in the river tends to rise at this time of the year, attributing it being lean season when there is significantly less rainfall along the river’s catchment. This also results in lesser water being released downstream of the Hathnikund barrage and a reduced environmental-flow (e-flow) — required to flush away pollutants naturally. However, they flagged sharp peaks in the pollution downstream of Wazirabad as a concern.
Bhim Singh Rawat from SANDRP said the DPCC latest monthly Yamuna water quality test report “only reconfirms what we already know – that the river is ecologically dead”. “Data shows it is totally unfit for any kind of use and has grave health implications. Feacal levels have been detected six folds higher even at Palla, which reveals untreated effluents are entering the river from the Haryana side and contaminating potable water supply of Delhi. Overall, it underlines the abysmal failure of pollution prevention, control mechanisms as fundamental flaws continue to plague the treatment infrastructure in the city,” he added.
Delhi govt plans floodwater diversion to Bhatti Mines Bhim Singh Rawat, a Yamuna activist and member of the SANDRP, said that the proposal to divert water to the Bhatti mines has many pitfalls, and that Delhi should focus on the basics to improve its flood preparedness. “It has the risk of contamination of the groundwater if polluted water reaches the point. Moreover, it will require pumping water, which may be energy-intensive. The water should be flowing from the ridge towards the river, not against it,” the activist said.
Waste dumping on Yamuna banks The NGT on April 7, 2026 took up the matter of the dumping of domestic dry and wet garbage, commercial waste and other debris on the bank of River Yamuna near Pusta Road and its ghats near Wazirabad and Jagatpur village. Counsel for the applicant has disputed the averment that garbage from the site concerned has been cleared. The counsel sought time to place on record the rejoinder along with the relevant material. The case has been next scheduled for hearing on July 23, 2026.
Haryana pollution is killing Yamuna before it enters Delhi Fresh data from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) reveals that the Yamuna river is being systematically choked by Haryana’s industrial and urban hubs long before it reaches Delhi. At the heart of this ecological collapse is Gurugram, which now stands as the single largest contributor to the river’s toxic load. The satellite city of Gurugram alone is responsible for nearly 70 per cent of the pollution entering the Yamuna from Haryana. This isn’t just a slight overstep; it is a total environmental failure. The city’s waste travels through a massive network of conduits, primarily the Najafgarh drain legs I, II, and III, alongside the Basai and Badshahpur drains.
Faridabad’s contribution remains “persistently polluted”. While its BOD levels are lower than Gurugram’s (ranging from 40 to 72 mg/l), its faecal coliform levels — an indicator of raw human waste — have surged to 24,000 MPN per 100 ml, proving that the city’s sewage treatment infrastructure is woefully inadequate. Sonipat, Jhajjhar, Bhiwani, Rohtak also significantly contribute.
Gurgaon’s Najafgarh drain legs I, II and III, along with Basai and Badshahpur drains, have remained the biggest conduit of pollution. But parallel inflows from Sonipat’s drain network and smaller yet chemically intense discharges from Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Faridabad have been preventing the river from recovering downstream.
NGT seeks report on polluting industries in Mathura On April 9, 2026, the NGT directed the district magistrate of Mathura to submit a reply regarding allegations of illegally operating units in the district. Additionally, the Municipal Corporation Mathura–Vrindavan, the UPPCB, and other concerned authorities were directed to respond. The matter has been listed for hearing on July 24, 2026.
The applicant alleged that several units lack consent to establish (CTE) and consent to operate (CTO), and are discharging untreated effluent onto open land and into the public sewerage system, thereby causing serious environmental hazards. It was further alleged that these establishments operate without pollution control mechanisms, such as oil and grease traps, and lack effluent treatment plants. Consequently, they contaminate soil and groundwater and contribute to pollution of the Yamuna River.
Death of Hindon river The Hindon River, a vital tributary of the Yamuna, is turning into a toxic drain. I traveled from its source in the Shivalik hills to its confluence in Gautam Buddh Nagar to document its slow death. What I found was heartbreaking: industrial waste, domestic sewage, and a trail of disease.
Forest dept asks GNIDA to remove encroachment on Hindon floodplain The NGT, in its July 2024 order, flagged large-scale pollution in the Hindon river due to dumping of solid waste, discharge of untreated sewage and encroachments along the floodplain, and directed multiple agencies to undertake remedial measures. During a hearing on February 16, the tribunal expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in demarcating the Hindon floodplain and sought a reply and progress report from the Uttar Pradesh government by May 25. In a letter dated April 9, the DFO, Gautam Budh Nagar, asked GNIDA to ensure compliance with the tribunal’s July 2024 order.
RIVERS BIODIVERSITY
Rare fishing cat spotted near Rajaji NP An ordinary journey back following an evening safari has now gained much more importance, becoming one of the rarest records of wild animals which is bringing focus towards the wetlands of the Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve that lies within Rajaji National Park.
FISH, FISHERIES, FISHERFOLKS
Ancient fish fossils unearthed near Uttarakhand Scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) have unearthed 4.5-million-year-old fish fossils in the Mohand area, near the Uttarakhand border. This marks the first time aquatic life fossils have been identified in this region, which was previously known only for terrestrial animal remains. The discovery, which includes ear bones (otoliths) of three distinct freshwater fish species, offers a rare glimpse into the prehistoric ecosystem of the Shivalik range.
The team identified three species: the snakehead, the goby, and the gourami. The discovery of the gourami (Trichogaster fasciata) is particularly significant; it is only the second time this species has been reported in the global fossil record, with the only previous instance documented in Sumatra, Indonesia. According to Dr. Singh, these fossils are not just relics; they are indicators of a lost habitat. “Ecologically, these assemblages suggest that the Mohand area was once a calm, stable freshwater body, likely a lake or a slow-moving river, surrounded by dense vegetation approximately 4.5 to 4.8 million years ago,” he explained.
Scientists believe the find may reshape the understanding of the region’s prehistoric environment. It also gives a rare insight on Pliocene epochs freshwater ecosystem of Shivalik, which scientists say ranges from 5 to 2.5 million years. Senior scientist Ningthoujam Premjit Singh of WIHG said, “The discovery of gourami fish fossil marks its first recorded appearance in India and only the second in the world, after a previous find in Sumatra, Indonesia. This discovery will widen our understanding of past aquatic ecosystems and the biogeographic history of South Asian freshwater fishes.” According to Singh, these fossils are estimated to be around 4.5 million years old.
Tapping fisheries in reservoirs India is the second largest fish producer in the world. Now, it is also the second largest globally in aquacultural production. The country has witnessed a 106% increase in the national fish production since 2013-14 that stands at a record 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. Interestingly, 75% of our fish production comes from inland fisheries that include freshwater, brackish, and saline water resources. Reservoirs, spread over an area of more than 31.50 lakh hectares, are a major source of freshwater fisheries and aquaculture. Fish production from these water bodies is approximately 18 lakh tonnes.
SAND MINING
Morena forest guard killed by sand mining mafia: Police A forest guard was allegedly killed after being run over by a tractor-trolley carrying illegally mined sand in the Ambah area of Madhya Morena district on April 08 morning. The deceased has been identified as Harikesh Gurjar, a resident of Morena district. Morena additional superintendent of police (ASP) Surendra Pal said that during an operation against illegal sand mining and transportation, a six-member Ambah range patrol team spotted a tractor-trolley loaded with sand being transported from Aisah Ghat on the Chambal River.
A case of murder has been registered against the accused. Authorities are also investigating on whose behalf Kori was transporting sand. CCTV footage identified the vehicle, owned by BJP local leaders Pawan Tomar and Sonu Chauhan. CCTV footage from a nearby petrol pump captured the suspect. Two names have surfaced as owners of the tractor that killed Forest Guard Harkesh Gurjar. One is Pawan Tomar, who serves as Mandal Vice President of Dimni BJP Mandal, and the other is Sonu Chauhan, who holds the post of Mandal Secretary in Yuva Morcha. The two are business partners.
CEC flags illegal mining in Chambal The absence of a robust inter-state enforcement mechanism has significantly weakened conservation efforts within the sanctuary and has allowed illegal mining networks to operate with relative impunity,” CEC said. The Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) for the respective portions of the NCWS falling in the States of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been notified by the Central Government. However, the ESZ for the portion of the sanctuary falling within the State of Rajasthan has not yet been notified, resulting in the absence of a regulatory buffer around that part of the Protected Area.
The Chambal River bridge on NH 44, connecting Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, is in danger due to illegal sand mining. The ongoing excavation has created pits 20 to 50 feet deep around the pillars. Experts say if this situation continues, the pillars could collapse.
CID launches probe The first enquiry pertains to inputs suggesting the involvement of local police personnel in illegal sand mining from the Sindh River in Bhind district of the Gwalior-Chambal region. Acting on these inputs, the CID has begun an internal probe, and a sub-inspector in charge of a local outpost under Raun police station has been removed from field posting and attached to the state police headquarters.
Edit Arrest the grief The lesson from Chambal’s violent history is that force alone cannot quiet an economy feeding on grievance. Sweeping crackdowns will deepen local resentment and entrench the same social cover that sustains the syndicates. Lasting change will come only from restoring lawful livelihoods and credible, even-handed enforcement.
₹500 cr project to check illegal mining in Swan river Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains, who represents Anandpur Sahib constituency, told the Tribune that under the project the river would be channelised on both sides and water would be stored by making a dam. It would check rampant illegal mining, he said. Bains’ statement comes a day after the Tribune published a study by the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, conducted under the directions of the NGT, revealing large-scale illegal sand mining around the Swan bridge in Nangal subdivision, with an estimated 3.41 million cubic metres material extracted over the past two decades.
Tehsildar suspended in Hingoli Vasmat tehsildar Sharada Dalvi in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district was suspended for alleged negligence in curbing illegal sand mining and transit. The suspension order was issued on April 09 after complaints were received. Dalvi is required to report to the collector’s office.
Sand mining damage to River Mahan The NGT on April 9, 2026 asked respondents to file reply on allegations of uncontrolled excavation of the River Mahan riverbed. The matter concerns the destruction of Mahan in Deosar tehsil, Singrauli district, Madhya Pradesh by Sahkar Global Ltd. The project proponent is operating the Kari, Majauna and Jiyawan sand quarries in Kari village on River Mahan. The application stated that uncontrolled excavation of its riverbeds is affecting the river’s aquatic biodiversity, natural flow regime, riverbank stability and groundwater recharge capacity. Despite repeated complaints and documented evidence, the mining officer and the district administration failed to take effective remedial action and effectively enabled this illegal enterprise, the application stated.
The Great Kashmir Sand Heist Hundreds of crores extracted, barely a fraction paid. River mining has become a system of organized plunder in the valley. (Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat)
WETLANDS, LAKES, WATER BODIES
21 ponds to go for new highway connecting with Vadhavan Port The construction of a highway from Varor village to Tawa village in Palghar to give high-speed direct connectivity to the proposed Vadhavan Port will extract an environmental toll of 72,790 trees, 21 ponds and 209 wells and borewells, besides necessitating the demolition of 611 houses.
The highway will pass through Dahanu and Palghar talukas. In the latter, villages such as Aakegavhan, Aakoli, Chinchare, Ravte, Gargaon, Sumdi, Shigaon, Khutad, Rani Shigaon, Nanivali and Ambede will be affected. The survey shows that 573 houses and constructions will be pulled down, 17,391 forest trees, 4,105 palms and 33,058 fruit-bearing trees will be cut while 182 borewells and 20 ponds will be filled up. The state will pay ₹197.07 crore as compensation.
WATER OPTIONS
Andhra CM announces 100-Day RWH Plan The 100-day action plan will be implemented in coordination with multiple departments, including irrigation, agriculture, panchayat raj, forest, and animal husbandry. The action plan has been divided into four stages – Identification of works from April 6 to April 15; Administrative approvals between April 16 and April 20; Execution of works from April 21 to July 9; and submission of reports from July 10 to July 14.
The CM disclosed that groundwater has depleted in 5,697 villages across the state. He said the state government’s target is to fill all tanks and improve groundwater levels by at least 1.5 metres. He called for repair and restoration of canals, tanks, and check dams, along with desilting and clearing feeder channels to enhance storage capacity and prevent flooding.
GROUNDWATER
GW in 86 Karnataka taluks contaminated: Report While Karnataka has seen an overall decline in groundwater extraction, the entire Bengaluru area remains ‘over-exploited’ and sub-surface water in 86 taluks is contaminated, a government report released April 08 said. Overall groundwater extraction has reduced from 68.44% in 2024 to 66.49%, the Dynamic Ground Water Resources of Karnataka 2025 report said. The annual groundwater recharge capacity has marginally risen from 18.74 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 19.28 BCM in 2025. Also, annual extractable groundwater resources rose from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM. “These gains are the result of good rainfall, focussed policy interventions and large-scale water conservation initiatives,” Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju said after releasing the report.
Microplastics in groundwater in Eastern Karnataka Conclusions: – Preliminary studies on microplastics in the hard rock areas of eastern Karnataka indicate that microplastics, occurring as tiny fragments, filaments, and prisms, are circulating in fractures in hard rock granites and gneisses at considerable depths ranging from 60 m to 100 m. The microplastic assemblage consists of LDPE, HDPE, PE, PP, PS, PET, and PA. Disposed domestic and agricultural waste, including plastics, appears to have largely contributed to the pollution, although fishing may also have contributed to some extent. Up to three particles per litre have been found. If waste plastic disposal remains unmanaged, microplastic abundance in groundwater could increase. A more detailed investigation of groundwater microplastics is essential to assess their health effects.
Researchers estimate that people in these villages may ingest around 1,100 microplastic particles annually through drinking water, or about three per day. However, the study notes that drinking water alone is not currently a major source of exposure, as many villages use reverse osmosis systems that can filter out microplastics if properly maintained. The findings underline the need for better management of plastic waste in rural areas, particularly in agriculture and inland water bodies, to prevent further contamination of groundwater.
Illegal borewells in Pala ‘expose’ Kerala’s wider water crisis On April 10, 2026, the Munsiff Court in Pala town of Kottayam district, ruling on an interlocutory application in Original Suit 165/2025 filed by this reporter, directed that an illegally operating borewell dug in Arunapuram, Pala, in March 2024 shall not function until it obtains the required licence. The order indicates that the borewell had been functioning without permission for an extended period. In its submission before the Munsiff Court, the Pala Municipality acknowledged that although the well was dug in March 2024, the owner of the premises, Mr KV Dominic, applied for a no-objection certificate only on October 24, 2024. (By Rosamma Thomas)
Aquifers of North India and the Indo-Gangetic Plains Hydrogeologist Vivek Grewal joins host Pavan Srinath once again to unpack the basic science of groundwater and to explain how groundwater behaves in one of India’s most important hydrogeological regions.
The road ahead As India matures as a leader in water conservation programs, shifting institutional incentives, building monitoring capacity, and enforcing quality standards are needed. As climate change alters monsoon patterns and increases the pressure on groundwater systems, the stakes will only rise. India has built an extraordinary foundation of recharge infrastructure over the past two decades. The task now is to make that infrastructure work. This requires moving from counting what has been built to understanding what it delivers and using that understanding to build better. Water security under Viksit Bharat 2047 will not be achieved by the number of structures built alone but by sustained improvement in groundwater levels, by wells that do not run dry, and by communities that can depend on water when they need it. (Mohammad Faiz Ala, IWMI)
URBAN LAKES, WETLANDS
Treated water to fill 8 lakes in Bengaluru According to Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) engineers, the project involves connecting 8 to 6-inch pipes from different STPs to Chunchaghatta, Ganapathipura, Konanakunte, Kodichikkanahalli, Gottigere, Kammanahalli, Mangammanapalya and Somasundarapalya lakes, ensuring that these water bodies receive water throughout the year. “There are 59 living lakes within the BSCC jurisdiction. Of these, 43 have been fully developed, nine partially and six lakes are yet to be developed.
They too will be developed in phases. The corporation is coordinating with BWSSB to keep the lakes filled as it will recharge groundwater and ensure borewells in these areas run even during peak summer,” an engineer said. Soon, treated water from the 5-million-litre-per-day capacity STP in Sarakki Layout will be pumped to Chunchaghatta, Ganapathipura and Konanakunte lakes. “The pipeline connecting these three lakes cost Rs 1.9 crore. The trial run is on. We are checking the supply in the morning and evening every day,” an official said.
Hyderabad lake rejuvenation falls short Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has recently restored three major water bodies—Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla Lake, Bathukamma Kunta, and Kukatpally Nalla Cheruvu. However, the impact on groundwater has so far been limited. Groundwater levels in surrounding areas continue to hover between eight and 10 metres below ground level (mbgl).
Officials caution that the benefits of lake rejuvenation take time to materialise. Decades of neglect, debris accumulation, and widespread encroachments, they say, require sustained efforts to reverse. Environmentalists acknowledge that these efforts are a step in the right direction, but emphasise that restoring ecological functionality is crucial for effective groundwater recharge. A major concern, they point out, remains the continued inflow of untreated sewage into these lakes, even after restoration.
7 lakes to be revived at ₹145 cr After restoring three major lakes in Phase-I, Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) is preparing to take up seven more under the next phase of its lake rejuvenation drive, with an estimated outlay of Rs 145 crore. The next phase will cover Bhagirathamma Cheruvu in Puppalaguda (54 acres, Rs 22 crore), Erla Cheruvu in Madinaguda (31 acres, Rs 17 crore), Ramanthapuram Cheruvu (42.89 acres, Rs 19 crore), Kamuni Cheruvu in Moosapet (54.71 acres, Rs 21 crore), Ibrahim Cheruvu (Pedda Cheruvu) in Manikonda (88 acres, Rs 29 crore), Nacharam Cheruvu (108 acres, Rs 30.50 crore) and Krishnakanth Park lake in Rahmathnagar (27.35 acres, Rs 7.50 crore). The state government has approved the restoration of 14 lakes within Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority limits at an estimated cost of Rs 303 crore under HYDRAA. Tenders have been invited for seven of these in the current phase.
Pune: Pashan STP Faces Failure During Trial Serious concerns have been raised over alleged non-compliance with directives of the NGT in connection with pollution at Pashan Lake, following operational failures at the Pashan STP. Krunnal Gharre, Vice President of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Pune and the applicant in the case, has accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of inadequate planning and execution of sewage treatment infrastructure in the area.
According to Gharre, the 1 MLD Pashan STP commissioned last year was insufficient from the beginning to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Bavdhan population. Despite repeated submissions highlighting capacity concerns, PMC allegedly did not revise its plans and instead suggested installing flow meters to manage excess sewage. During its trial phase, the STP reportedly exceeded its designed capacity, raising concerns about long-term sustainability. The plant has also faced multiple operational challenges within a year of commissioning, including a shutdown lasting nearly three months due to maintenance and technical issues.
Mumbai wetlands face pollution threat Recent laboratory reports from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have highlighted alarming contamination levels in the DPS Holding Pond and Vashi Sector 10 Mini Seashore holding pond. The findings were triggered after a newsband social media post reported large-scale fish deaths at Mini Seashore, prompting immediate water testing and precautionary release of contaminated water from the affected holding pond.
Delhi’s vanishing wetlands While the State Wetland Authority (SWA) — which was constituted in 2019 and functions under the Delhi Parks and Gardens Society (Department of Environment) — has identified 1,045 water bodies, actual on-the-ground work appears stagnant. According to information on its website, the SWA last met in 2022. Furthermore, while a budget of Rs 35 lakh each was allocated for 2023-24 and 2024-25, there is no clarity on actual expenditure. Newslaundry has reached out to the SWA for clarification, and will update the copy when we receive a response.
NGT raps NHAI for flyover over protected pond, orders penalty The directions were issued by a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel in an order dated April 6. The matter was taken up suo motu based on a TOI report titled ‘NHAI Has Made Highway at Protected Pond Site in Delhi: Activists’, published on Sept 30, 2024, which flagged encroachment on a notified wetland during the construction of the Urban Extension Road project.
The tribunal noted that the pond in Goyla Khurd village is officially listed as a protected wetland under the Wetland Authority of Delhi, rendering any construction activity within it legally impermissible. Despite this, NHAI constructed a flyover across the water body, installing eight pillars within the pond and affecting about 20.36 sq m of its area. While this constitutes a small fraction of the total pond area, the tribunal said any encroachment into a protected wetland amounts to a violation of environmental law.
A key concern flagged by the tribunal was the lack of full disclosure during the environmental clearance process. It observed that although NHAI indicated the project would cross water bodies, it failed to specifically disclose that pillars would be constructed within the pond. Consequently, no focused environmental impact assessment was carried out for such activity. The tribunal held that this omission vitiated the environmental clearance granted by the MoEF&CC.
Petition says road built over wetland in Manesar On April 06, the NGT ordered a joint inspection into allegations of “large-scale encroachment and destruction of” the waterbody, spread over 6 acres (2.8 hectares), in Naharpur Kasan village. The plea alleged that “respondent no 6” — Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) — carried out dewatering and landfilling at the site, paving the way for construction over the wetland.
The three-member panel — with the deputy commissioner (DC) as the nodal officer — will submit the report in eight weeks, NGT said. “The committee shall submit a factual and action-taken report to this tribunal,” the bench directed. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 21. The
URBAN WATER
Mumbai’s Gargai dam construction set to start The BMC General Body has approved the Gargai dam project, paving the way for construction to begin. Aimed at boosting Mumbai’s water supply, the Rs 3,100 crore project is expected to be completed by 2028, with allied works finishing by 2030, pending key environmental clearances.
Bengaluru East extracts 378% The Dynamic Groundwater Resources of Karnataka, 2025, report released on April 08 noted that though Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru South, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar districts have moderate to high groundwater recharge rates, their extraction was even higher. As a result, most of the taluks in the state falling under the ‘over-exploited’ category were around the state capital. This was in contrast to the decline in groundwater use in other parts of the state. The lowest recharge to extraction ratio was for Madikeri taluk in Kodagu district, where 5.91 per cent of the amount recharge was extracted. The maximum was “as high as 378.85% in Bengaluru East, Bengaluru Urban district,” the report said.
RWH lacks progress Even as the city faces water shortages this summer, many residents are choosing to pay penalties instead of helping with implementing solutions. On an average, Bengalureans paid nearly `13 lakh every day in 2025 for not installing rainwater harvesting systems, showing a clear gap between awareness and action. According to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), a total of `46.81 crore was collected as fines from January to December 2025 from consumers who did not follow the rainwater harvesting (RWH) rules.
Delhi proposes to purchase additional water A senior DJB official, who did not wish to be named, said that talks were held with the Haryana irrigation department in Chandigarh, during which the proposals were made. Officials from the water utility said that the city needs the water for the May-June period, when the water crisis in certain pockets of the Capital worsens.
“The distribution of water between two states is based on the 1994 water sharing agreement signed between the riparian states of Yamuna. We have made two requests to Haryana counterparts. The 51 cusecs of water allocated to us under the irrigation quota should be utilised for drinking water needs. Secondly, we have also proposed to purchase additional water on a cubic-feet basis. If we can get 100 cusecs of additional water, it will help operationalise the new water treatment plants,” the senior official said.
Delhi’s water master plan to fix structural legacy issues Delhi govt is preparing a water master plan that will include long-term and structural measures aimed at modernising the city’s ageing drinking water distribution network and addressing long-standing issues of leakage, contamination and uneven water supply. Under the plan, govt is planning to organise the water distribution system into nine operational zones, each centred around a major water treatment plant (WTP) that will function as a command hub for managing supply infrastructure, upgrading water treatment capabilities and infrastructure, and repairing or relaying pipelines on a need-to-need basis.
DDA plan for using treated water The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has initiated a city-wide plan to irrigate parks and green spaces using treated wastewater instead of fresh groundwater, inviting bids to appoint a consultant for the project, officials said. According to the request for proposal (RFP) issued on March 18, the consultant will be tasked with preparing a comprehensive management plan and a feasible network design to supply treated water to parks and green spaces under DDA’s jurisdiction across the Capital. The consultancy assignment has a timeline of 210 days for preparation of the plan and DPR, following which the project will move towards execution.
JJM/ RURAL WATER SUPPLY
ACB arrests former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal Former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal was arrested Thursday, ending a 50-day, multi-state Anti Corruption Bureau manhunt in the Jal Jeevan Mission tender case, estimated at Rs 20,000 crore.ACB director general Govind Gupta said Agarwal was detained in New Delhi and formally arrested in Jaipur for alleged misuse of office. Gupta said the investigation has found a “tightly knit nexus” of private firms and senior Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) officials who allegedly manipulated tenders and documents to secure large contracts.
Investigators allege two firms—Shri Ganpati Tubewell, run by Mahesh Mittal, and Shri Shyam Tubewell, run by Padamchand Jain—forged certificates of IRCON International Ltd and submitted fake work completion documents in multiple PHED tenders. The firms are suspected to have used the documents to secure contracts worth nearly Rs 960 crore. The probe also alleges Agarwal, then PHED additional chief secretary, and other senior officers introduced a mandatory requirement of site visit certificates for projects above Rs 50 crore, which investigators say violated rules and exposed bidder identities. Officials claim this enabled cartelisation and “tender pooling”, pushing premiums to an unusually high 30-40%, later cleared by PHED authorities.
MONSOON 2026
A rare El Nino may be forming in the Pacific New forecasts from NOAA and international models show growing odds that a rare super El Niño will persist through late 2026, which could disrupt monsoons, alter storm tracks and reshape rainfall from Asia to the Americas.
Monsoon moisture fuels deadly heatwaves in India: Study Scientists have for the first time identified what drives India’s most dangerous form of heat during the monsoon season, and shown that the risk can be forecast up to four weeks in advance, according to a study by scientists at University of Reading, University of Leeds and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in the UK and India. The research published in Climate Dynamics found that a single large-scale monsoon pattern can raise the likelihood of a moist heatwave in northern India by 125 per cent above normal.
21 districts in Karnataka received “large excess” pre-monsoon rainfall, which is marked by a departure of 60 per cent of normal rainfall or more, between March 1 and April 4.
FLOOD 2026
New research shows how forests can prevent floods of all sizes New research overturns long-held assumptions about forests and flooding, arguing that healthy forests can significantly reduce the size and frequency of floods of all magnitudes. The research shows that forest cover strongly influences flood risk, supporting nature-based solutions as essential complements to aging dikes and dams in a warming climate.
-The study challenges earlier claims that forests don’t reduce large floods, showing those conclusions are based on flawed methods. Using a better scientific approach, it finds that forests can mitigate floods of all sizes by slowing runoff and reducing peak flows.
LANDSLIDES
70 villages face landslide threat post 2025 monsoon floods With monsoon season barely three months away, nearly 70 villages in Punjab’s Ropar district are facing an imminent landslide threat, even as promised protection works remain stalled more than six months after last year’s devastation caused by floods in the Sutlej River. These habitations are located either along the riverbanks or on vulnerable hill slopes, making them particularly prone to soil erosion and land subsidence.
The crisis traces back to the 2025 monsoon, when heavy rainfall and flooding in the Sutlej triggered landslides across several parts of the district. Despite the scale of the damage, residents allege that little has changed on the ground since then. Villagers say the proposed solution, construction of retaining walls along the Sutlej River to prevent further erosion, has not moved beyond the planning stage.
ENERGY OPTIONS
Centre to roll out PM-KUSUM 2, push rooftop solar to hit 10 million homes.
ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE
How NBWL became a rubber stamp The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is tasked with protecting India’s wildlife. Yet, it approved about 97% of projects within Protected Areas, ‘eco sensitive zones’ & wildlife corridors, most of which were granted in unconstitutional and illegal ways over 12 years, our analysis of NBWL meetings found. By ignoring scientists and affected communities, these clearances threaten India’s remaining wild habitats and ecological security.
52 vacancies in DPCC to be filled within 3 months: NGT told Out of the 344 sanctioned posts in the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), 52 are currently vacant and will be filled within the next three months, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said in April 9 status report submitted to the NGT. The tribunal has been monitoring the vacancies in the DPCC since October 2023, when nearly two-thirds of its posts were found vacant. Of the total 344 posts, 292 have been filled, as per April 1, 2026.
Green policy must integrate behavioural change The transition to sustainability will not be driven by constant effort or moral pressure. It will depend on whether everyday systems from transport to energy to waste make sustainable choices feel simple, practical, and normal. The question for policy is no longer whether people care enough, but whether systems allow them to act on that care. When the sustainable choice becomes the easy choice, change does not need to be forced. It begins to happen on its own and it lasts.
SOUTH ASIA
Work on Bhutan’s 1,200 MW Punatsangchhu-I hydropower project has resumed after a seven-year suspension, with India’s Power Minister Manohar Lal attending a key concrete pouring ceremony marking the restart of dam construction. The revival of the India-funded project, stalled since 2019 due to geological challenges, is seen as a major milestone in bilateral energy cooperation and is expected to pave the way for completion within five years.
SANDRP
Also see: DRP 06 April 2026 & DRP 30 March 2026
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