A Rapid Hazard Assessment Report by Dr Jakob Steiner a postdoc fellow at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Research, University of Graz, Austria (jakob.steiner@uni-graz.at) and Amrit Thapa a doctoral student at University of Alaska Fairbanks (aamritjnu@gmail.com). A Hindi version of this report can be seen here.
Continue reading “Pindar Valley, Uttarakhand: Potentially Dangerous Landslides Dam in Kunwari”Author: SANDRP
World Fisheries Day 2024: Important Studies, Reports on River Fish, Fisherfolks
(Feature Image: Prized catch of a fishman at Yamuna bank in Kairana, UP in Sept 2024)
During past one year, there have been several new studies and reports published amplifying the adverse effects of developmental projects including dams, waterways, river interlinking, invasive fish species, degradation of rivers and climate change on river fish and fisherfolks in India. In the last part of the annul overview on the World Fisheries Day on Nov 21 2024, we focus on these important studies and reports highlighting the threats and challenges on freshwater fish and fisherfolks.
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WFD 2024: MASS FISH KILL in Indian Rivers, Wetlands Continue…
Over the past several years Indian rivers, wetlands have been witnessing mass fish death incidents primarily due to decreasing flows, increasing pollution and other anthropogenic activities. As we celebrate World Fisheries Day 2024, SANDRP compiles the reports revealing mass fish kill incidents in our rivers and wetlands over the past one year across. The first part of year end analysis has covered positive development on fish, fisheries and fisherfolks and the second part has highlighted how fish and fisherfolks have been facing existential crisis on account of adverse impacts of developmental activities in the country.
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World Fisheries Day 2024: Fish Suffering, Fisherfolks Struggling, Threats Growing
(Feature Image: Fisherfolk Stage ‘Jalsamadhi’ Protest Against Solar Power Project At Jayakwadi Dam, Seek Cancellation. FPJ Feb 2024)
Marking World Fisheries Day 2024, this yearend round up complies the top ten reports outlining how the fish and fisherfolks in India have been facing existential crisis due to govts’ apathy, various developmental projects and growing climate change threats. The first part of the annual overview covering positive developments on fish, fisheries and fisherfolks can be seen here.
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World Fisheries Day 2024: Top Ten Positive Fisheries Reports from India
(Fature Image: Telangana fishermen fishing downstream Srisailam project after closing of dam gates in Aug 2024. Source: Social Media)
On the occasion of World Fisheries Day 2024 which is celebrated on November 21 annually, we compile top ten positive developments during the last one year on the issues of fish, fisheries and fisherfolks from India.
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DRP 181124: Kumbh 2025: Can we treat Ganga as River All Round the Year?
(Feature Image: Untreated effluents falling into Ganga river in Patna Bihar. Source: Live Hindustan 15 Nov. 2024)
The government website on Maha Kumbh (https://kumbh.gov.in/) has started the countdown to Mahakumbh 2025 to be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to Feb 26, 2025. It says today that it is 55 days to the beginning of Mahakumbh. But the Ganga is highly polluted in Prayagraj, and even upstream even in Uttarakhand, the state where it originates as the following reports this week say and as we all know.
The reason why the largest congregation on earth happens here every 12 years is because, as puranas say, Ganga water turns into Amrit on these holy days. So how will the Ganga water turned into Amrit at Prayagraj in 55 days?
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Nov 2024: Shongtong Karchham HEP Tunnel Leakage in Kinnaur-Himachal Pradesh
The under construction Shongtong-Karchham Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Project in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh has suffered a tunnel leakage incident around 10:00 pm on November 16, 2024.
The sudden gushing water from Adit 2 tunnel of the project near Ralli village flooded the Reckong Peo-Rampur National Highway (NH) 22 with debris in huge amount resulting in closure of highway and causing long traffic jam on both sides. The number of labourers working inside the tunnel is unknown, but reports mention they were recused safely.
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DRP 111124: URBAN RIVERS in focus this week
(Feature Image: A man bathing with toxic foam in polluted Yamuna in Delhi. Image is taken by Anindya Chattopadhyay @ANINDYAtimes Deputy Photo Editor,The Times Of India, Delhi and shared on X by Somreet Bhattacharya @Somreetb on Nov. 06, 2024)
This week there is some interesting news about a number of Urban rivers including Pune Rivers, Musi (Hyderabad), Chennai Rivers, Budha Dariya (Ludhiana), Gomti (Lucknow). All the news underlines some serious existential issues for Urban Rivers and raising of voices about it by local communities, governments or legal authorities.
In fact, this is part of a trend that is going on for some years. This sounds like a positive development. But unfortunately, it is not. In fact, this is sign of deteriorating condition of Urban Rivers and increasing Urban footprint on our rivers, going far beyond the boundaries of the cities. Closer examination shows that in spite of some efforts from environmental groups, local communities, some elements in the governments and the courts, the condition of our Urban Rivers is getting worse, much worse than the state of our rivers in general. More worryingly, there are almost no success stories, except some temporary respites at some places.
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Yamuna Manthan 061124: Save River from ‘Illegal’ Sand Mining
(Feature: Members of Haryana Anti Corruption Society, Yamuna Nadi Mitra Mandli, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Yamuna Nagar raising concerns over unabated unsustainable riverbed mining in Yamuna in Gumthala Rao, Karnal on Oct 07, 2024.)
Large scale riverbed mining has become most underestimated and least discussed threat for Yamuna rivers. While increasing pollution has turned the river stretch between Delhi and Agra ecologically dead, the rampant sand mining has been severely damaging the Yamuna eco-system in upper and lower segments.
Presently, the mining menace is quite rampant in Paonta Sahib, Yamuna Nagar, Saharanpur, Karnal, Shamili, Panipat, Sonipat, Baghpat and Ghaziabad districts along the river in upper segment. Similarly, in lower segment the main stem of river as well as its key tributaries Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken have been bearing the burnt of unsustainable sand mining.
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DRP 041124: Study says Big Dams are costly gambles or frauds?
(Feature Image: Lower Subansiri HEP dam. Source: PIB, June 2023)
An interesting study reported this week reveals Big Dams are costly gambles and explains why this is so. In fact, the explanations go on to reveal that this is by design, the costs are systematically under estimated and benefits are exaggerated, so the dams fail to provide the promised benefits. So Big Dams are actually not gambles, but frauds. They get away with all this due to lack of transparency and accountability in the governance, the study reveals.
For those following the global debate on big dams over the decades know that there is nothing new here. A number of studies earlier exposed all this, including the Independent Review of the Sardar Sarovar Project instituted by the World Bank, the World Commission on Dams report, the India Country study done for WCD, among others.
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