South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People
(Feature Image: Breach in Tonga dam. Source: ETV Bharat)
A breach in earthen Tonga dam has flooded half a dozen villages in Sabalgarh tehsil of Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. The breach occurred in intervening night of August 12-13, 2024. As per reports, the dam first overflowed following rainfall, leading to the breach.
Continue reading “August 2024: Tonga Dam Breach floods Madhya Pradesh villages”Similar to we wrote on Sept 1 2024[i], but possibly with even greater flood prospects and urgency, the situation in Narmada River Basin is once again moving towards a massive avoidable flood disaster due to imprudent management of Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat and dams including Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar, Bargi and Tawa dams in Madhya Pradesh. All of these dams are full or almost full with IMD Flash Flood Bulletin (FFB, bulletin is updated thrice a day) as at 0730 hrs on Sept 11 2024[ii] warning about the ongoing or imminent flash flood in Narmada Valley districts.
Continue reading “Imprudent management of SSP and other Narmada dams could create avoidable flood disaster in Sept 2024?”(Feature Image: File photo of Yettinahole Project. Source: Daijiworld)
The Yettinahole project has seen protests and question marks right from the time when the project was proposed, none of them have been convincingly answered. As the Karnataka Chief Minister and his deputy commissioned a small part of it, those question marks remain as relevant today, including its hydrological viability, environmental impact assessments and sustainability, with hugely weakening of the western ghats by such major interventions without any credible impact assessments. (see: https://sandrp.in/2013/09/18/yettinahole-diversion-an-imprudent-rs-100-billion-proposition/)
It is good to see CWC and MoEF have also raised some questions and asked report even at this stage. One however expects CWC to raise such questions much earlier in the project cycle and before the project becomes fait accomplice. Else, it seems more like politicking. MoEF could have raised issues of violations before the violations happened on ground and should have refused to provide piece meal forest clearances as it has alleged.
Continue reading “DRP 090924: Question marks over Yettinahole should not be buried under money spent”An analysis of the daily district wise rainfall data from India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the month of Aug 2024, shows that there were 717 (500 in Aug 2023; 667 in Aug 2022[i] and 431 in Aug 2021) instances when district rainfall of a day in a district was above 50 mm. Such high rainfall instances included 572 (424/ 553/ 371 in Aug 2023, Aug 2022 and Aug 2021 respectively) instances when rainfall was 50-100 mm; 113 (67/ 98/ 48 in Aug 2023, Aug 2022 and Aug 2021 respectively) instances when it was 100-150 mm; 19 (5/ 13/ 11 in Aug 2023, Aug 2022 and Aug 2021 respectively) times it was 150-200 mm; and 13 (4/ 3/ 1 in Aug 2023, Aug 2022 and Aug 2021 respectively) instance when a district day rainfall was above 200 mm.
Continue reading “High Rainfall days in India’s districts in Aug 2024 highest in last 4 years”(Feature Image: Dry Ken river beneath bridge at Pandvan in Amanganj, Panna in April 2018. Image taken during Ken river walk by SANDRP & Veditum India)
The controversial Ken-Betwa Interlinking project is undergoing several changes being proposed by central and state governments of UP and MP. Firstly, there are plans to build two new barrages at Pailani and Banda and renovate Beriyapur and Pariksha weirs and Barua Sagar dam apart from renovation of 15 dams and large ponds in Mahoba district. Then, the construction of a 21 km link channel will require 271 ha of forest land.
Similarly, the CM of MP has requested to increase irrigation capacity of Patne-Biarma Irrigation Scheme from 90,100 ha to 2,50,000 ha under the interlinking plan. On the other hand, the CM of UP has suggested inclusion of Hamirpur district in the plan.
Continue reading “Yamuna Manthan 050924: Changing parameters of Ken-Betwa Project needs fresh appraisal?”(Feature Image: Sand boats hit Prakasam Barrage gate no 69 while irrigation officials release 11.24 lakhs cusecs of flood water in Vijayawada on Monday (Sept. 02, 2024). Image Source: Deccan Chronicle)
Amid the unprecedented flood spell in Krishna river passing through the Prakasam barrage located in Vijaywada city of NTR district in Andhra Pradesh, an incident of ‘sand boats’ getting stuck and damaging the barrage in early morning of Sep. 2, 2024, has been reported. The number of boats varied from three to five. The incident became a cause of worry for the structural safety of the barrage.
The New Indian Express report mentioned above reported, quoting irrigation officials that all 70 gates of the barrage were lifted at 2200 hours on Sept. 2, 2024, passing 11.03 lakhs cusecs of water, highest in 70 year history of the barrage. The report stated: “Previously, the Krishna River saw historic floods from October 2 to 13, 2009, when the maximum inflow recorded at Prakasam Barrage was 11,10,404 cusecs at 11 pm on October 5.”
Continue reading “Andhra Pradesh: Prakasam Barrage Damaged by ‘Sand Boats’ Again”In the just concluded month of Aug 2024, India received just 295.2 mm (162.7 mm or 36.2% below normal in Aug 2023[i], 263.8 mm in Aug 2022, 3.5% above the normal[ii]) or 15.8% above normal rainfall of 254.9 mm as per India Meteorological department (IMD). In Aug 2021, the rainfall was 195.9 mm[iii], about 24.13% below normal and in Aug 2020, the rainfall was 327 mm[iv], or about 26.6% above normal.
Continue reading “June Aug 2024: District wise rainfall in India’s SW Monsoon”(Feature Image: An analysis of satellite imaging of 54 lakes taken in 1979 and 2023, secured by the HYDRAA from the NRSA shows that 40 lakes or nearly 75 per cent of lakes have shrunk by half. (Image: Twitter/DC)
The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency, or Hydra was established under GO 99, dated July 19 2024. A task the agency has taken up in all seriousness is protection of water bodies in the Hyderabad Capital Region (it includes 4 districts). To begin with it has started demolition of buildings illegally built inside the Full Tank Area (FTL) and Buffer area of the water bodies.
In July, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy replaced the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of the government with Hydra, a body mandated to tackle illegal encroachment on water bodies in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and surrounding areas. Its strength was upgraded from around 800 to 2,200 and its officials came directly under the principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development or the CM himself. “Hydra will also ensure the protection of water bodies in and around Hyderabad,” former EVDM commissioner and Hydra chief A V Ranganath said during its inception.
Continue reading “DRP 020924: HYDRA to protect water bodies in Hyderabad – a landmark move?”On Aug 28 2024, the earthen wall of the Karchul Dam in Jetpur Tehsil of Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh breached. A mid night operation[i] had to be conducted to shift about 52 people to safe location in a community building three km away in Bhathia. The Times of India reported: “Officials said that the erosion was severe and the rising water level posed a significant risk.” The dam was full due to recent heavy rains, and the earthen wall of the dam breached, leading to flooding in residential area and panic in the village[ii].
Continue reading “Aug 2024: Karchul Earthen Dam Breach in Shahdol-Madhya Pradesh a wake up call”India Meteorological Department (IMD) Flash Flood Bulletin (FFB) at 11.30 hours on Sept 1 2024[i] for “24 hours Outlook for Flash Flood Risk till 0530 hrs of 02-09-2024” includes large number of Narmada valley districts of MP. All this water is likely to come to Sardar Sarovar Dam as Big upstream dams like Bargi (96% full), Tawa (94%), Indira Sagar (97%) and Omkareshwar (72%) are all almost full and the soil in the Narmada basin is already almost fully saturated, all figures from the daily reservoir bulletin of Narmada Control Authority as on Aug 29 2024 (https://nca.gov.in/dailyreports.htm).
Continue reading “Will Sardar Sarovar AGAIN create avoidable flood disaster in Sept 2024?”
SANDRP 