A dam which was part of the 14 de Julho hydropower plant in Brazil has partially collapsed on May 2, 2024, following heavy rains that started on Apr 29 and expected to be continued to May 3[i]. The breached dam, located between Cotiporã municipality and Bento Gonçalves city, reportedly created a 2m wave, exacerbating the floods in the already inundated areas. Meteorologists attribute the extreme weather event to an unusual amalgamation of soaring temperatures, elevated humidity levels, and fierce winds.
Continue reading “May 2024: Brazil Dam Collapse leads to death, destruction”Author: SANDRP
May 2024: Chanju III HEP in Chamba-HP: Rockfall Incident Kills 1; Injures 2
(Feature Image: Screenshot of First Verdict video report on rockfall incident at Chanju III HEP in Chamba)
A rockfall incident at weir site of Chanju III Hydro Electric Project (HEP) site in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh has left one worker dead and two injured[i]. The incident occurred in afternoon on May 3, 2024 when several workers were working on the weir site of the project.
Suddenly rock pieces started falling on them from uphill portion creating panic among the workers. They had to run for the shelter to save their lives. However, one worker was severely hit by the stones and two others got injured while looking for safety cover.
Continue reading “May 2024: Chanju III HEP in Chamba-HP: Rockfall Incident Kills 1; Injures 2”
Yamuna Manthan 0524: SC Stays 4 NBWL cleared Dams in Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary
(Feature Image: Google Earth Image showing location of 6 proposed dams in Kalesar national park area by Haryana government)
In a welcome judicial intervention, the Supreme Court on April 24, 2024 has stayed building of four dams inside Kalesar National Park in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana. Issuing notices to Centre and Haryana governments, the apex court noted that the dams namely Chikan, Kansli, Khillanwala and Ambawali would not achieve the intended purposes and would prove detrimental to wildlife, biota and eco-system of the National Park.
Disappointingly the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) had approved the dams ignoring the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) report warning about adverse impacts of these dams on the terrestrial as well as aquatic biodiversity in the protected area. As per the WII report, the Irrigation Department, Haryana had planned building of six dams costing about Rs. 125 cr. on streams feeding Pathrala river in the national park.
Continue reading “Yamuna Manthan 0524: SC Stays 4 NBWL cleared Dams in Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary”
DRP 290424: Why is Climate Change not major election issue?
(Feature Image: Vehicles stuck in debris following a recent cloudburst at Saat Meel in Mandi, on August 20, 2023. (PTI Photo/Money Control)
World’s largest democratic exercise is now ongoing in India to elect the members of India’s Lok Sabha. Over 97 crores are eligible to vote in these elections. One of the biggest factors that is adversely affecting people across India currently is Climate Change. It is affecting almost every aspect of life and the adverse impacts are only increasing with every passing year. This is man-made disaster basically happening due to anthropogenic reasons, affecting air, water, climate, food, health, livelihoods, disasters and so on, affecting everyone. Currently, India is also a major contributor to the climate change causing green-house gas emissions, even though historically, the developed countries have contributed much more.
More importantly, the development options that the elected government choose will decide how the people will be impacted by climate change. The government has large number of options for pathways to development. Considering all this, one expected that climate change responses will be a major issue in these elections. But that is clearly not the case. BJP and Congress, two of the biggest parties fighting the elections, have mentioned climate change in their manifestos, but neither has dealt with this important issue with the detail and seriousness required. Nor are any of them making climate change a major election issue. One expects the ruling party to at least respond in greater detail and seriousness to this issue, but that is not the case.
Continue reading “DRP 290424: Why is Climate Change not major election issue?”
DRP 220424: International Energy Agency accepts high-cost high risk hydro is no longer High Priority
DRP 220424: International Energy Agency accepts high-cost high risk hydro is no longer High Priority
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has accepted in its latest World Energy Investment Special Report titled “Reducing the Cost of Capital: Strategies to unlock clean energy investment in emerging and developing economies” has candidly accepted that hydropower (excluding pump storage) is no longer the high-priority sector.
Among the challenges hydropower faces, according to IEA, include long permitting time necessary considering the high and complex impacts of hydropower projects amd delays during construction. IEA figures show that the capacity of Chinese developed hydropower projects that had high proportion of installed hydropower capacity globally in any year for decades, was the lowest in 2023 since 2014. The report accepts that high cost of capital with high interest rates can have a major impact on Cost of electricity, affecting competitiveness of the hydropower projects.
Continue reading “DRP 220424: International Energy Agency accepts high-cost high risk hydro is no longer High Priority”
Restore Yamuna Floodplain Raised by Illegal Soil Dumping near Shashtri Park, Delhi
(Feature Image: Experts object elevation work on Yamuna floodplain in North East Delhi. Source: ToI, March 29, 2024)
This is an open letter to concerned government officials regarding restoration of Yamuna floodplain illegally raised and levelled by Forest Department, Delhi and DDA at Bela Farm near Shashtri Park, Delhi.
Continue reading “Restore Yamuna Floodplain Raised by Illegal Soil Dumping near Shashtri Park, Delhi”
DRP 150424: Supreme Court’s order on right to be free from climate change impact is welcome, BUT…
(Feature Image: Polluted Hindon river flowing through Ghaziabad in March 2024. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)
On March 21, 2024, a case related to the Grean Indian Bustard, a critically endangered bird – numbering less than 150 individuals – has led the Supreme Court of India to expand citizens’ constitutional right to life and equality to include the right to be free from the adverse impact of climate change. The PIL filed by M.K. Ranjitsinh asked to protect the GIB from extinction. In 2021, in this PIL, the Supreme Court had passed directions restricting and regulating power lines and renewable energy projects in an area of 99,000 sq km in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The Supreme Court’s latest order modified directions passed in the earlier judgment. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud – writing for the 3-judge bench including Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra – has expanded the contours of environmental jurisprudence: from the oft-repeated polluter pay principle–precautionary principle–public trust doctrine to the larger arena of climate justice, environmental inequity and gender justice. However, in the process, the protection the SC gave through earlier order has been withdrawn.
Continue reading “DRP 150424: Supreme Court’s order on right to be free from climate change impact is welcome, BUT…”
Controversial Road Project Threatens Bhopal’s Bhoj Wetlands, Forest & Wildlife
(Feature Image: Statue of great Parmar King Raja Bhoj in Upper lake in Bhopal. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP, May 2023)
The Bhoj wetlands in Bhopal city is one of the oldest man-made lake in Asia. The waterbody is a fountainhead of environmental services and a designated Ramsar wetlands site. Despite this, the wetlands eco-system has been facing gradual degradation on account of growing encroachments, pollution[i] and extravagant tourist projects. Amid this, a new road project cutting through the catchment area of Bhoj wetlands and forest land around Bhopal city has raised alarm bells among concerned citizens who term its unnecessary and suggest better options as win-win solution.
Continue reading “Controversial Road Project Threatens Bhopal’s Bhoj Wetlands, Forest & Wildlife”
Dam Removal as a River Restoration Tool: World Fisheries Congress 2024
The recently concluded World Fisheries Congress in Seattle in March 2024[i] discussed several themes relating to the health of our rivers, dependent communities and fish. Of the several interesting sessions, Symposium on ‘Dam Removal as a River Restoration Tool at the Water-Energy-Food Nexus’[ii] was of particular interest. I was simultaneously at two parallel sessions and was unable to attend some of the presentations but have tried to provide an overview of the Symposium, including a talk by SANDRP.
Continue reading “Dam Removal as a River Restoration Tool: World Fisheries Congress 2024”
DRP 080424: Demand to include River protection measures in election manifestoes
(Feature Image: Ganga river at Garhmukteshwar in March 2024. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)
The demand of NAPM to political parties going to the National elections in next couple of months to include protection of rivers and communities dependent on rivers in their manifestoes is most appropriate and urgently required.
Some key components of the demand include strengthening of decentralized river governance, role in decision making related to rivers for the fisherfolks, boats people and other river dependent communities. A draft of the People’s River Protection Bill has also been sent to the political parties. The NAPM also opposed indiscriminate construction of dams, hydro projects, embankments, barrages, river front developments, illegal sand mining, dumping of solid and liquid waste in the rivers and also interlinking of projects, all being done in the name of development, with least concern for the rivers. The draft bill also demands removal of unjust encroachments into riverbeds and floodplains. NAPM also demands continued flow in the perennial rivers by way of adequate environment flows throughout the length of the rivers from origin to its confluence with other rivers or sea.
Continue reading “DRP 080424: Demand to include River protection measures in election manifestoes”
SANDRP 