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”Author: SANDRP
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”
Why Existing Rules, Regulations Fail to Deter Illegal Sand Miners of Ken River?
(Feature Image: Screenshot of Bundeli Junction video report dated Nov. 19, 2023 on large scale mechanized, instream sand mining in Ken river in Banda district. )
Ken is lifeline of Bundelkhand and among key tributaries of Lower Yamuna basin. The river is relatively clean and free of industrial pollution. However, its existence is under threat due to catchment degradation and the proposed Ken-Betwa interlinking proposal. Apart from this, the river eco-system and dependent people have been at receiving end of large scale mechanized and unsustainable, mostly illegal mining practices for the past many years.
Some recent short video clips, media reports and satellite images have again revealed that sand miners continue to indulge in river destructive mining activities in government approved mine sites in three districts of two states namely Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh and in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. The miners here have blatantly violated the existing mining rules, MoEF guidelines and NGT orders while the respective regulatory agencies have miserably failed to enforce the laws and ensure compliance.
Continue reading “Why Existing Rules, Regulations Fail to Deter Illegal Sand Miners of Ken River?”
Yamuna Manthan 030424: DDA Continues to Destroy River Floodplains
(Feature Image: Huge part of Yamuna floodplain raised by massive soil dumping near Bela Estate just upstream Shashtri Park Metro Depot in North East Delhi. Photo Credit: Vivek Nigam, Photo Journalist Amar Ujala, Source: Principal Correspondent in Amar Ujala, Delhi)
In latest example proving Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) utter failure in protecting Yamuna River floodplains from abuse and encroachment, a large part of floodplain land has been levelled by soil dumping thus raising it by several meters at Bela Estate farm near Shashtri Park Metro Depot. As per the reports, the DDA has allotted about 19.5 ha of floodplain to forest dept for compensatory plantation. The plantation work at the site like at most of the sites on Yamuna floodplain in Delhi has suffered damages during July 2023 floods. And the levelling at the Bela Estate site is being done in the name of protecting the compensatory plantation.
The site is among few remaining floodplain patches available for spread of flood waters. The floodplain area on western bank at the location is less and already developed. Due to natural gradient, the part of floodplain on eastern side undergoes periodic floods. The patch was under several feet floodwater in July 2023. The floodplain immediately downstream the site has already been encroached by the bridge road, metro depot and buildings. Hence, raising of floodplain here would not only reduce spread of flood waters but also hamper the groundwater recharge.
Continue reading “Yamuna Manthan 030424: DDA Continues to Destroy River Floodplains”
DRP 010424: As Krishna basin faces drought and scarcity, water diverted from the basin to Konkan
(Feature image: Map of Bhivpuri Hydropower Project, one of the Tata Dams)
Large parts of South India, including Maharashtra are facing depleted reservoir levels with the beginning of summer and water scarcity. However, the Krishna Bheema basin, the second largest basin of peninsular India, is diverting water to outside the basin to Konkan. The Krishna Bheema basin has the largest live storages of Maharashtra in Koyna dam (1347.5 MCM) and Tata dams (617.67 MCM), but the water in those storages won’t be available to the drought hit residents of Krishna basin in water scarce Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
This is because Koyna and Tata dams divert the water from Krishna Bheema basins to Konkan for power generation. Even in March, according to Maharashtra Load Dispatch Centre, Koyna had generated 128.87 Million Units (MU) of power and Tata Dams had generated 130.47 MU, both by March 30. This implies diversion of millions of Cubic meters of water from Koyna and Tata Dams during March 2024, which mostly gone down from Konkan to Arabian sea.
Continue reading “DRP 010424: As Krishna basin faces drought and scarcity, water diverted from the basin to Konkan”
DRP 250324: Celebrating 50 years of Chipko Movement and Message
(Feature Image: A photo taken in March 1974 of people in Raini village, Uttarakhand, a few days after they protested against the felling of trees in order to make tennis racquets. Source: Varsha Singh/Third Pole report dated 30 Nov. 2022. The original photograph was taken on 30 March, 1974 by Chandi Prasad Bhatt and has been reproduced in The Third Pole with permission)
As we celebrate the golden jubilee of Chipko Movement, one of the most iconic and memorable environmental movements of India, we need to remember the key messages of the movement. It may seem gloomy situation at the place where the movement originated in Raini village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. In fact, as we travel from Raini to Chamoli to Uttarakhand and beyond, as far as environmental situation is concerned, there is not too much around us to celebrate about.
Continue reading “DRP 250324: Celebrating 50 years of Chipko Movement and Message”
World Water Day 2024: Top Ten Positive Water Stories from Urban India
(Feature Image: An arial view of restored Bingipura lake in Bengaluru. Image: Idrees Mohammed/AFB, Source: Forbes India)
Marking World Water Day 2024, this report compiles top ten positive actions and initiatives by resident groups, organizations and local government bodies on water issues in urban India during the past one year. The report shows that joint and persistent efforts by citizen activists, experts and urban local bodies for protection and revival of water bodies including lakes, ponds, step-wells; optimum rain water harvesting and effective treatment of sewage can greatly resolve the water problems in Urban India. Undoubtedly, the most pressing issue is abysmal condition of waste water treatment and reuse of treated waste water in urban areas.
Continue reading “World Water Day 2024: Top Ten Positive Water Stories from Urban India”
World Water Day 2024: Top Ten Positive Actions from Rural India
The World Water Day is celebrated on 22nd March annually across the globe. The theme selected for 2024 is ‘Water for Peace’. On this occasion, this report puts together the top ten positive water stories from Rural India during past one year. The compilation underlines the successful collective actions from village communities in the creation, protection and revival of local water sources including ponds, lakes, tanks etc. which are far better, sustainable and cost-effective measures for meeting potable and irrigation water requirements at local levels.
Continue reading “World Water Day 2024: Top Ten Positive Actions from Rural India”
DRP 180324: Electoral Bonds disclosures confirm political economy of large dams
(Feature Image: A controversy over alleged engineering lapses in the ₹1 lakh cr Kaleshwaram project on Godavari triggered an electoral slugfest. HT, 03 Nov. 2023)
The Electoral bonds details now in public domain, thanks to the Supreme Court of India orders, has once again highlighted the political economy of large dams, hydropower projects and irrigation projects. It has once again confirmed what was publicly known that such large water projects involve kickbacks to political parties.
The details so far available involves companies like Megha Engineering, Rithwick Projects Pvt Ltd, Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd, among others. The projects so far that seems to be involved include Polavaram Dam, Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, Sunni Dam and Hydro projects, Kundah Pump Storage Hydropower project in Tamil Nadu and Silkyara Tunnel, almost all of them also involved in some kind of disaster or other.
Continue reading “DRP 180324: Electoral Bonds disclosures confirm political economy of large dams”
March 2024: 3 Hydropower Workers Killed in Avalanche in Kinnaur-Himachal Pradesh
(Feature image: Rescue work being done at Selti-Masrang HEP site in Kafnu, Kinnaur on March 11, 2024. Image Source: News 18 Hindi)
A snow avalanche has killed three workers of under construction Selti-Masrang hydroelectric power (HEP) project in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The incident occurred in after noon hours reportedly around 01:00 pm on March 11, 2024.
The 24 Mw project is being built by Hyderabad based Ramesh Hydro Power Private Limited on Wangar khad, a tributary of Sutlej River near Kafnu village panchayat in Bhaba valley of the district. The basic information about the project can be seen here. A forest land of 4.75 ha was diverted for the project wide permission given in May 2013. In 2016, 0.64 ha more forest land was applied for. The project cost then in 2016 was Rs 154. 27 cr.
Continue reading “March 2024: 3 Hydropower Workers Killed in Avalanche in Kinnaur-Himachal Pradesh”
SANDRP 