Blaming Sarbari I Small Hydro Power (HEP) project for causing reoccurring disasters, the villagers of Mashana panchayat in Lag Valley of Kullu district have demanded suspension of the 4.5 Mw project operation. As per the villagers the leakages in the surge shaft and head race tunnel and burst of penstock of the project in August and Sept. months this year have caused landslides and flash flood disasters impacting their land and livelihoods. They have said that due to these disasters about 80 meter Mashana link road, some houses, a water tank and over hundreds of bigha of fertile farmland have been severely damaged.
Continue reading “Himachal Pradesh: Kullu Villagers Demand Suspension of Sarbari-I SHEP”Category: Climate Change
Lippa Villagers Blame Kashang HEP for Artificial Lake in Sutlej Basin
(Feature Image: Sept. 07, 2025 pics showingg houses submerged in artificial lake in Lippa village)
It has been over three weeks since an artificial lake formed in Lippa village under Pooh division of Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh has not been breached fully. The lake was formed after flashflood in Pajer nullah in Sutlej river basin on Sept 4, 2025 which blocked the flow of Kerang stream. Subsequently, first floors of about 5 homes were submerged in the lake water. The deluge also damaged 5 irrigation channels, 2 potable water sources & several apple plants.
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Sept 2025: Why did Yamuna Repeat July 2023 Like Flood Spell in Delhi?
(Feature Image: NDRF team gazing at flooded relief camps at Yamuna bazar, Delhi)
In first week of September 2025, Yamuna river in Delhi has again witnessed another unusual flood spell. This is happening two years after the river recorded unprecedent flood event in July 2023. This report compares the July 2023 flood with the one in Sept 2025 underlining the probable factors making these deluges uncommon and man-made flood disaster.
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DRP 080925: Will the higher judiciary Listen?
(Feature Image: Seraj valley in Mandi district of Himachal battered by extreme weather events in July 2025)
Well known environmentalist Manshi Asher through the following article is giving a very important message that everyone, particularly Judiciary needs to listen and act upon. While higher judiciary is rightly highly respected, its track record on acting on environmental issues is far from satisfactory and leaves a lot to be desired.
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Aug 2025: Landslide Damages NHPC’s Dhauliganga HEP in Uttarakhand
A landslide incident has partially damaged the power house tunnel of NHCP’s Dhauliganga HEP in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. The incident occurred in the evening of Aug 30, 2025 after heavy rainfall also blocked the mouth of underground tunnel with rocks and debris. The HEP is built on Dhauliganga river in Dharchula tehsil of the district.
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Vulnerable Nallahs in the Himalayas Need Urgent Attention
“When Jahlma Nallah starts roaring, we cannot sleep. It has been flooding for the past three years at least” said octogenarian Devi Singhji in October 2024. Jahlma Nallah, which joins the Chenab and blocks it occasionally, flooded again catastrophically in the monsoon of 2025.
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Aug 2025: Surwal Dam Floods Villages in Sawai Madhopur-Rajasthan
(Feature Image: Surwal dam flood creates a huge crater in Jarwata village in Sawai Madhopur)
Overflowing of Surwal dam in Rajasthan has severely affected over a dozen villages for more than three days. The dam in Sawai Madhopur district overflowed following excessive rainfall on Aug 22-24, 2025[i]. The Surwal, Mainpura, Jarwata were among the most affected villages where several houses were submerged under 3-5 feet flood water damaging foodgrains and other essential items.
At least 13 people have been reported dead in the district in this flood episode.
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Aug 2025: Yamuna Flows Blocked at Syana Chatti in Uttarakhand
(Feature Image: Buildings submerged in artificial lake following blockage in Yamuna river at Syana Chatti)
Blockage of Yamuna flows has resulted in formation of an artificial lake in the Yamuna river on August 21, 2025 at Syana Chatti in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The lake is a result of debris and mud floods in Kupada khad (Garh gaad) after the rains in the morning. The water level in the lake dipped in the afternoon and increased again following fresh debris slide from the stream without any rain activity around 04:30 pm.
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DRP 18 Aug2025: Sustainable Hydropower an Oxymoron?
Analyzing a recent paper authored by 37 persons mainly from academics and hydropower related companies on “Sustainable Hydropower”, Eugene Simonov shows why the phrase is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. The paper fails to even refer to the most important work on hydropower projects, the report of the World Commission on Dams.
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Dharali Disaster: Bhagirathi River Blockage Partially Removed
(Feature Image: Formation of artificial lake in Bhagirathi river at Harshil, Uttarkashi)
After 11 days since the Dharali disaster unfolded in Bhagirathi valley Uttarakhand on August 5, 2025, an artificial lake formed on Bhagirathi river has been removed to some extent by the joint team of concerned departments on Aug 16, 2025 noon. The lake was formed after the Tel gaad partially blocked the Bhagirathi river at Harshil about 2.5 km downstream of Dharali.
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