Dams, Rivers & People: 16 Nov. 2015 (Tamil Nadu floods claim 95 lives)

November 16, 2015February 18, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

Incessant rains continued to disrupt normal life in Chennai and across Tamil Nadu on Monday, with the death toll rising to 95. Many areas in Chennai have been inundated, road traffic has been severely hit and schools and colleges are shut across Chennai as a result of the inclement weather. Boats are being used in flooded areas to rescue stranded people. Also see, Rain continues to batter Tamil Nadu, disaster response teams deployed

Continue reading “Dams, Rivers & People: 16 Nov. 2015 (Tamil Nadu floods claim 95 lives)” →

Dams

India’s INDC will increase the water insecurity and problems of the vulnerable and the poor

November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 SANDRP1 Comment

No one can deny that the current Indian government is strong in one aspect: Symbolism. So they did release the India’s INDC[1] (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution) on 2^nd Oct (India time), the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. opening lines of the government in its public statement while releasing INDC reads: “On Gandhi Jayanti, India has submitted it’s (INDC).The approach of India’s INDC has been anchored in the vision of equity inspired by the Father of our Nation Mahatma Gandhi’s famous exhortation: “Earth has enough resources to meet people’s needs, but will never have enough to satisfy people’s greed””. Continue reading “India’s INDC will increase the water insecurity and problems of the vulnerable and the poor” →

Climate Change · Dams · Environment · Ganga · Narmada · Rivers

Dams, Rivers & People: 09 Nov 2015 (Maharashtra Drought-1420 more villages included in affected list)

November 9, 2015February 18, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

The State will now seek a Rs. 4,300-crore package for providing succour to over 16,000 drought-affected villages. Earlier State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Eknath Khadse had declared over 14,708 villages drought-affected. He now said that the State’s assessment by October 31 showed that drought-like conditions also prevailed in 1,420 villages in Buldhana district in Vidarbha, and they would be added to the list of drought-affected villages.

Continue reading “Dams, Rivers & People: 09 Nov 2015 (Maharashtra Drought-1420 more villages included in affected list)” →

Agriculture · Climate Change · Dams · Drought · Environment · Ganga · Irrigation · Monsoon · Narmada · Rivers · South Asia

Dams, Rivers & People: Nov 02, 2015 (Festival Fishing on occasion of Kati Bihu in Assam)

November 2, 2015February 18, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

People of a village in Morigaon district of Assam fish in groups to celebrate ‘Kati Bihu’ on Sunday. The festival is closely related to agriculture, celebrated on the first day of the Kati month of the Assamese calendar. It is that time of the year when paddy grows in the fields and cultivators work hard for a good harvest.— Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar, The Hindu

Continue reading “Dams, Rivers & People: Nov 02, 2015 (Festival Fishing on occasion of Kati Bihu in Assam)” →

Dams

IMD & MP govt provide shockingly different district rainfall figures: Will they explain, please?

October 28, 2015 SANDRPLeave a comment

On Oct 26, 2015, Madhya Pradesh declared drought[1] in 33283 villages in 228 tehsils in 35 districts (of total of 50 districts), affecting 4.4 m ha area and 4.8 m farmers. It sounded a bit strange since Western MP, comprising of 30 districts, had above average rainfall as per IMD (India Meteorology Department[2]) figures for the 2015 monsoon (rainfall during June 1 to Sept 30).

So we decided to cross check district wise rainfall figures. We found that as per IMD, in 29 of the 50 districts in the state, rainfall was Normal or Excess. In case of 21 districts, the rainfall was deficient, that is more than 20% below normal. Continue reading “IMD & MP govt provide shockingly different district rainfall figures: Will they explain, please?” →

Agriculture · China · Climate Change · Dams · Drought · DRP News Bulletin · Environment · Ganga · Irrigation · Monsoon · Nepal · Pakistan · Rivers · Sand Mining

Dams, Rivers & People: Oct 26, 2015 (Saving Tigers is Saving Rivers, Story of once dry Tamirabarani River )

October 26, 2015February 18, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

Tamirabarani teaches: Saving tiger is saving river After Kalakkad-Mundanthurai was declared tiger reserve in 1992, Tamirabarani river has regained its perennial status. Though shorter than Cauvery and Vaigai, Tamirabarani has always held a special place in the state. It started turning dry for four months every year. People of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin thought their river too was going the way of other state rivers. But a move to save the tiger inadvertently became a save the-river policy. The Union ministry of environment and forests declared the Kalakkad – Mundanthurai area as a tiger reserve in 1992. In three years, there was a noticeable change. A study on water inflow into the Karayar river, a tributary, inside the reserve was taken up. Records show that from 1946 till 1990, the river received only 13,000 cubic feet of water annually. After the area was declared as a tiger reserve, the inflow increased to 23,000 cubic feet.

Continue reading →

Dams

Scientist’s Open Letter to Karnataka CM: “Yettinaholé project is ecologically disastrous and economically unviable”

October 26, 2015October 29, 2015 SANDRP2 Comments

We are happy to publish full text of an Open Letter written by Dr. T.V. Ramchandra, Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, to Karnataka CM Shri. Siddaramaiah. The letter transparently questions Yettinahole Project, while strongly rebutting Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited’s (KNNL) propaganda against IISC Report which has established that Yettinahole Catchment does not have the 24.01 TMC water as per KNNL DPR, but only about 9 TMC water, which is used by the basin residents. (https://sandrp.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/yettinahole-diversion-project-literally-holds-no-water/). He does not limit himself to hydrology and ecology, but with detailed rainfall analyses, also debunks the fact that Kolar and Chikkaballapur face acute water scarcity. He staunchly bats for rainwater harvesting, rejuvenating lakes and tanks and afforestation with native species as cheaper and more reliable method to ensure water availability. Continue reading “Scientist’s Open Letter to Karnataka CM: “Yettinaholé project is ecologically disastrous and economically unviable”” →

Agriculture · Dams · Irrigation · Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Marathwada

Pulse Farmers: Custodians of Fertility, Water and Climate-friendly Agriculture

October 20, 2015October 23, 2015 SANDRP6 Comments

Above: A rainfed Tur (Arhar/Pigeon Pea) field in Amravati in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra Photo: Parineeta Dandekar, October 2015

Pulse prices are raging in Indian markets, leading to outrage from urban customers. Newspapers are full of coverage, cartoons and puns on pulse prices. The fate of rural population facing successive droughts which has to buy pulses is better left to imagination. If some benefits of this price hike were to reach actual pulse farmers, it would have been some consolation. But for now, as Pulse farmer Ashok Pawar from Osmanabad tells me, the Tur (Arhar/Pigeon Pea) that is in the market is last year’s. It was sold to the middle men (Adatya in Marathi) and market committee at a low rate as the production was dismal due to late rains and drought followed by unseasonal rainfall. This happened in 2013 too. Tur from 2014 is now being sold at a record price, the farmer watches this helplessly. Continue reading “Pulse Farmers: Custodians of Fertility, Water and Climate-friendly Agriculture” →