HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM PRESENT IN GODAVARI, EXTENT STILL UNKNOWN: Institutional Apathy & Opacity Ahead of Kumbh Mela

October 26, 2026October 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

STATEMENT AND MEMORANDUM

To:

Chief Minister of Maharashtra cm@maharashtra.gov.in
Chief Secretary of Maharashtra cs@maharashtra.gov.in
Secretary of the Environment and Climate Change Department for the Government of Maharashtra psec.env@maharashtra.gov.in
Principal Secretary, Public Health Department for the Government of Maharashtra psec.pubhealth@maharashtra.gov.in
Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) mscb.cpcb@nic.in
Member Secretary of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) ms@mpcb.gov.in
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) ceo@midcindia.org
Municipal Commissioner, Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioner@nmc.gov.in commissionernmc@gmail.com
District Collector, Nashik collectorofficenashik@gmail.com

SUBJECT: INSTITUTIONAL APATHY & OPACITY AHEAD OF KUMBH MELA ON HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM POLLUTION IN NASHIK

Four weeks have elapsed since the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) were formally notified of acute industrial chemical contamination in the groundwater of Ambad (Dattanagar / Maruti Sankul).

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Godavari · River Pollution

TOXIC EMERGENCY IN NASHIK AHEAD OF KUMBH MELA: GROUNDWATER TESTS 1,000 TIMES OVER SAFE CHROMIUM LIMITS

October 8, 2026October 11, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

PRESS NOTE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Laboratory testing has confirmed acute toxic contamination ongoing in Ambad, Nashik, where residential borewell water has turned bright yellow, likely due to industrial hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from the Ambad MIDC.

Local activists Roshan Kedar, Rajesh Pandit, their team and volunteers highlighted the issue and have been consistently following up with residents. Parineeta Dandekar, SANDRP visited the site and got the groundwater the sample tested in an accredited lab.

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Dams, Rivers & People · Godavari · Irrigation

2025: Sand Miners Suspected for Blasting Check Dams in Telangana

June 10, 2026June 10, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Check dam on Manair river at Adavisomanpalli in damaged condition on Dec. 18, 2025. Source: DC)

Collapse of two check dams, Tanugula and Adavisomanpally, on Manair river during Nov-Dec 2025 under suspicious circumstances has raised serious concerns about the structural safety of the irrigation infrastructures in Telangana. The locals and officials suspect the role of illegal sand mining and possible use of explosives by sand miners as likely cause.

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Dams · Godavari

उगम: Story of Godavari and Vaitarna’s Origin

February 12, 2024February 19, 2024 SANDRP8 Comments

Most Indian languages have a saying which goes something like: “Do not go looking for a river’s origin or a Rishi’s lineage”. I thought this was because these stories become eclectic and frankly scandalizing as we trace them. But while looking at several origins of River Godavari on the Brahmagiri Mountain, I realized that the meaning can be much simpler (or much complicated): It is difficult to decide on a single origin for a river.

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Dams · Godavari · Interlinking of RIvers · Maharashtra

From thirsty Tribal areas to Industries: Travesty of Intrabasin Transfers in Maharashtra

August 20, 2019August 21, 2019 SANDRP4 Comments

Above: Tribal women fetch water from a well which was supplied by the government tankers at a village in Mokhada, April 2019. This is the “Surplus” region which is supposed to transfer water to Sinnar as per the Damanganga-Upper Vaitarna-Godavari Link. Photo: PTI

Maharashtra Government is aggressively pushing Intrastate River water transfers from West flowing rivers into Godavari and Tapi Basins. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has tried to package these transfers as “Diverting water from Konkan to Drought Affected Marathwada”. This can be an eye candy for majority population, if we do not look at the details of these destructive projects.

One of the first projects coming for Stage I Environmental Clearance is about transferring water from Damanganga and Upper Vaiatarna Basins into Kadve Dam in Godavari Basin and from there to Dev Nadi in Sinnar, to provide water to Sinnar. The project, costing Rs 2700 Crores, will displace more than 4000 people, mainly tribals, submerge 8 villages and 1230 hectares of land, 179 hectares of Forest and possibly parts of Tansa Sanctuary. Continue reading “From thirsty Tribal areas to Industries: Travesty of Intrabasin Transfers in Maharashtra” →

Dams · Godavari

Godavari Basin in Maharashtra: A Profile

March 8, 2017July 16, 2017 SANDRP1 Comment

The river Godavari is the largest of the peninsular rivers of India. Maharashtra is home for its early flows and Godavari for Maharashtra is no less than Ganga. Referred to as Dakshin Ganga the river holds immense spiritual and cultural significance. Several places at its origin are said to be abode of Rama during the exile. These places are worshipped even today.

One of the unique aspects of this river is that it drains nearly entire East to West length of Maharashtra. And while running ceaselessly towards the Bay of Bengal the river encompasses nearly all the geographically diverse regions of the state. Originating in Western Ghats this river later traverses through the arid and dry region of Marathwada and then emerges in high rainfall region of Vidarbha. While the Upper Godavari sub basin is a part of prosperous sugar cane growing belt of Western Maharashtra; its tributaries like Manjara and Wardha-Wainganga flow through the region where there is still significant potential of local water systems.

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Dams · Godavari

Borewell water in a concretized Ramkund: Has religion helped Rivers at all?

June 15, 2016June 16, 2016 SANDRP5 Comments

A couple of years ago, we were travelling from Dehradun to Delhi and on my left was the massive Bhimgouda barrage which diverted the Ganga through Upper Ganga Canal at Haridwar. The barrage diverted the entire river, so that the downstream of the barrage, Ganga River was bone dry. Even for an agnostic like me, it was disturbing to see the mighty Ganga dried out like this so close to her origin. But just a couple of hundred meters ahead on the right were Har ki Pauri Ghats where Pilgrims were religiously performing Ganga Arati. There was a highly colored cement statue of Ganga precariously balancing on her gharial, in the middle of the canal. Continue reading “Borewell water in a concretized Ramkund: Has religion helped Rivers at all?” →

Godavari

गोदावरी ध्वजारोहण : Hoisting Godavari’s Flag this Kumbh

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 SANDRP1 Comment

How a citizens’ initiative is protecting the Godavari in Nashik

14^th July was the first day of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik (Maharashtra), on the banks of Godavari[1] River, the largest river basin of Peninsular India (Godavari’s Story: https://sandrp.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/an-introduction-to-godavari-basin/). For perhaps more than a thousand years, people have been congregating on the banks of Godavari every twelve years on the occasion of Simhasta Kumbh, making the ghats come alive. Kumbh has a distinction of being the largest peaceful gathering of humans in the world (Peaceful is subjective term. In Nashik Kumbh 2003, 39 people were trampled to death in a stampede and bloody fights between the sects are not uncommon). Continue reading “गोदावरी ध्वजारोहण : Hoisting Godavari’s Flag this Kumbh” →

Environment Impact Assessment · Godavari · Maharashtra

Lower Penganga Project: Two decades after inception, the struggle continues…

July 15, 2015September 2, 2015 SANDRPLeave a comment

Lower Penganga, an interstate Maharashtra-Telangana project, proposes to build a dam across River Penganga (a tributary of Godavari river) near Tadsaoli Village in Ghatanji Tehsil of Yavatmal District, Maharashtra to irrigate a massive 2,18,129 ha. It has failed to take off even after two decades of its inception. It is a Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) which has been in limelight for corruption and controversies due to over seven fold increase in project cost in just 10 years. In this project contractors with political backing were favored so much so that even the Environmental Impact Assessment of the project was carried out by one of the contractors! The project floated tenders for securing Forest Clearance! The construction was started illegally violating the environmental laws. It is set to submerge around 1000 ha of forest land and affect some 11,000 tribals dependent on it. There has been a decade long struggle of the affected people to protect their rights. Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) was asked to probe into massive corruption in the project. Continue reading “Lower Penganga Project: Two decades after inception, the struggle continues…” →

Godavari · Interlinking of RIvers · Krishna River · Telangana

Pranahita-Chevella Project: Gargantuan Project with Gargantuan Violations

January 10, 2015January 16, 2015 SANDRP8 Comments

Can you imagine a project-not any project, perhaps India’s largest irrigation project till date- going on for years without most statutory clearances? Can you imagine a project on which Rs 7000 Crores[1] have been spent already but its Dam height (FRL – Full Reservoir Level) is yet undecided? Can you imagine a project whose canal works are ongoing in full swing, without having any idea of the submergence? Can you imagine a Public Hearing where the Project Engineer says that the meeting is only about compensation not about environmental impacts or fundamental questions? Can you imagine a state which is set to lose thousands of hectares of rich forests, protected areas, villages for a project of a different state, but is happy to oblige? Can you imagine a Ministry which turns a stony Nelson’s Eye to a project continuing right under its nose without Environmental Clearance, Wildlife Clearance or Forest Clearance?

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