Dams

River Sand Mining in India in 2015 – II – Government acts of omissions and commissions

February 3, 2016February 10, 2016 SANDRP10 Comments

Unsustainable sand mining from riverbeds can have huge social, environmental, geomorphic and disastrous impacts for rivers. In this three part reports; SANDRP is trying to provide a picture of what happened on this issue in 2015 in India.

In the first part SANDRP has published the detail of illegal sand extraction that was found rampant across many Indian States in 2015. It specifically covered the increased numbers of attacks on Govt. officials including common men against their attempt to expose and oppose illegal removal of sand from riverbeds.

This second part presents detail of some of the significant steps taken by Central and various State Governments (Govt.) to control and regulate unsustainable excavation of riverbed sand mining.

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Wetlands

Press Release: World Wetlands Day 2016: Complete Regulatory Vacuum around India’s Wetlands

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 SANDRP3 Comments

No National or State Wetlands Authority

No Wetland Rules for 4 yrs

The recent Chennai Flood Disaster of Dec 2015 and the Jammu and Kashmir Flood disaster of Sept 2014 have underlined that Wetlands are important not only for biodiversity & livelihoods of millions, but they are an integral mechanism for flood control and regulation in Rural and Urban India.

India is losing Wetlands at an alarming rate, as much as 38% in a decade (1991-2001). However, for the past four years, there has been a complete regulatory vacuum around the country’s wetlands, despite the Notification of Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules with much fanfare in 2010. Continue reading “Press Release: World Wetlands Day 2016: Complete Regulatory Vacuum around India’s Wetlands” →

DRP: 1 Feb 2016 (Experts suggest ways to revive Madurai’s dying rivers)

February 1, 2016February 19, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

Tamil Nadu Experts suggest six ways to revive dying Madurai’s rivers According to a paper entitled Future Proofing Indian Cities: Towards an approach to spatial and social analysis for sustainable development of Madurai by Jayaraj Sundaresan Development Planning Unit, University College London J. Kanagavalli DHAN Foundation, Madurai their documentation has revealed the significant role of Kruthumal River in the historic, cultural, ecological and economic growth of Madurai. Centuries ago, Madurai city developed as a small urban settlement on the banks between the rivers Kruthumal and Vaigai. Appearing in epics and sacred texts such as Srimad Bhagavatham and Narayaneeyam, Kruthumal has significant presence in the written history of Madurai. It was also known as Narayana Cauvery. It supplied water to the Ahazhi (moat) around the Tirumalai Nayakkar palace in Madurai. The paper gave six methods to look after Vaigai and Kruthumal Rivers in Madurai. Looking at the condition of the rivers one feels it is hopeless, but there is hope if together with the government, something is done to control the destruction of the river, by law. And with organizations like DHAN Madurai can hope for a clean Vaigai in the future.

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Rivers · Sand Mining

River Sand Mining in India in 2015

February 1, 2016February 10, 2016 SANDRP2 Comments

Unsustainable sand mining from riverbeds can have huge social, environmental, geomorphic and disastrous impacts for rivers. In this three part report, SANDRP is trying to provide a picture of what happened on this issue in 2015 in India.

This first part looks into 2015 putting together instances of illegal sand mining that occurred throughout the year in different Indian States. The successive blogs would make an attempt to cover all governmental measures and judicial interventions taken in 2015 to reign in uncontrolled extraction of this possibly most consumed natural resource after air and water.

Illegal mining of sand is profoundly linked to growth in construction industry that have accelerated in recent decades. Since then demand for this mineral is only going up. Today possibly there is not a single river in the country that is not ruined by sand mining. As a result, while the state of rivers has gone worse, the number of violent instances around illegal sand mining is on the increase.

Continue reading “River Sand Mining in India in 2015” →

Bhutan

Bhutan Hydropower Developments in 2015

January 26, 2016January 27, 2016 SANDRP3 Comments

Above: Punatsanghchu River in Bhutan

Bhutan is the only country in the world that measures its development in terms of Gross National Happiness, which includes environmental conservation and preservation of culture[1]. However, Bhutan’s hydropower construction spree in the recent years has increased debt burden on the country. Concerns are emerging over Bhutan’s profligate spending on a single sector without bringing commensurate benefit to its citizens. Hydropower development in the country faces severe risk of climate change effects and has a huge social and ecological cost. But Bhutan continues to develop hydropower claiming that the revenues would fuel economic growth and the loans are self-liquidating. This review of hydropower developments in Bhutan during the year 2015 is based on media reports throughout the year and other publicly available information. Continue reading “Bhutan Hydropower Developments in 2015” →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 25 Jan. 2016 (FAO supports SRI)

January 25, 2016February 18, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

“Save & Grow” FAO supports SRI A new FAO book out on 18 Jan.16 takes a close look at how the world’s major cereals maize, rice and wheat can be grown in ways that respect and even leverage natural ecosystems. FAO also underscores that “Save and Grow” farming systems are knowledge-intensive, and need to be built on local knowledge and needs, recognizing the important role of farmers as innovators. GREAT to see that this FAO publication (http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4009e.pdf ) contains a very detailed discussion and presentation on SRI, the first time that there has been such an endorsement of SRI (System Rice Intensification). With this publication, FAO joins the World Bank (http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/245848/) and IFAD (http://www.ifad.org/english/sri/ and http://www.ifad.org/english/sri/documents.html).

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Agriculture · Dams · Groundwater · Interlinking of RIvers · Krishna River · Maharashtra

Maharashtra’s Water Sector in 2015: Did anything change with the government?

January 23, 2016January 23, 2016 SANDRP1 Comment

Above: A huge protest march against water release to Marathwada Photo: Zee 24 Taas

In 2015, with the change in the ruling party after 15 long years, Maharashtra had a massive opportunity to break free from the crisis-ridden and scam-ridden image of its water sector. Water and dams have been central behind the embarrassing loss of Congress-NCP government in the 2014 Loksabha elections. But could the ruling BJP government actually deliver such a “Paradigm Shift” as it likes to call it? Is there light at the end of the tunnel for the state that is facing not only management scams, but repeated droughts and extreme weather events?

We try to review happenings around water, dams and rivers in Maharashtra for the past year 2015 and to look for a possible direction where the sector is heading, trying to fathom what it holds for the rivers and the people of the state. Continue reading “Maharashtra’s Water Sector in 2015: Did anything change with the government?” →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 18 Jan. 2016 (MoEF Expert Committee on Dams continues to ignore democratic norms)

January 18, 2016February 18, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

MoEF Expert Committee on Dams continues to ignore democratic norms The minutes of the 90th meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydropower projects held on Dec 22-23, 2015, made available today (January 18, 2016, see: http://environmentclearance.nic.in/writereaddata/Form-1A/Minutes/0_0_11118122212121Minutes-90EAC.pdf), shows how the committee continues to ignore basic democratic norms. Here are some key issues about the minutes of this latest meeting:

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Dams · Groundwater · Marathwada

Beautiful but Dry: Dug-Wells of Marathwada in the times of drought

January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 SANDRP3 Comments

I was looking at a piece of blue sky, from the insides of a step-well. The well was stunning. Perfect. An example of appropriate technology which blended with its surroundings while enhancing it. “This is beautiful” I exclaimed as I climbed up, exhibiting all my city-bred exuberance. An old lady sunning herself next to the well looked at me with sad eyes. “Yes. But a well is not a well without water. This well has not seen water for the past two years.”

Wells in Marathwada, like the region itself, are beautiful and poignant. Marathwada’s dry wells are also a reminder of the mistakes we’ve committed, of how we’ve plundered with what we have or had. Continue reading “Beautiful but Dry: Dug-Wells of Marathwada in the times of drought” →

Dams · Maharashtra

MWRRA orders release of less than 3 TMC water for Ujani Dam: Too Little, Too Late

January 14, 2016January 14, 2016 SANDRPLeave a comment

Above: Water released from Bhama Askhed Dam for Ujani Dam, April 2013 Photo:Author

Today (14^th January 2016) Maharashtra’s Marathi AgroDaily announces[i]: “ 3 TMC Water will be released from Bhama Askhed and Chaskaman Dam for Ujani Dam from tomorrow, 15^th January 2016. Looking at the opposition to this by farmers in Pune district, the release will happen under strict police protection. Electricity to farm pumps near the river will be disconnected for 7 days between 15^th-22^nd January to avoid water theft”.

Sounds a bit ominous, doesn’t it? Continue reading “MWRRA orders release of less than 3 TMC water for Ujani Dam: Too Little, Too Late” →