World Water Day 2025: Smart Cities, Rain & Sewage

March 21, 2025March 23, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Members of Mount Rain drops Appartment residential Association posing for a picture at STP set up at a private gated community in Coimbatore. Source: EPS)

Rains and sewage are biggest resources available to Indian cities which can be harvesting and treated to meet the ever-increasing water needs. This can not only help significantly in checking groundwater depletion but also reduce pollution levels in urban water bodies. On the World Water Day 2025, we compile top ten media reports highlighting progress in utilizing these viable alternatives in urban India. The reports suggest that while some south Indian cities particularly Bengaluru and to some extent Chennai is taking some positive steps in this direction, there is very little action happening in the rest of cities. Interestingly, 6 of the ten top stories here are from South India and only one each from Central and North India.

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Water

World Water Day 2025: Top Ten Positive Initiatives from Rural India

March 21, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The Jal Saheliyon ki Jal Yatra or the ‘Water walk of Women friends of Water,’ an over 300 km-long march for water conservation started in Feb 2025. Source: Global Bihari)

Marking World Water Day 2025, this compilation highlights top ten positive efforts made during last one year by village communities and women groups in India for restoration and protection of their water resources. The report also shares some important water conservation initiatives being taken by the various governments in India. The first part of the series has covered water efficient practices being adopted by the Indian farmers.

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World Water Day 2025: Positive Farmer Efforts in India

March 20, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Horticulture cultivation in Punjab records a 42% increase in area and four-fold increase in produce value in a decade. Source: Express File Photo)

Aiming to advocate sustainable management of freshwater resources, the day of March 22 is annually celebrated as World Water Day across the world since 1993. The theme for this year’s 33rd such event is Glacier Preservation. Since agriculture sector is biggest user of surface as well as groundwater, SANDRP marks the day by presenting top ten reports which highlight the water efficient practices being adopted by farmers and some of these also being supported by the governments in India during 2024.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 170325: Can we work for more Kham Rivers and Less Sabarmati Rivers?

March 17, 2025February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

This week’s DRP News Bulletin brings two encouraging reports about revival of Kham River in Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra. The Bulletin also brings report of Gujarat Human Rights Commission sending notice to the state and city government to uphold the environment rights of citizens in Vadodara. There is also here the news of signing of MOU for beginning of 4 km water taxi along Yamuna in Delhi upstream of Wazirabad barrage, of course without any environment or social impact assessment, any environmental clearance, any public consultation process, with blind faith in Sabarmati River Front Development model.

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Sand Mining

Indian People’s Fight Against Destructive Riverbed Mining

March 14, 2025March 14, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

Since 1997, March 14 has been observed as an International Day of Action for Rivers across the world. This year the 29^th event on the topic will be celebrated with the theme ‘Our Rivers, Our Future’. Marking the day, SANDRP through this account highlights the exemplary work being done by activists and organizations in protecting the rivers from destructive riverbed mining practices in India.

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Wetlands

2024: Approach to Restore Bengaluru Lakes

March 11, 2025March 11, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: -Doddakallasandra Lake on Kanakapura Road in Southern Bengaluru. Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K/ The Hindu/Jan. 2025)

The lakes in Bengaluru have often been in the news for the froth, fish kills, encroachments and pollution related issues and the year 2024 has been no different amid growing concerns and govt attempts to restore them. In fact, despite NGT orders and huge amount spent by the govt, the restoration works of Bellandur, Varthur, Yele Mallappa Shetty, Madiwala and Hosakerehalli lakes have not been completed.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 100325: “Good Floods Reduce the Risk of Bad Floods”

March 10, 2025February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: An aerial view of the flooded collectorate ghat at the bank of Ganga river in Patna. PTI Photo/Source: The Asian Age)

This remarkable report this week, quoting the work of Gilbert F White, also considered “father of floodplain management” provide a number of lessons in flood management. These include: – “Floods are ‘acts of God’, flood losses are largely acts of man” (By ‘acts of God,’ he meant that floods are perfectly natural events);

– “Yes, floods will happen. Whether or not those floods are good floods or bad floods, whether or not they cause damage is largely up to us”;

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Rainfall

Winter 2025: District wise Rainfall in India

March 8, 2025March 8, 2025 SANDRP1 Comment

In the just concluded 2025 Winter Season (January 1 2025 to February 28 2025), as per India Meteorological Department (IMD), India received 47% below Normal Rainfall (it was 33% below normal in winter 2024 [i], it was 45% below normal in winter 2023 [ii], 44% above normal rainfall in winter 2022 [iii] and 32% below normal rainfall in winter 2021 [iv]). This is coming on top of 8% above normal in SW Monsoon 2024 and 3% below normal rainfall in Post Monsoon season 2024 [v].

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Wetlands

Mumbai Civil Society Efforts to Protect Mangroves, Wetlands

March 7, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: On World Migratory Bird Day, May 11, 2024, green groups formed a human chain to protest against the ‘deliberate destruction’ of flamingo homes – wetlands. Source: FPJ)

Like previous years, several civil society groups in Mumbai have continued their remarkable efforts dedicated towards protection and conservation of the mangroves and wetlands throughout 2024. While their untiring efforts have met with some successes, given the hostile agencies and increasing developmental pressures the threats to mangroves and wetlands continue to increase. Despite growing challenges, their undying spirit offers inspiration to other civil society groups in the country. This report tracks the top ten developments regarding the subject beginning with broader issues impacting the future of mangroves and wetlands in the city and the documenting specific cases of DPS Flamingo Lake, Ulwe, Nerul, Kharghar, Panje and other wetlands.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 060325: Dolphin Survey Rings Alarm for Pachnad Dam Project

March 6, 2025March 6, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Line drawing of proposed Pachnad Major Irrigation Project. Source: Amar Ujala)

The findings of the latest Project Dolphin Survey Report released on March 3, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in presence of Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav have raised significant concerns over proposed Pachnad Major Irrigation Project.

While the survey reiterates the adverse impacts of dams, barrages fragmenting the national aquatic animal’s habitat as the population has been found nearly absent between Narora barrage and Kanpur barrage stretch in main stem of Ganga, it also reveals that the endangered species are preferring refuge in Ganga tributaries and confluence points and has been found in highest numbers along 47 km long river stretch between Chambal and Pachnad in Bhind which still undammed.

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