Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) is a premier institute under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India. It is one of the only government institutes researching the status of inland fisheries and recommending steps to improve fisheries and well-being of dependent population. Founded in 1947, an expert from CIFRI sits on the Expert Appraisal Committee, (EAC) on River Valley Projects of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF and CC), recommending environmental clearances to dam projects across the country. This expert is supposed to look at impacts on fish diversity, fisheries and dependent population and judge whether the project is feasible or not based on its impact and possible mitigation measures.
Continue reading “Clueless about fish passes: CIFRI’s Review of fish pass research in India”
DRP 050824: Cities fail monsoon test
(Feature Image by Cartoonist Alok/ Sakal, July 25, 2024)
This monsoon has again shown how our cities have been failing the monsoon test for decades. As rightly suggested in the Indian Express Edit this week, main reasons are: outdated drainage systems, planning that is blind to local hydrology and pathetic state of civic agencies. The last factor in fact needs to change to failed governance at all levels. There is no water or flood policy that guides our cities, nor is there any reward for improving governance, nor any penalties for lack of it.
In fact, with better rainwater management, cities can convert this problem into a blessing, both in terms of water security and also improved state of urban landscape. This would be possible if it prioritizes the city’s capacity to hold, store, recharge and drain the rainwater. Instead, the cities are busying destroying such capacities by destroying the rivers, ridges, forests, local water bodies, groundwater recharge capacities and also the drainage capacity.
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July 2024: ‘Cloudburst’ in Beas Basin Damages 2 HEPs in Himachal Pradesh
(Feature Image: Flashflood ravaged 9 Mw Beas Kund HEP Powerhouse complex. Image Source: News on Air)
The cloudburst induced flashflood destruction took place late on July 25, 2024 in Palchan area of Manali tehsil in Kullu district. Many of the media reports have also mentioned about the deluge damaging a hydroelectric power (HEP) project in Palchan just in a single line without revealing any details or even the name of the HEP.
While looking for more information about the affected HEP, we came to know that not just one but two HEPs have faced significant damages due to the flashflood incident. Both projects are owned and run by private companies in upper Beas River basin.
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DRP 290724: Dam Floods need urgent attention
(Feature Image: Officials said it was very important to identify a dry area for construction of the diaphragm wall and the earth-cum-rock-fill dam on top of it, this being the main dam of the Polavaram project. DC Image)
The floods last week in Pune, with significant contribution from dam releases from upstream has led to Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directing the water resources department to keep the Khadkwasla Dam only half full to avoid repeat of the floods. While this is welcome and needs to be implemented, it also raises a number of questions.
The phenomena of water releases from dams contributing to downstream floods is not new, it has been going on for decades as SANDRP has been pointing out. Even in 2023 monsoon, several dams were found guilty of this including Sardar Sarovar on Narmada in Gujarat and Bhakra & Pong dams in Punjab (this was highlighted at a meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday by SANDRP and others), among others. In 2019 floods in Maharashtra and Karnataka too this happened in Krishna basin. So, the minister’s statement post disaster is surprising.
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July 2024: NMDC’s Iron Ore ‘Check-Dam’ Flood Disaster in Chhattisgarh
(Feature Image: Screenshot of NMDC’s ‘check-dam’ in flooded condition. Image Credit: NDTV MP/Chhattisgarh)
An iron ore check-dam of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NDMC) has breached and created flood disaster in downstream area of Kirandul town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. The breach of earthen dam located between mines 11 B & 11 in eastern ridge of Bailadila range occurred around 3 pm on Jul 21, 2024 following heavy rainfall.
The subsequent deluge has affected several homes and vehicles in Bengali camp located downhill the dam in Kirandul town. There was chaos among the residents who fled to their safety seeing the flash flood. A six-year-old kid on his way to attend tuition class was washed away. The child was later rescued safely and hospitalized as per the Amar Ujala report.
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DRP 220724: Why are Under construction hydro and dam projects excluded from dam safety regime?
(Flash flood ravaged HCC’s batching plant along Alaknanda river at under construction Vishnugad Pipalkoti HEP site in Chamoli district. Image source: Social Media)
As we saw in stories in last week (e.g., Luhri HEP in Himachal Pradesh) and see this week (Vishnugad Pipalkoti in Uttarakhand and Dibang HEP in Arunachal Pradesh), a number of under construction projects regularly face disaster, which includes deaths and destruction on large scale. We have been narrating stories related to disaster at such projects regularly in the past too.
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July 2024: A Worker killed at Dibang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh
(Feature Image: One dead in NHPC’s Dibang multipurpose worksite. Source: The Arunachal Times, X post July 17, 2024)
Months after work on Dibang Multipurpose Project (DMP) started, a worker has died in fatal accident at the project site which reportedly occurred at 03:00 am on July 16, 2024. The deceased is identified as Primal Udao a native of Cooch Bihar district of West Bengal. There is no confirmed information from the NHPC on the exact cause of his death.
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July 2024: USDMA Clueless on Flashflood Disaster at Vishnugad Pipalkoti HEP
(Feature Image: Screenshot of social media video showing flash flood imapct at HCC’s batching plant during intervening night of July 15-16, 2024.)
The batching plant at the controversial under construction Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Power (HEP) project site in Uttarakhand has suffered significant damages due to a flash flood incident during the intervening night of July 15-16, 2024. The plant belongs to the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) and has been set up by the Alaknanda river downstream the dam of 444 Mw HEP project adjacent to it dumping yard at Gulabkoti in Helang area of Joshimath tehsil in Chamoli district.
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DRP 150724: Celebrating Monsoons
(Feature Image: People visit the seaside as dark clouds hover over the city, in Mumbai, Monday June 03. Image Credit: PTI/ Source: TNIE)
It is rather rare when we find anything in media about celebrating our monsoons. We find this week more than one piece about such celebration in various ways including through creating works like Bollywood songs and poetry in various languages of India.
In a detailed article famous Bollywood related author Jerry Pinto writes about the fascinating Bollywood songs related to monsoon and their picturization. He writes that the great tradition seems to be fading out, but hopefully that will not be the case. Incidentally the article should have mentioned the name of one of the best lyricist, author and film maker, Gulzar, who has shown more love for monsoon that possibly anyone else in Bollywood.
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Himachal Pradesh: Damages at Luhri-I HEP Reveals Loopholes in Dam Safety Act
(Feature Image: Screenshot of Local News India July 06, 2024 video report showing Luhri-I HEP tunnel outlet flooded after rise in Satluj water level.)
The controversial under construction Luhri Hydroelectric Project (HEP) Stage-I is being developed by Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) on Sutlej river near village Nirath village in Shimla and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh. The 210 MW HEP involves construction of an 80 m high concrete gravity dam with six bay gated spillways, a 567 m long horse shoe shaped diversion tunnel, two coffer dams, a surface power house, intake structure and penstocks among other parts.
The project would require 149.07 ha land including of 98.10 ha forest land and 50.97 ha private land. The project dam would create 6 km long reservoir area submerging 100.23 ha of land comprising of 63.52 ha of forest and 36.7 ha of private land. 39.47 ha of the submergence area is riverbed land.
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SANDRP 