Late, lethargic and unaccountable actions of Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) Dam operators have once again contributed to huge and largely avoidable downstream floods in Gujarat. The water level at Golden Bridge in Bharuch is approaching HFL (Highest Flood Level) today on Sept 17, 2023, but these floods could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous both for SSP upstream and downstream areas if SSP authorities had taken action earlier based on actionable information available and based on sound reservoir operation principles of following a rule curve.
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High Rainfall days in India’s districts in August 2023
An analysis of the daily district wise rainfall data from India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the month of Aug 2023, shows that there were 500 (667 in Aug 2022[i] and 431 in Aug 2021) instances when district rainfall of a day in a district was above 50 mm. Such high rainfall instances included 424 (553 in Aug 2022 and 371 in Aug 2021) instances when rainfall was 50-100 mm, 67 (98 in Aug 2022 and 48 in Aug 2021) instances when it was 100-150 mm, 5 (13 in Aug 2022 and 11 in Aug 2021) times it was 150-200 mm and 4 (3 in Aug 2022 and 1 in Aug 2021) above 200 mm. Interestingly, in June 2023[ii] and July 2023[iii] there were 451 and 855 instances when rainfall was above 50 mm, while in June 2022[iv] and July 2022[v] there were 462 and 809 instances when rainfall in a district was above 50 mm. The July 2023[vi] and June 2023[vii] rainfall over India was 13.1% above normal and 10.1% below normal respectively, while the July 2022[viii] and June 2022[ix] rainfall all over India was 16.8% above normal and 8% below normal respectively.
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More Himachal Pradesh Hydro Projects damaged in flashfloods in July-Aug 2023
(Feature Image: Heavy vehicles stuck in Machchhetar nulla near Kuther HEP Adit 3 tunnel in Bharmour tehsil of Chamba after August 25, 2023 cloud burst induced flash flood. Image Source: Screen shot of Himachali Vlogger Balwant Kapoor You Tube video)
In July and August 2023, two more hydro electric power (HEP) projects have faced cloud burst induced flash flood destruction in Himachal Pradesh. The first one is Kuther HEP in Chamba district and the second one is Pittkari HEP in Mandi district. The details of 2 HEPs (14 MW GreenKo HEP in Sutlej basin, Shimla and 66 MW Dhaulasiddh HEP in Beas basin, Hamirpur) earlier impacted by cloudbursts induced deluge in last week of June 2023 can be seen here.
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Floods worsened by Dams collapse lead to deaths of thousands in Libya
Collapse of two dams upstream of the coastal Derna city in NE of Libya, the North African Mediterranean country in the night of Sept 10, 2023, leads to deaths of 5200 and over 10000 missing. This is the worst ever flood disaster of Northern Africa in last 130 years of recorded history. The storm had a climate change footprint, but the city of Darna suffered this fate largely due to dam collapses. This underlines the threat that the dams pose in changing climate. (Feature image above: Remains of a damaged dam upstream of the Derna city in Libya, N Africa in Sept 2023 disaster.)
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DRP 110923: Another independent institution-CEC destroyed
(Feature Image: Ramganga River near Marchula. SANDRP 08 Sept. 2023)
The Govt of India’s Sept 5 2023 notification reconstituting the Central Empowered Committee completely destroys the independent nature of this institution of accountability and course correction. This institution, set up by the Supreme Court in 2002 and reconstituted in 2008, worked as eyes and ears of the Supreme Court on environmental issues. The new committee has no independent members, it will be constituted by the MoEF, MoEF itself has such an abysmally poor track record.
The notification, reports said, diluted the CEC’s autonomy on four key counts: the committee will report to the ministry, instead of the SC; the ministry will pick all the members and the SC will have no role in the process; the ministry, and not the court, will fund the committee; the provision of having two NGOs in the committee has been done away with.
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Rivers Crossing Highest Flood Levels in India in August 2023
(Feature Image: An aerial view of flood-affected areas, in Rishikesh. Image Credit PTI/ Sourrce:-Out Look, 15 Aug. 2023.)
Though August 2023 has turned out to be hottest and driest month in a century; the first half the month has seen extreme flood events happening in North, North East and Central zones of the country causing breach in the highest flood level (HFL) at least at 17 flood monitoring sites being managed by Central Water Commission (CWC). These sites are in Ganga, Narmada and Brahmaputra basins.
There are some sites where HFL has been breached in June and July 2023 also and peak flood level of these sites is given below the peak levels attained in August 2023. The details of 2 sites breaching HFLs in June 2023 & 38 sites in July 2023 can be seen by clicking on respective hyperlinks. A separate report analyzing the severe flood situation in Alaknanda and Ganga basin on August 14, 2023 can be seen here.
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Aug 2023 Floods in Alaknanda-Ganga Rivers
(Feature Image: Ganga river flowing in severe flood condition in Rishikesh on August 14, 2023. Image Credit: PTI/ Source: DH)
On August 14, 2023, there was flash flood in Alaknanda rivers in Uttarakhand causing sharp rise in water level at Center Water Commission (CWC) stations along Alaknanda upto Devprayag and then along Ganga in Rishikesh and Haridwar. The volume of water was so huge that it narrowly missed breaching the June 2013 peak flood level at Rishikesh and Haridwar site. This report tries to analyze hydrographs of 15 CWC flood monitoring sites on Alaknanda and Ganga rivers to assess the actual flood levels in these rivers during this flood spell in comparison with the previous peak flood levels attained on these sites.
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DRP 04092023: Will National Ganga Mission too fail to clean up Ganga?
(Feature Image: Untreated industrial effluents being dumped in Drain No. 6, Sonipat in May 2023.)
More than 7 years have passed since the central government launched Rs. 20, 000 crores Namami Gange Programme in May 2015 replacing Ganga Action Plan (GAP) and created National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) a nodal agency to implement the programme.
The NMCG has already missed the target of cleaning the Ganga by 2019 and then by 2020 due to improper planning and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) as accepted by G. Asok Kumar, Director General (DG), NMCG in an interview to The Week in January 2023 further extending the target to 2026.
Though Namami Gange aimed to adopt a basin wise approach with focus on e-flows, afforestation, revival of tributaries, biodiversity conservation in participatory manner; so far it has extensively worked on creation of sewage treatment infrastructures in the states along the main stem of the river.
Despite that the ground situation is far from improving as shown in the The Hindu report below which reveals that about 80 percent of the overall budget is being spent on sewage infrastructure creation and by 2026, the treatment plants capacity would be able to treat at the most 60 percent of sewage generated only along the main stem of the Ganga river.
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June Aug 2023: District wise rainfall in in India’s SW Monsoon
In the just concluded month of Aug 2023, India received just 162.7 mm (263.8 mm in Aug 2022, 3.5% above the normal[i]) or 36.2% below normal rainfall against Aug normal rainfall of 254.9 mm as per India Meteorological department (IMD). In Aug 2021, the rainfall was 195.9 mm[ii], about 24.13% below normal and in Aug 2020, the rainfall was 327 mm[iii], or about 26.6% above normal.
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DRP 280823: Defund nature destroying activities
(Feature Image: Construction work of World Bank funded 444Mw Vishugad-Pipaltkoti hydro dam project is going. The Developer have been found dumping muck in massive amount in river and carrying out blasting work evening during monsoon time. Image Source: Social Media)
This is indeed the key message if we are serious about tackling climate change with any sincerity. The adverse impacts of mindless activities in the name of development, are acting as force multipliers for climate change impacts as we are experiencing first hand, latest example being in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Particularly when the “development” activities are done without credible project specific and cumulative impact assessment, genuine public consultation process and confidence inspiring monitoring and compliance processes, as is the norm.
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SANDRP 