Floods

Rivers Crossing Highest Flood Levels in India in August 2023

September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(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.

Continue reading →

Floods

Aug 2023 Floods in Alaknanda-Ganga Rivers

September 5, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(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.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 04092023: Will National Ganga Mission too fail to clean up Ganga?

September 4, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(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.

Continue reading →

Rainfall

June Aug 2023: District wise rainfall in in India’s SW Monsoon

September 1, 2023September 3, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

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.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 280823: Defund nature destroying activities

August 28, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(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.

Continue reading →

Yamuna River

Uttarakhand: Aug 2023 Landslide Renders Jakhan in Yamuna Valley Inhabitable

August 28, 2023August 29, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Landslide damaged homes in Jakhan village, Dehradun. Image source: Social Media)

The Jakhan village in Yamuna valley suffered a huge landslide in noon hours of August 16, 2023. The village is populated by 28 families. The incident has reportedly damaged 10 houses and 07 cowsheds fully and 02 houses partially apart from impacting a power transmission tower of Power Transmission Corp of Uttarakhand Ltd (PTCUL) forcing the villagers to take refuge in nearby primary school of village Pashta.

The village is part of Binhar region situated about 5 km uphill the power station of 120 Mw Vyasi Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Project on Yamuna river. The Vyasi Project is in Hathyari village of Vikas Nagar tehsil in Dehradun district. Before the fateful incident, the area had witnessed prolonged rain spells and the villagers had seen small cracks around the village.

Continue reading →

Bhakra Dams · Dam floods

No dispute about role of Pong and Bhakra dams in Punjab Aug 2023 floods

August 21, 2023August 23, 2023 SANDRP1 Comment

Large parts of Punjab are facing flood disaster since about Aug 14, 2023. There is no doubt that these floods are due to sudden, untimely releases of massive quantities of water from BBMB managed Pong and Bhakra Dams. It is welcome news that even Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary has now listed the three BBMB managed dams situated in HP, namely, Pong, Bhakra and Pandoh among the 21 dams that have violated the Dam Safety Norms and also the CWC Guidelines of 2015 and action will be taken against them.

Continue reading →

Dams

DRP 210823: Welcome Himachal action against Dam safety violations

August 21, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image:- Screen shot of Hridayesh Joshi, News Laundry ground report showing destruction along Pin Parbati river due to NHPC dam in Sainj Vally in July 2023)

The Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary’s proposed action against violations by 21 of 23 big hydro projects in the state for violations of Dam Safety Act and CWC 2015 guidelines are welcome. We hope there will be no backlash against this from the central govt. In fact Central Govt agencies like CWC, NDMA, CEA and Ministry of Power will welcome and support the HP action and also ask all states to follow suit. In fact all dam owner states need to follow the HP example. SANDRP and other like-minded organisations like Himdhara in HP have been saying this for long and we are glad that there is some though long overdue action on this issue.

A lot more needs to be done. All information related to dam operations and dam safety must be without exception, promptly in public domain. Flood forecasting needs to get out of the ad-hoc-ism now prevailing and possibly needs to be handed over to a new independent organisation that has no axe to grind, unlike CWC. Earlier we bring all these changes, the better it will be for our disaster management.

Continue reading →

CWC - Central Water Commission

July-August 2023: Problems in CWC Flood Monitoring & Forecast

August 19, 2023August 19, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: CWC’s Delhi Railway Bridge forecast site showing abrupt changes in Yamuna water level during unusual flood spell in July 2023)

July and August are peak months of South West monsoon. There has already been flood related destruction in several states including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttarakhand so far. Amid these flood spells, SANDRP has observed many serious issues plaguing Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood forecasting and monitoring work and some of these are described below.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 140823: A year after Karam dam disaster: people suffer, engineer set free, contractor building more dams

August 14, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Breach in Karam dam, Madhya Pradesh. Source:- Social Media)

It was on Aug 13, 2022, a year ago when the Karam dam wall in Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh started leaking water. Two days later it collapsed. The people who suffered during the disaster continue to suffer. The engineers who were supposed to ensure proper construction of the dam, following all the norms, did not do that, were supposed to be suspended, but got reinstated elsewhere. They kept quiet in the courts. The black listed contractor continues to build more dams.

A clearer evidence of the nexus that supports unwanted, destructive, costly, corruption ridden and disastrous dams would be difficult to find. As the destruction due to dams and such other unaccountable infrastructure development plays out in Himachal Pradesh & elsewhere this year, the nexus that thrives on opaque, unaccountable and non-participatory governance continues to happily grow even as the changing rainfall patterns bring greater disasters before our eyes.

Continue reading →