DRP 131025: Pump Storage Hydro Projects facing increasing opposition

October 13, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: People raising objections against Sharavathi PSP at a Public Hearing in Shivamogga on Sept. 16)

It is interesting that this week there are reports about growing opposition to Pump Storage Hydro Projects across the country including in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh (proposed project near Bargi reservoir in Narmada Valley) besides similar opposition seen earlier in Maharashtra. This should wake up the authorities and realise that the assumption of such projects being socially and environmentally benign is totally wrong.

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Himachal Pradesh: Kullu Villagers Demand Suspension of Sarbari-I SHEP

October 10, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

Blaming Sarbari I Small Hydro Power (HEP) project for causing reoccurring disasters, the villagers of Mashana panchayat in Lag Valley of Kullu district have demanded suspension of the 4.5 Mw project operation. As per the villagers the leakages in the surge shaft and head race tunnel and burst of penstock of the project in August and Sept. months this year have caused landslides and flash flood disasters impacting their land and livelihoods. They have said that due to these disasters about 80 meter Mashana link road, some houses, a water tank and over hundreds of bigha of fertile farmland have been severely damaged.

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Dam Disaster

Six die in Markonahalli Dam disaster in Karnataka in Oct 2025

October 9, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

In a dam induced tragedy, six people died, of them four bodies have been found and two more are being searched for. This happened after gates of the Markonahalli dam across Shimsha river (a 221 km long tributary of Cauvery River) in Mandya district in Karnataka suddenly opened on Oct 7 at around 3.30 pm. The tragedy occurred in a village near Yadiyur in Kunigal taluk of Tumakuru district on the border of Tumakuru and Mandya districts, about 100 km from Bengaluru. The Hindu reported earlier in Oct 2000 that the dam gates are poorly maintained.

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Rainfall

High Rainfall days in India’s districts in Sept 2025

October 8, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

An analysis of the daily district wise rainfall data from India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the month of September 2025 shows that there were 417 (546 in Sept 2024, 406 in Sept 2023 [i], 417 in Sept 2022 [ii] and 489 in Sept 2021 [iii]) instances when district rainfall of a day was above 50 mm. Such high rainfall instances included 376 (438, 330, 365 and 374 in Sept 2024, Sept 2023, Sept 2022 and 2021 respectively) instances in Sept 2025 when rainfall was 50-100 mm, 34 (73, 64, 47 and 84 in Sept 2024, Sept 2023, Sept 2022 and 2021 respectively) instances in Sept 2025 when it was 100-150 mm, 4 (30, 10, 3 and 20 in Sept 2024, Sept 2023, Sept 2022 and 2021 respectively) times in Sept 2025 when it was 150-200 mm and 3 (5, 2, 2 and 11 in Sept 2024, Sept 2023, Sept 2022 and 2021 respectively) instances in Sept 2025 when rainfall in a day was above 200 mm.

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Bhutan · Hydro Disaster

Oct 2025: Bhutan’s Tala Dam Overtopped

October 7, 2025October 11, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

In a major scary incident, the Tala Dam on Wangchhu River in Chukha district of south Bhutan has overtopped for the first time ever, on Oct 5 following unprecedented rainfall in western Bhutan, prompting flood warnings for downstream areas in India’s north Bengal. Bhutan’s NCHM confirmed that DGPC reported that the dam gates failed to open, leading to river water flowing over the dam, considered most dangerous situation for any dam as dams are not designed for such an eventuality.

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Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 061025: Dangers of expediting Hydro Projects in the Himalayas

October 6, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Drone image of the Teesta III dam in Sikkim, taken from Chungthang town looking downstream. Image by Praful Rao of Save the Hills.)

According to a report in the National Daily, the Centre has decided to hire outside experts on fixed contracts to evaluate designs of planned hydropower projects, a move aimed at speeding up construction of several dams in the pipeline, an official said on Oct 1. The Union Govt plans to expedite construction of a slew of hydroelectric projects, especially in Jammu & Kashmir and the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

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Dams · Ganga · Gangetic Dolphins

National Dolphin Day 2025: Deaths, Threats, Conservation Efforts related to Gangetic Dolphins

October 6, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Carcass of a Gangetic dolphin found on Ganga river bank in Sahibganj district on Oct. 02, 2025)

Oct. 5 is marked as National Dolphin Day since 2022 after a decision by the NBWL in its 67^th meeting in March 2022. Earlier the day was designated as Ganga River Dolphin Day. Bihar has been celebrating Oct. 5 as ‘Dolphin Day’ for the past many years. In May 2010, the MoEF had notified the Gangetic Dolphin as ‘National Aquatic Animal’ and in Aug. 2022 launched the Project Dolphin.

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Floods · Highest Flood Level · Monsoon · Rivers

Rivers in Extreme Floods During SW Monsoon 2025

October 4, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

This is the summary report of Highest Flood Levels (HFL) breach incidents which we could document from CWC’s flood monitoring website during South West Monsoon Season 2025. The monthly reports for HFL breach incident for July 2025, August 2025 and September 2025 can be seen by clicking the hyperlinks and the detailed final report can be seen here. SANDRP’s previous reports on the subject can be seen here: HFL breach incidents in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (I), 2021 (II), 2022 (I), 2022 (II), 2023, and 2024.

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Highest Flood Level

Rivers Flowing in Extreme Floods in September 2025

October 1, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna river in severe flood at Mawi site in Kairana, UP on Sept. 02, 2025)

We have been able to observe river attaining new Highest Flood Level (HFL) at least at 18 flood monitoring sites of the Central Water Commission (CWC) in the last month of South West Monsoon 2025. These 18 sites are spread over 7 States & UT, including Jammu & Kashmir (6 sites), Maharashtra (4 sites), Uttar Pradesh (3 sites), Haryana (2 sites), Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka (1 each site) comprising 5 river basins including Indus (6), Ganga (6), Krishna (3), Tapi (2) and Godavari (1).

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Rainfall

SW Monsoon 2025: District wise rainfall in India

October 1, 2025October 6, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

In the just concluded South West Monsoon 2025, India received 937.2 mm (934.8 mm in SW Monsoon 2024, 820 mm in SW Monsoon 2023, 925 mm in SW Monsoon 2022 [i]) rainfall, about 107.9% (107.6% in 2024, 94.45 % in 2023, 106.5% in 2022) of the Normal SW Monsoon rainfall of 868.6 mm as per India Meteorological Department (IMD). This rainfall is categorised as normal rainfall. The rainfall in SW monsoon 2025 is 5^th highest since 2001 and 38^th highest since 1901.

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