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 “No dispute about role of Pong and Bhakra dams in Punjab Aug 2023 floods”
DRP 210823: Welcome Himachal action against Dam safety violations
(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.
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July-August 2023: Problems in CWC Flood Monitoring & Forecast
(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.
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DRP 140823: A year after Karam dam disaster: people suffer, engineer set free, contractor building more dams
(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 “DRP 140823: A year after Karam dam disaster: people suffer, engineer set free, contractor building more dams “
Himachal demands Rs 658 Cr from NHAI for damage to Larji Hydro Project
In an unprecedented development[i], the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has sent a Rs 658-crore damage report to the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari seeking from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) compensation for the devastation caused at the 126-MW Larji hydel project allegedly due to the construction of a double-decker four-lane road.
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Co-sculptors of the Central Highlands: River Sindh and its People
GUEST ARTICLE BY POORVA GOEL
At Pachnada (see the photo above, the river in Uttar Pradesh, photo by Poorva Goel), the Sindh River meets four other rivers- Yamuna, Chambal, Kunwari and Pahuj, in a rare spectacle. Over time, the gentle currents of these rivers have meandered and unloaded their sediment on the floodplains. The floodplains are lush with mustard and wheat fields, and the scrub slopes are dotted with grazing cattle.
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The 2023 Yamuna floods of Delhi only a trailer of bigger floods to come in future?
(Feature Image:- Boats tied to Yamuna river bank at Wazirabad Barrage in June 2023. SANDRP)
In this detailed interview by Questions of Cities; Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator, SANDRP talks on multiple issues affecting the Yamuna and offers some corrective measures to improve the overall condition of the river. The interview has already been published by Question of Cities and can be seen here. The interview also covers possible reasons behind unusual floods in Yamuna in Delhi in July 2023 and the detailed SANDRP blog on the issue can be seen here.
Continue reading “The 2023 Yamuna floods of Delhi only a trailer of bigger floods to come in future?”
Himachalis blame NHPC dams for flood disaster in Sainj Valley in July 2023
(Feature Image:- Deluge in Pin Parbati river engufling riverbank habitations in Sainj market on July 09, 2023. Source: Anil Khatri Vlogs)
The official report of what has transpired in Sainj Valley under Banjar subdivision of Kullu district during July 8-10, 2023 is still not in public domain, however the multiple media reports suggest it to be one of the worst flood disasters for the valley and have once again raised serious questions on the role the hydroelectric power (HEP) projects. Local people have specifically underlined the gross negligence by National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) company for turning floods into a disaster. Moreover, old media reports from the area have also highlighted that it was a disaster in the making for which the state government machinery as well hydro projects and NHPC have contributed hugely.
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High Rainfall days in India’s districts in July 2023
For July 2023, an analysis in this article of the daily district wise rainfall data from India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that there were 855 (809 in July 2022 and 717 in July 2021) instances when district rainfall of a day was above 50 mm. Such high rainfall instances included 660 (663 in July 2022) instances when rainfall was 50-100 mm, 149 (107 in July 2022) instances when it was 100-150 mm, 34 (28 in July 2022) times it was 150-200 mm and 12 (13 in July 2022) times above 200 mm. As noted in detailed article[i], the July 2023 rainfall all over India was 13.5% above normal.
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DRP 070823: Forests & Biodiversity amendments: Gap between intent & application
(Feature Image: Dense Dudhatoli forest range near Peethsain in Thalisain block of Pauri Garhwal. Feb. 2023/ SANDRP)
As editorial comments in two different national newspapers given below shows, the biodiversity and forest conservation amendment bills passed by the Parliament last week weaken the cause of biodiversity and forest conservation, when it is most pressingly required to strengthen them.
Both amendments pave the way for ease of doing business and reducing role of local communities, both in terms of legal norms and practical implications.
The need for conservation of these resources was never more urgent than now considering the impacts of climate change on them and their importance for not only livelihood security of vast millions, but also for hydrological implications, food security, protection against increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, but also for adaptation in the context of changing climate. We hope against hope that better sense will prevail sooner rather than later to ensure the amendments do not lead to destruction of forest and biodiversity resources.
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