2024: Dams, Mining, Construction Damaging Gangetic Dolphin Habitats

October 20, 2024October 20, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Dolphin corpse found along Ganga in Sahibganj, Jharkhand in Feb. 2024. Image source: ETV Bharat)

Despite declaring Gangetic Dolphin a National Aquatic Animal in May 2010, launching of Project Dolphin in August 2020 and recognizing October 05 as National Dolphin Day since 2022, the key species indicating river health continues to face unnatural deaths and threats from various developmental activities. This overview highlights the incidents of suspicious death of precious mammal and looming threats on its habitat along with some noteworthy steps being taken by conservationists and governments to protect the endangered species.

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Ken Betwa Project

Yamuna Manthan 050924: Changing parameters of Ken-Betwa Project needs fresh appraisal?

September 5, 2024September 5, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Dry Ken river beneath bridge at Pandvan in Amanganj, Panna in April 2018. Image taken during Ken river walk by SANDRP & Veditum India)

The controversial Ken-Betwa Interlinking project is undergoing several changes being proposed by central and state governments of UP and MP. Firstly, there are plans to build two new barrages at Pailani and Banda and renovate Beriyapur and Pariksha weirs and Barua Sagar dam apart from renovation of 15 dams and large ponds in Mahoba district. Then, the construction of a 21 km link channel will require 271 ha of forest land.

Similarly, the CM of MP has requested to increase irrigation capacity of Patne-Biarma Irrigation Scheme from 90,100 ha to 2,50,000 ha under the interlinking plan. On the other hand, the CM of UP has suggested inclusion of Hamirpur district in the plan.

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Photo Blog II: Asan Rivers Struggling to Survive in Dehradun

June 25, 2024June 26, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Asan river being trained near Sumeru Enclave to reclaim river space for road & real estate actvities. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP, May 29, 2024.)

The first part of the photo blog has tried to shed some light on the pathetic condition of water sources, springs and streams forming the Asan River in Dehradun. This second part of the series covers the state of affairs all along remaining length of the river till it joins the Yamuna River.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Parliamentary Committee Report Missing on River Governance

March 12, 2024October 23, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Solid waste strewn along east bank of polluted river Yamuna near Geeta Colony bridge, Delhi on March 09, 2024. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources has submitted its 27^th report titled “Review of Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Projects upto Delhi and Riverbed Management in Delhi” to the Parliament on 6 Feb 2024. The 113 paged report has two parts first on Narration and second on Observation and 25 Recommendations. The first part of the report has XI chapters dealing with various issues of River Yamuna.

SANDRP here presents a detailed chapter wise overview of the key observations made by the Committee based on the replies mainly from Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) along with the Committee’s recommendations and some comments by SANDRP.

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Dam floods

2023: Incidents of Dam Induced Floods in India

January 2, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Flooded streets of Ankleshwar, Bharuch district, Sept. 19, 2023. Photo: Kalpesh Gurjar/India Today)

In this third annual overview on dams and hydro power projects, we have compiled the reports on flood disasters caused by unscientific or improper operation of dams, hydro and barrage projects in India in 2023. The report highlights criminal negligence by SSNNL and BBMP resulting in massive flood destruction in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Similarly, the sudden discharges from hydro power dams in Assam, Himachal and Uttarakhand have caused flash flood deluge damaging human properties along the respective rivers. The report also covers some incidents of barrage induced flood events along Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and along Yamuna in Delhi. The first part of the series on Hydro and dam related accidents and second part on People’s Protests against Hydro & Dam Projects in India in 2023 can be seen here and here respectively.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 110923: Another independent institution-CEC destroyed

September 11, 2023September 12, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(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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Yamuna River

July 2023 Delhi Floods: Why Unprecedented Yamuna Water Levels even at moderate releases?

July 16, 2023April 6, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Cycles of fisherfolks by the Yamuna and ongoing construction of Metro Bridge downstream of Wazirabad Barrage two weeks before the July 2023 floods. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP, June 28, 2023)

The national capital is witnessing one of the worst flood spells with water level at Railway Bridge breaching the highest recorded 207.49 m of Sept 6, 1978 by 1.17 m. The Yamuna seems eager to reclaim all its relict channel and encroached floodplain areas.

The River has set 208.66 meter as new HFL (Highest Flood Levels) for the site at 18:00 hours on 13 July 2023 which is 1.17 meter higher than the 1978’s HFL. The flood level is receding now.

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Dams · Wetlands

WWD 2023: India’s Ramsar Wetlands face Damages, Threats & Govt Apathy

February 2, 2023February 2, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The dumping ground is adjacent to the Deepor Beel wetland. Photo by Surajit Sharma./ Mongabay India, Aug. 2022)

Marking the World Wetlands Day 2023, this fourth overview by SANDRP compiles reports from 2022 revealing the worsening situation of Ramsar wetlands sites in India. In past few years, the government has shown great hurry in getting Ramsar tag for 75 wetlands from 26 in the country to symbolically mark 75^th anniversary of Independence without showing any interest in resolving the existing and looming threats including increasing pollution, siltation, encroachments and climate change threats over old and even new Ramsar wetlands.

The ground reports show that the sole focus of the government is on pushing destructive and ornamental projects in the name of tourism and beautification on these wetlands which are only seen damaging their remaining eco-systems and threatening the livelihoods of dependent communities as an additional threat which only underlines that Ramsar tag does NOT help in wetlands protection and conservation. Experts, citizen groups have been raising this fact for years but in vain. Furthermore the process for seeking Ramsar recognition lacks consultation and participation of primary stakeholders and concerned citizens.

Moreover, in the name of information of Ramsar sites, there is only a combined interactive map apart from two separate pdf file links with location map and state wise listing Ramsar wetlands on Wetlands of India portal by MoEF&CC. The govt has neither prepared any concrete plan to address the threats, nor has it developed credible monitoring mechanism which clearly shows it has no intention to improve the governance of these sites.

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Hydro Power Projects

2022: Environment & Forest Clearances to Dams, Hydro, Irrigation Projects

January 3, 2023December 27, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

On the basis of minutes of meetings held by Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change’s (MoEF) Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydropower Projects from January 12, 2022 to November 30, 2022; we present region wise details of various Dams, Hydroelectric Power (HEP), Pumped Storage Hydro Projects (PSHP) and Irrigation Projects proposals considered and approved for Terms of Reference (TOR) and Environment Clearance (EC) by the EAC. It also lists out various water projects related proposals seeking Forest Clearances (FC) from and decisions by the Forest Appraisal Committee (FAC) of MoEF in this period.

SANDRP’s 2020 and 2021 overviews on the subject can be seen by clicking the links. You may also like to visit our 2022 overviews on (1) Dam induced floods & damages, (2) Fly ash dam breach incidents, (3) Impact of floods on Polavaram project, (4) People’s resistance against dams and hydro projects, (5) Disasters and accidents at HEPs sites, (6) Dam Safety Issues, (7) Hydro projects opposition and accidents in South Asia.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 191222: Question marks over viability of pump hydro projects

December 19, 2022December 20, 2022 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: 1772 Mw PSHPs Spain. Photo courtesy of Iberdrola/ ENR)

The question marks over viability of huge number of pump storage hydro projects (PSHP) being pushed forward in India currently were flowing in the rivers for long. This week, Moody’s investors Service (MIS) seems to have strengthened this after it downgraded Greenko Energy Holdings’ corporate family rating. It may be noted that Greenko is the biggest investor in PSHPs in India from private sector and a major part of Greenko’s new investments are in PSHP.

This makes the implications of MIS’s downgrade all the more interesting. MIS has noted that PHSPs are capital intensive and each PHSP will generate cash flow only after at least 2-3 years of construction (in reality it can be much longer than 2-3 years, the operative phrase here is at least). It also noted that the additional debt to be raised from Greenko’s capital spending, coupled with a rising interest environment will put further pressure on “GEH’s already weak financial metrics” and that Greenko’s high financial leverage due to its substantial capital spending program will keep its financial metrics below its downgrade trigger “for an extended period of time”.

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