DRP 150124: The Catchment degradation in Cauvery Basin

January 15, 2024February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

The study by Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has brought to light one of the key reasons for the water problems of Cauvery basin: 12850 Sq km of Cauvery basin has lost natural vegetation over the fifty years between 1965 and 2016. The trend is likely to have continued, possibly at an accelerated pace in the eight years since 2016. It may be useful to assess the hydrological implications of this massive destruction of the Cauvery basin.

SANDRP has been highlighting that the reason for the more frequent floods and followed by water scarcity and drought, in spite of somewhat increased rainfall under changing climate is exactly this, the degradation of the Cauvery catchment, including destruction of local water bodies, groundwater recharging mechanisms and natural vegetation.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 010124: Looking back at 2023 as we welcome 2024

January 1, 2024January 1, 2024 SANDRP1 Comment

As we welcome the new year on its first day, it is also worth looking back at the year just gone by. Some of the major trends of 2023, relevant to us here were: Larger number of dam disasters, including spillway disasters and hydropower project disasters; more severe dam flood instances including in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, among others; rather low hydropower generation, raising questions about dependability of hydropower projects; very huge number of pump storage projects getting sanctioned by the Expert Appraisal Committee of MoEF on River Valley Projects, raising question mark over their viability; record breaking high temperatures and changing rainfall patterns with 5.5% deficit rainfall in SW Monsoon and 19% below normal rains in Post Monsoon period; increasing trend of unregulated sand mining with media more frequently using the term sand mafia; increasing instances of disastrous urban floods including Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi; river front development getting pushed even as people’s protests like in Pune increasing; question marks about compromised decisions of the Expert Appraisal Committee that includes people involved in conflict of interest.

There have also been numerous positive developments, including the successful mission to rescue the 41 workers trapped in Silkyara tunnel even though question mark about the disaster remains; High Court asking that the reports related to the sinking Joshimath; Meghal river revival effort by communities in Gujarat as reported in this bulletin; Dibang Resistance getting the Bhagirath Prayas Samman and beginning of decommissioning of the biggest dam in US, among others.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 181223: Varanasi’s illegal tent city inaugurated by Prime Minister in Jan 2023

December 18, 2023February 23, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Collage of Sentinel Hub satellite images of Tent City location in Ganga river bed in Varanasi from Nov. 26, 2022 to Dec. 11, 2023)

While the NGT putting a stay on the Varanasi Tent city and imposing a fine of Rs 25000 on MoEF for not responding to NGT about how the turtle sanctuary was denotified is welcome, we hope NGT takes it to its logical conclusion. It is strange, to say the least to see the NMCG telling NGT through its one page report dated Dec 13 2023 that the Varanasi Development Authority proposal dated Nov 28 2023 for tent city is under consideration! The Tent city companies were fined by NGT, but UP PCB is yet to do anything to collect the fine. Most interestingly, the Prime Minister, no less, inaugurated the tent city project on January 13 2023, over 11 months back! And very shockingly, none of the National Media is even reporting this remarkable situation.

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Dam Decommissioning · Dam Safety

दुनिया भर में बांधों को हटाने में वृद्धि

December 16, 2023December 16, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

हिमांशु ठक्कर

सभी बड़े बांधों की उम्र सीमित होती है। क्या आपने कभी सोचा है कि एक बार बांध का उपयोगी जीवन समाप्त होने पर उसका क्या होता है? इसे हटाना होता है जिसे डीकमीशनिंग कहते हैं। डीकमीशनिंग का मतलब [i] बांध और उससे जुड़ी संरचनाओं को पूरी तरह हटाने से है। दुनिया के तीसरे सबसे बड़े बांध निर्माता के रूप में भारत के लिए यह एक बहुत ही प्रासंगिक सवाल है। यह मुद्दा इसलिए और भी अधिक महत्वपूर्ण हो गया है क्योंकि अब बड़े बांध न तो आवश्यक है और न ही व्यावहारिक। इसके अलावा अब बहती नदियों के महत्व को तेज़ी से सराहा जा रहा है। यह ध्यान में रखना ज़रूरी है कि किसी बांध को बिना उचित रखरखाव के नदी पर बने रहने की अनुमति नहीं दी जा सकती है। इससे बांध के नीचे की ओर रहने वाले समुदाय और अर्थव्यवस्था के लिए खतरा बना रहता है।

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 111223: NMCG failure: Wither Ganga Rejuvenation?

December 11, 2023February 23, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Najafgarh drain at Wazirabad barrage Delhi in June 2023. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)

A careful reading of the PIB release on the statement of Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in Rajya Sabha on Dec. 04 regarding Namami Gange Program shows that the NMCG has actually failed to make any significant improvement in cleaning of River Ganga so far. Firstly, the program has been extended upto March 2026 without any course correction during its first 7 years of implementation between June 2014 and March 2021.

Secondly, the program since beginning has primarily been focusing on creation and upgradation of sewage treatment capacity and river bank infrastructures without even looking into the root causes including ineffective and undemocratic governance affecting the ecosystem of Ganga rivers let alone the questions of addressing them.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 041223: Groundwater recharge increased in India?

December 4, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Cover photo of the National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report by CGWB)

There are at least two headline numbers of Government of India’s Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2023 released by Union Minister on Dec 2 2023, that seem counter intuitive and misleading. These are exactly the issues we also raised about the 2022 report too. Firstly, the PIB Press Release that accompanied the report release says India’s annual groundwater recharge in 2023 has increased by 11.48 BCM compared to the same in 2022.

Secondly, it says the groundwater situation has improved in at least 226 of the 6553 assessment Units across the country. Both seem counter intuitive and possibly misleading in the face of increasing groundwater use, depleting levels, worsening quality of groundwater and our increasing over dependence on groundwater.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 201123: Inland fisheries need attention: World Fisheries Day 2023

November 20, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Recreational fishers catching fish in Yamuna river downstream Wazirabad barrage in Delhi in June 2023. Image: BS Rawat, SANDRP.)

On the World Fisheries Day, celebrated on Nov 21 every year, there is urgent need to focus attention on the well-being of one of the poorest and socio-economically weakest and much neglected section of population: Inland fisherfolks. They are in huge number, more than 2 crore directly dependent on inland fisheries, many others indirectly dependent. They, unfortunately have no voice in development discourse or decision making processes, nor any even in mitigation measures. Creating an inland fisheries policy, department and institute in every state and at centre can be an important step forward.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 131123: Another Himalayan Disaster: 40 workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand

November 13, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Ongoing rescue work inside Badkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Image Source: HT)

In yet another disaster in the Himalayas, at least 40 workers are trapped in an under-construction tunnel being constructed by National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), among others. The Hindustan Times has wrongly named the construction company as Hydroelectricity Investment & Development Company Limited (HIDCL) possibly of Nepal govt. Some people at the location have informed us that it may take another day before the workers are rescued.

NHIDCL was not even sure of the total of number of workers, as they gave the number as 36, which was corrected by the district administration later on to 40. It is also strange to see the work going on even on a Diwali day. Another disturbing aspect is that all the workers are reportedly mostly from outside Uttarakhand, when Uttarakhand villagers are known to migrate in large numbers to outside the state for employment. This disaster thus raises a lot of questions, which will need answers once the workers are rescued safely. The workers are still trapped over 30 hours after the disaster. The work at the 4.5 km long tunnel is being built under Char Dham Road Widening project since over 4 years, and violations have been happening in the work since then, as we reported in 2019.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 061123: Dam Disasters bring focus on Dam Safety Governance in India

November 6, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image: Location of washed away Teesta Urja dam. Source: Ka Shlem)

Is the Dam Safety Panel (DSP) report dated Nov 1 2023 on Medigadda barrage on Gadavari in Telangana, a self-indictment of the Dam Safety Mechanism in India?

The report concludes: “it is construed that the I&CAD (Irrigation and Command Area Development) Dept. has nothing to submit about instrumentation data, pre-monsoon &post monsoon inspection reports, completion reports, quality control reports, condition of gates and many other inputs sought in the list therein”.

How and why did the NDSA (National Dam Safety Authority) allow such a state of affairs to continue for such an important dam that has huge implications for life and economy as the report itself says? What steps did the NDSA take before this disaster struck to ensure that all these basic dam safety measures were indeed in place and functioning? What is NDSA doing to ensure that all such basic steps and measures are in place at all the large dams in India? What did NDSA do to ensure that this dam, important from the point of view of life and economy, was also listed in CWC’s National Register of Large Dams? What has NDSA done to ensure that CWC’s National Register is indeed updated every year with inclusion of all large dams of India (Large dam as per its definition) and all their salient features? What has NDSA done to ensure that all Dam Safety information is in public domain promptly?

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 231023: Need to be a little serious about Dam Safety, Flood Forecasting, Use of Early Warnings

October 23, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Landslide warning board at Lakhwar dam site on Yamuna river. SANDRP, June 2015)

India need to relook the Dam Safety Act Experts say the Sikkim incident exemplifies blind spots in both legislation and implementation. The DSA does not promote risk-based decision-making and fails to incentivise transparency. Himanshu Thakkar, an environmental activist and coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, says that the frequency and scale of such disasters reveal a pattern of neglect: “It keeps happening regularly, people face disastrous consequences and we call these ‘natural disasters’. But there’s nothing natural about them.”

A robust DSA should allow different stakeholders to access information easily, but India’s framework falls short. “Dam safety is a public purpose function. Everything about dam safety, functions of all the institutions and committees and authorities, their reports, decisions minutes and agendas, everything should be promptly available to the public,” says Mr. Thakkar. “But nothing is in the public domain.” He adds that transparency is further obstructed when national and State bodies comprise government employees and engineers who worked on these projects, compromising objective decision making and lacking “people with a proven track record of taking independent decisions.”

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