DRP 060125: Concerns about & Contradictions in CGWB’s Reports

January 6, 2025February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) released two important reports last week. While the Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2024 reveals rise in nitrate fluoride, arsenic and uranium contimination of groundwater resource in India, the Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2024 claims substantial rise in annual groundwater recharge and decline in extraction of the resource.

As per the first report, the number of districts affected by high nitrate levels in groundwater has gone up to 440 (near 56% of all 779 districts in country) from 359 found in 2017 assessment which means in 7 years 81 more districts have been found having excessive nitrate levels in groundwater. This should concern us from a number of points of view.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 301224: We are not studying our rivers, Global North is studying

December 30, 2024February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Ramganga river at Marchula, Uttarakhand. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP/Sept. 2024)

Exactly three months back, on Sept 30 2024, we had highlighted the urgent need for credible river studies in India (https://sandrp.in/2024/09/30/drp-nb-300924-focus-on-river-studies/). A new research report published last week in Nature has corroborated this, showing that volume of research across global south is disproportionately small compared to need based on basic population, water withdrawals and water consumption.

Based on review of 4237 publications using machine learning and desk review of 325 publications, analysis of 4713 case studies across 286 basins, it shows that river research currently in global south is predominantly led by global North institutions, thus the river research is shaped by selection of theme and locations done by such institutions.

Continue reading →

Pumped Storage Projects

2024: Concerns about Pump Storage Projects

December 26, 2024December 27, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Sharavathi valley in Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district.Credit: Deccan Herald)

The part 4 of annual overview on the dams and hydro projects covers the concerns about the Pump Storage Projects in India. The government push for Pumped Storage Projects in Western and Eastern Ghats has strongly been contested by communities and experts. Stories here show that these projects are already facing opposition in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 231224: Can we expect the Supreme Court to be more effective this time on Wetlands?

December 23, 2024February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The Basai wetlands in Gurugram. Photo by Pankaj Gupta at Live Mint)

It is indeed good to see an Editorial in a newspaper on the important issue of wetlands protection and rejuvenation. The Supreme Court’s order on wetlands last week shows its concern over the threat to wetlands as a natural feature of the environment that is under serious threat. The court ordered the protection of about 30,000 wetlands (each with area more than 2.25 ha) over the 201,503 protected by an order which it issued in 2017, and asked states to ensure their demarcation and ground-truthing which involves closer verification, within three months.

The order is in response to a PIL that said the Central government had abdicated its functions under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to protect the wetlands. The petition also sought the identification and protection of around 5,55,557 wetlands which are less than 2.25 hectares in size. The court is likely to consider the proposal in March. One hopes the SC also gives effective orders for their protection.

Continue reading →

Dams, Rivers & People

2024: People’s Resistance against Dam, Hydro Projects in Himalayan States

December 21, 2024January 18, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Tribals in Siang river belt in Arunachal Pradesh demonstrating against a proposed mega hydropower dam. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement/The Hindu)

All through 2024, the vulnerable communities across Himalayan states have continued their resistance and struggles against proposed, under construction & damaged hydro and dam projects as can be seen in this yearend roundup.

The tribals in Siang valley have been urging Central and State govts to stop pushing the giant SUMP. In Teesta valley the GLOF, flood and landslide though have served as wake-up call, the planners seem to ignore the warnings. Facing adverse impacts, the native people in Manipur have resolved to stop further extension to Loktak lake HEP. In Nagaland, fearing damages, the villagers have made the future of Dikhu HEP uncertain.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 161224: Arunachal Pradesh needs dialogue on dams

December 16, 2024February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Resident in upper Siang protesting agaisnt SUMP on Dec. 15. Image source: Ebo Milli @Ebo_Mili_Linggi on X)

Hundreds of People of Siang, East Siang and Upper Siang Districts of Arunachal Pradesh came out in peaceful protests on Dec 14 2024. They opposed the govt effort to deploy armed central and state police forces for a pre-feasibility study for the 12500 MW hydropower project on Siang River, a tributary of Brahmaputra River.

Indeed, as remarkably articulate report by in Arunachal Times said, Siang needs dialogue not guns. In fact, the Chief Minister recently and even the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister had earlier promised to the people of the state that if they do not want big dams, such projects will not be taken without people’s consent as there were options for power and development.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 251124: Protest by Mothers Union against sand mining along Assam-Meghalaya border

November 25, 2024February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Mother’s Union protest rally against sand mining. Image Source: Nagaland Post, 03 Nov 2024)

The ongoing protest by the Mother’s Union against sand mining in Dudhnoi River along the Assam Meghalaya border has brought to focus the serious implications of unsustainable sand mining, whether legal or illegal. The campaign has wide based support from the Garo Students Union, All Bodo Students Union, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and other groups.

The campaign has highlighted that due to use of motorized equipment to extract sand, the water level in the Dudhnoi river is dropping hugely, including during rainy season. The campaign has also pointed out that the forest, mining, transport and police departments have been allowing over loaded sand laden dumpers with or without proper challans.

Continue reading →

Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 061124: Save River from ‘Illegal’ Sand Mining

November 7, 2024 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature: Members of Haryana Anti Corruption Society, Yamuna Nadi Mitra Mandli, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Yamuna Nagar raising concerns over unabated unsustainable riverbed mining in Yamuna in Gumthala Rao, Karnal on Oct 07, 2024.)

Large scale riverbed mining has become most underestimated and least discussed threat for Yamuna rivers. While increasing pollution has turned the river stretch between Delhi and Agra ecologically dead, the rampant sand mining has been severely damaging the Yamuna eco-system in upper and lower segments.

Presently, the mining menace is quite rampant in Paonta Sahib, Yamuna Nagar, Saharanpur, Karnal, Shamili, Panipat, Sonipat, Baghpat and Ghaziabad districts along the river in upper segment. Similarly, in lower segment the main stem of river as well as its key tributaries Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken have been bearing the burnt of unsustainable sand mining.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 041124: Study says Big Dams are costly gambles or frauds?

November 4, 2024February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Lower Subansiri HEP dam. Source: PIB, June 2023)

An interesting study reported this week reveals Big Dams are costly gambles and explains why this is so. In fact, the explanations go on to reveal that this is by design, the costs are systematically under estimated and benefits are exaggerated, so the dams fail to provide the promised benefits. So Big Dams are actually not gambles, but frauds. They get away with all this due to lack of transparency and accountability in the governance, the study reveals.

For those following the global debate on big dams over the decades know that there is nothing new here. A number of studies earlier exposed all this, including the Independent Review of the Sardar Sarovar Project instituted by the World Bank, the World Commission on Dams report, the India Country study done for WCD, among others.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 28×24: Hydropower Impacts on Biodiversity

October 28, 2024February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The Ranganadi dam in Arunachal Pradesh. In February 2019 the dam released an unprecedented amount of silt, with severe impacts for the river’s biodiversity and the livelihoods of people who live along its banks. Image Credit: Karen Conniff / Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0/Source: Dialogue Earth)

A new study of available scientific publications on impact of Hydropower projects on biodiversity provides a thorough review of the subject. The review does not directly give a call not to construct more such destructive projects. But it is useful for anyone concerned about the impact of dam projects on rivers.

The study discusses the impacts of hydropower projects on both aquatic and semi-aquatic species in riverine ecosystem and cumulative impacts spatially and temporally across river basins. Dams disrupt longitudinal connectivity and act as physical barriers in upstream-downstream movement of species. Upstream of dam, there is static water environment rather than flowing river environment. In the downstream, the hydropower projects adversely affect the water flow, sediment flow, thermal regimes, affecting water quality and environmental cues for the fish movement. All these also affect the floodplains both upstream and downstream.

Continue reading →