DRP NB 23 Nov 2020: Pune Citizens Expose illegal River Sand Mining in Pune City

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

This is remarkable, first of its kind of development where the citizens of the city have come together to expose the illegal River sand mining in the Pune City in the middle of the night. They alerted the police, who did take action, caught one of the culprits along with Poclain machine. The rest of the machines, which too should have been guarded, were taken away by the miners after police left, it seems. Salutes to all the citizens involved including Vaishali Patkar and Pushkar Kulkarni and their supporting organisations including Jeevit Nadi, Aundh Vikas Mandal.

It is only when citizens come together in this way that there is any possibility of stopping the menace of illegal sand mining and other menace affecting our rivers. Kudos to the Pune Citizens to show the way for the rest of the country too and hope such collective efforts by the Pune citizens will continue to show the way forward for all concerned.

The prompt action by the Pune police also should be appreciated and one only hopes the police will investigate the case professionally and produce a strong legal case, apply all the relevant sections of IPC, Environment Protection Act and Mines and Minerals Development Act, all the government department will play their role and bring everyone guilty to book with exemplary punishment. Pune citizens will surely keep a watch on this.

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Kerala 2020 Sand Mining: Don’t forget floods, fisherfolks & vanishing villages

June 3, 2020August 2, 2020 SANDRP1 Comment

Feature image: Schoolkids take a walk along the Chalakudy river in Arangali village. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/ozhukanam-puzhakal-campaign-let-rivers-flow-without-hindrance/articleshow/68965530.cms (Times of India, 20 April 2019)

The 2019 overview of sand mining in the Kerala showed how illegal mining of rivers had played its part in aggravating 2018 flood situation. Reports revealed that several rivers in the state turned dry and water level adjoining them dropped significantly soon after floods, despite excess rainfall, which was partly because of excessive mining and washing away of sand deposits which used to help recharge ground water.

Towards the end of 2018, the issue of unsustainable beach mining in Alappad surfaced and video of a 17 year old girl describing the adverse impact on coastal villages went viral. The effort earned National Green Tribunal (NGT) intervention. Meanwhile, the state govt agencies kept insisting on continued mining operations coastal area. This report provides an overview of state of affair through 2019 and 2020 so far.

Continue reading “Kerala 2020 Sand Mining: Don’t forget floods, fisherfolks & vanishing villages” →

Dam floods · Kerala

Open Letter to Kerala Chief Secretary about Monsoon preparedness and disaster risk reduction

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

On May 7, 2020, a number of groups in Kerala wrote this letter to Kerala Chief Secretary on the important issue of Monsoon preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction, with particular focus on Reservoir operations during Monsoon. This is an excellent initiative worth emulating by a lot of us in different states and at national level. Hence we are happy to Share this here with permission from the authors.

Sir,

The South-West monsoon is scheduled to arrive at Kerala by around June 1^st. Early predictions on the monsoon by different agencies including the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) suggest normal to above normal rainfall in India. The South-Western coast and adjoining regions are expected to get very good rainfall this year. It may be recalled that the state had to face extremely high-intensity rainfall incidents and consequent disasters in the last two years. Hence, the state needs to be well prepared to face any eventuality during the coming monsoon. The following concerns may be addressed and suggestions may be considered. Continue reading “Open Letter to Kerala Chief Secretary about Monsoon preparedness and disaster risk reduction” →

CWC - Central Water Commission

South India Overview of CWC Flood Forecasting Sites 2019

October 18, 2019December 2, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

Flood Forecasting (FF) is one of the important activities of Central Water Commission (CWC), which is undergoing expansion and improvement, but there is still a huge scope for improvement. In order to better understand the CWC’s flood monitoring and forecasting work, in this article, we have given an overview of CWC’s flood forecasting and monitoring sites in South India, the last region to be covered for 2019 flood season. It includes state wise list of CWC’s Level Forecast, Inflow Forecast and level monitoring sites in South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (no FF sites) and Kerala. Similar report has been published for North India[i] and North East India[ii], East India[iii] and West India[iv]. Continue reading “South India Overview of CWC Flood Forecasting Sites 2019” →

Kerala · Rivers

Ozhukanam Puzhakal: UNTO HER WE SHALL RETURN…

February 23, 2019March 27, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

Guest Blog by Dr Manju Vasudevan

Two artists are engrossed in some meaningful graffiti work at a public bus stand, on an otherwise laid back, colourless Sunday morning. A closer look and their strokes in fact seem to be urging the passerby to pay attention to rivers and water resources. There seems to be a message to all the drawings. It is not often that one comes across a sight like this in small town Chalakudy in Kerala. The artists have teamed up with the Chalakudy River Protection Forum under the umbrella of a State-wide campaign titled ‘Ozhukanam Puzhakal’ or ‘The Rivers Must Flow’. Continue reading “Ozhukanam Puzhakal: UNTO HER WE SHALL RETURN…” →

Drought

Can floods lead to drought? After the flood, severe drought looming over Kerala

February 13, 2019February 14, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

Guest blog by: Madhusoodhanan C.G. and Sreeja K.G

The state of Kerala experienced extreme precipitation events during the 2018 South West monsoon period with multiple episodes culminating in devastating floods across the state during 14^th-18^th August 2018. This year, with an early onset of monsoons that dovetailed with strong summer showers, the state received about 41% excess rainfall (2394 mm against the normal of 1700 mm) during the period June 1^st to August 22^{nd [1]}. Almost all of its reservoirs were near full storage by mid-July.

The heavy downpour and the uncontrolled opening of the spillway gates of almost all reservoirs that inundated huge stretches of river banks and floodplains, along with massive landslides across the Western Ghats affected more than 1.5 million people, with close to 500 human casualties, immense losses to property, livelihoods and resource security apart from the extensive damage to forests, wildlife and biodiversity. Maximum destruction was observed along the rivers of Periyar, Chalakudy and Pamba, all having multiple dams on their tributaries. The debate is still on as to the various reasons, both manmade and natural, behind the floods and the resultant wide-ranging casualties^[2,3,4,5,6]. Meanwhile things have taken a rather unexpected turn in the flood ravaged state.

Continue reading “Can floods lead to drought? After the flood, severe drought looming over Kerala” →

Dam Induced Flood Disaster · Kerala

Role of dams in Kerala’s 2018 floods

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018 SANDRPLeave a comment

ABSTRACT: Many independent observers have argued that dams have played a role in increasing the proportions of Kerala flood disaster during July-Aug 2018. This article shows that Kerala dams violated many basic norms and if operated prudently, could have helped. It shows how post dam floods are different than pre dam floods. It lists the steps that would help in future disasters involving dams. The lessons are useful for all large dams of India.

In theory, every dam can help moderate floods in the downstream areas, as long as and as much as the dam has space to store water. In fact, every action that helps to store, hold, recharge (to groundwater aquifer), delay flow of rainwater from the catchment to the river would help moderate flow and hence flood in the river. Our catchments are fast losing that capacity, with continued destruction of natural forests, wetlands, local water bodies and also soil’s capacity to hold water. Continue reading “Role of dams in Kerala’s 2018 floods” →

Dams · Floods

Overview of CWC Flood Forecasting Sites 2018: SOUTH INDIA

August 31, 2018September 26, 2019 SANDRP1 Comment

Central Water Commission is the only agency doing flood forecasting in India. As per CWC’s Flood Forecasting website [i] the Data Flow Map has information about 226 Flood Forecast Sites in the country comprising of 166 Level Forecast Sites and 60 Inflow Forecast Sites. It also monitors 700 Flood sites, information made available through List Based Exploration and Hydrograph View, but no flood forecasting is done for these sites.

In order to better understand the CWC’s flood monitoring and forecasting work, in this article, we have given an overview of CWC’s flood forecasting and monitoring sites in South India. It includes state wise list of CWC’s Level Forecast, Inflow Forecast and level monitoring sites in South India. Similar report has been published for North India [ii] and North East India [iii] and East India [iv].

Tamil Nadu There are 3 Level Forecasting, 48 Level Monitoring and 14 Inflow Forecasting sites in Tamil Nadu State. Out of total 65 sites, 19 Level Monitoring and 2 Inflow Forecasting sites are inactive. MWL information is given only for 1 Inflow Forecasting site out of 14. IRRUKKANKUDI, Sathanur and Gomukhi sites are repeated with incomplete information. Out of 48, HFL figure and date is not provided for 25 Level Monitoring sites.

Continue reading “Overview of CWC Flood Forecasting Sites 2018: SOUTH INDIA” →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP News Bulletin 19 February 2018 (How Are We Treating Our Urban Rivers?)

February 19, 2018February 20, 2018 SANDRP1 Comment

In this comprehensive article Mumbai-based author Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar throws the light on the plight of Uraban Rivers. “Rivers and streams have borne the brunt of the recent urban explosion in India, a nation whose population has nearly doubled in the last 40 years to 1.35 billion. Unplanned growth has led to the use of water bodies as dumping grounds for sewage and industrial effluent. According to CPCB, 63 % of the urban sewage flowing into rivers (some 62 billion liters a day) is untreated.

In addition, riverbanks, wetlands, and floodplains have been claimed over time by infrastructure, slums, offices, and housing developments – all of which has narrowed natural river channels and distorted flow, greatly reducing the ability of India’s rivers to buffer flooding. It also has taken a toll on biodiversity. http://e360.yale.edu/features/dying-waters-india-struggles-to-clean-up-its-polluted-urban-rivers (Yale Environment 360, 15 Feb. 2018)

Continue reading “DRP News Bulletin 19 February 2018 (How Are We Treating Our Urban Rivers?)” →

Bhagirath Prayas Samman · Dams · Kerala · Western Ghats

Remembering Latha

December 16, 2017December 16, 2017 SANDRP4 Comments

It took some time to write. Latha chechi and me talked just 4 days before she passed away on Nov 16, 2017. As usual, it was about when we will meet next and go to Athirappilly Falls and travel to the river together. Her voice was light, it had a surreal gentleness. We agreed on everything, which was rare. After just a few minutes, Unni gently took the phone from her and told me she needed to sleep. It just didn’t feel right.

We first met virtually about 10 years back, discussing rivers and forests and then, through her initiative, came together to organize the first civil society workshop on Environmental Flows in January 2009 with SANDRP. Since then, Latha Chechi has been a bubbling, enthusiastic and wise constant. We worked on several submissions together, discussed strategies and ideas, eating each other’s heads about what worked and what can work and always, I was always taken aback by her unmatched way of linking issues.

She told me, “You need one particular river. Work on all the rivers of world, but have that one river to go back to.” Continue reading “Remembering Latha” →