Cloud Bursts in Indian Himalayan Region in Pre-monsoon & Monsoon 2020

October 18, 2020October 19, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

The Indian Himalayan region has been facing increased cloud burst incidents for past many years. These events are followed by flash floods, landslides causing widespread damages to human lives and properties. However the forecasting, monitoring and management efforts are lagging far behind. This state wise overview attempts to understand the trend and resultant losses from such incidents during the pre-monsoon (Apr-May) southwest monsoon season (June-Sept) 2020.

SANDRP has been highlighting the issue since 2018. The details of these can be seen by exploring the hyperlink of Uttarakhand in 2018 and 2019, Himachal Pradesh 2019, Jammu and Kashmir and North East 2019.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 31 August 2020: No Rule of Environment Law in Char Dham Highway

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

Dr Ravi Chopra, Chairman of the Supreme Court appointed High Powered Committee has hit the nail when he questioned if there is any rule of Environment Law for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in their implementation of the Char Dham Highway in Uttarakhand. One hopes the Supreme Court does stand up for the Rule of law SOON and takes strictest action against violations. The violations are also affecting the people, the Himalayas and even the Ganga River, in its birth place. There is not too much hope from the Environment Ministry, but one hopes the Supreme Court does stand for the Rule of Law.

Continue reading →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 17 August 2020: The Contempt of Court case against MoEF

August 17, 2020August 18, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

[Feature image: Cartoon on Draft EIA 2020 by Surendra, The Hindu https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/cartoon/cartoonscape-august-12-2020/article32328005.ece (12 Aug. 2020)]

This last week, one Contempt of Court case was deservedly in news, when on the eve of India’s 74^th Independence day, the apex Court found public spirited Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt of Court. Prashant Bhushan’s commitment for the cause of the people and responsible governance of various institutions is beyond question. He is known for being critical of the government and judiciary’s track record and is supported in this by most independent minded persons.

However, there was another contempt case this last week, related to environmental issues, that was not so much in the news. On June 30, 2020, Delhi High Court bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan in response to petition by environmentalist Vikrant Tongad had directed, among other things, that Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) should translate the Draft EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) Notification of 2020 into all the official languages of India and disseminate widely in ten days. (https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-hc-extends-public-response-deadline-to-draft-eia-2020/article31951610.ece)

Continue reading “DRP NB 17 August 2020: The Contempt of Court case against MoEF” →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 10 August 2020: CANCEL EIA 2020!

August 10, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

Anyone who cares for India, its people and their future and who even remotely understands environmental governance and democratic process will come to just one conclusion about the Draft EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) 2020: CANCEL IT.

We certainly need change in the current EIA process. The whole thing is a major fraud at every stage, from the exclusion from large number of activities from the scope of EIA process, to scoping to quality of EIA, to the track record of the EIA consultants, to the process of selection of EAC (Expert Appraisal Committee) and its functioning, to public hearing and consultation process, to the complete absence of capacity or even will to monitor and achieve compliance of the approved project, every step needs strengthening, from the current EIA process based on the 2006 notification.

But the Draft EIA 2020 takes the current EIA process in opposite direction: Weakening it every step of the way. So there is no doubt that the only real option before the govt is to CANCEL IT.

Continue reading “DRP NB 10 August 2020: CANCEL EIA 2020!” →

Cloud Burst · Dams

उत्तराखंड: जब मेरे गांव में बादल फटा

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 SANDRP2 Comments

कमल पंवार का अतिथि लेख

28 जुलाई के सबेरे तीन बजे के आस पास गाँव में कोलाहल मच गया। भारी बारिश के बीच गाँव के ऊपरी हिस्से और बगल वाले गदेरे में अचानक भारी गाढ़ आ गई। कुछ ही देर में तेज गर्जन से मलबे की धारा गाँव के पास से होकर गुजर गई और अपने पीछे बर्बादी का भयानक मंजर छोड़ गई।

क्षेत्र के बारे में

मैं चमोली जिले के बूरा, पडेर गाँवों की बात कर रहा हूँ। ये गाँव तिमदो तोक, विकासखंड घाट में पड़ते हैं। इन गाँवों की कुल आबादी लगभग 5000 है। केवल बूरा गाँव ही लगभग 2 किलोमीटर के क्षेत्र में चार अलग-अलग भागों च्याना, चांजलि, सीमार बसा है। बूरा से ऊपर की ओर उत्तर पश्चिम दिशा में पडेर गाँव लगभग दो किलोमीटर दूर है।

Continue reading “उत्तराखंड: जब मेरे गांव में बादल फटा” →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 03 Aug 2020: India needs to demand info from China on Brahmaputra issues

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

Two important developments this week underline once again the need for Indian govt to demand clear responses from China. One is about the threat of landslide outburst flood that may enter India via Siang. A landslide dam has been formed on the Jianpu glaciers that feeds the Yigong Tsangpo, a tributary of Yarlung Tsangpo, as Siang is known by that name in Tibet. This landslide dam can breach anytime, and bring a high wave of sudden & destructive flood in Arunachal Pradesh. Chintan Sheth, who monitors this area through use of satellite imagery, has once again (his warnings on such landslide outburst dams in the past has been very accurate and useful) warned us about this through an excellent and detailed article quoted below, in Arunachal Times. Such information should actually be coming from Govt of India’s elaborate satellite imagery capabilities. At least now the Govt of India needs to ask China to share all information about this landslide dam and share that information with the people of Arunachal Pradesh at greatest risk due to such floods.

Continue reading “DRP NB 03 Aug 2020: India needs to demand info from China on Brahmaputra issues” →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 20 July 2020: Will the Supreme Court stop destruction of Ganga & Himalayas in the name of WIDER Char Dham Road?

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

Feature Image: Pithoragarh-Tanakpur Road widening work going and muck being dumped in Saryu river under Chardham project. (Manoj Matwal, April 2019)

The Supreme Court appointed Ravi Chopra committee has submitted the report on Char Dham Road. It has not said NO to the all weather road which is the slogan of Gadkari and rest of the Union Government. It has in fact, going by the Union Ministry of Road Transport’s’ circular, as late as 2018, suggested that the road be of 5.5 m width with necessary precautions. It has provided elaborate justifications and reasons why it took this decision. And yet twelve govt members of the committee, claiming in the name of religion (as per interview by one of these twelve members in media today) has insisted that the road should be of 10 m width. Not bothering that religion was not part of their mandate, not bothering what impact such a road will have on the Ganga (and the impact will be massive, we will know the full extent only if the impacts are scientifically assessed), on Himalayas (again starting from deforestation, landslides, flash floods and so on will be unbelievably huge) and on people and future generations. One only hopes the Supreme Court will see through the mindlessness of the economic fundamentalism being pushed in the name of religion and not allow the proposal to go ahead.

The Union Environment Ministry is clearly out to destroy even the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone by sanctioning the Zonal Master Plan without due process and in complete violation of the letter and spirit of the Bhagirathi notification. This will further open the flood gates for destruction of remaining stretch of Bhagirathi, considered original Ganga stream as it flows from Gangotri. Again one hopes the judiciary will strike this down.

One wonders what is the NMCG, National Mission for Clean Ganga, whose mandate is Ganga rejuvenation, is doing amidst all this? Why is it silent?

Continue reading “DRP NB 20 July 2020: Will the Supreme Court stop destruction of Ganga & Himalayas in the name of WIDER Char Dham Road?” →

Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 16 March 2020: Invitation to another Kedarnath floods tragedy?

March 16, 2020March 25, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

This remarkable TOI report on March 14, 2020 (there was a Hindustan Times Report on March 9, 2020, we found out later: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/scientist-flags-kedarnath-project-worries/story-1DoLBHLeMOmYLI3OPFOq1M.html) says that rampant redevelopments termed as “unabated unscientific work in the valley” around Kedarnath is likely to create dangerous situation leading to 2013 like catastrophe. We could not find report about such an important development in any other media.

But this detailed report, not contradicted by any of the quoted sources, seems sufficient reason to be alarmed by all concerned.

Experts of the Wildlife Institute of India, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) and even the Principle Science advisor to the Prime Minister K VIjay Raghavan and also the contractors, Woodstone Constructions along with other state and central govt officials were present where officials made some candid presentations. It seems there has been neither any impact assessment studies or clearances for the controversial interventions happening, including 9 km long approach road for Kedarnath on the left bank of Mandakini river, (left band has basically loose glacial sediments and hence is unstable and could get affected by avalanches and landslides) and a massive 50 ft deep and 100 m wide pit just 50 m behind Kedarnath for the Samadhi sthal. MPS Bisht, the Director of USAC in his presentation called the pit an extremely dangerous for future. He asked: “Why are we creating a situation for another disaster like the 2013 tragedy to take place again?” Scientists from the Wadia Institute are quoted saying: “The Road being built to Kedarnath is being made on the most vulnerable of Kedarnath Valley and may any day collapse under the pressure of so many glacier shoots which are directly opening on the road.” Raghavan called these revelations tipping points.

Continue reading “DRP NB 16 March 2020: Invitation to another Kedarnath floods tragedy?” →

Cloud Burst

Cloud Bursts 2019: Jammu Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim

December 24, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

Cloud burst incidents are on the increase across Himalayan states. The states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have faced 23 and 16 cloud burst incidents in the south west monsoon 2019. This account compiles such reports from Jammu Kashmir (J&K) and north eastern Himalayan states.

Continue reading “Cloud Bursts 2019: Jammu Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim” →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 16 Dec. 2019: Why the first NGC meeting signifies Govt’s Failure on Ganga

December 16, 2019December 16, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

The Prime Minister finally found time to have the first ever meeting on National Ganga Council, over three years after the Ganga Notification of Oct 7, 2016. The meeting happened at Kanpur, where the NGT recently fined the state government for continuing to release untreated effluents into the Ganga. In fact NGT in recent weeks have taken several decisions that also shows how abysmally the govt has failed on Ganga front. And now after the first NGC meeting, the Prime Minister, in an effort to divert attention from Namami Gange failure, is proposing the new slogan of Arth Ganga, which basically seems to suggest focus on Money, which is Exactly what is not going to help the cause of Ganga. The Ganga is still on the lookout for the Ganga putra that promised a clean Ganga in May 2014.

Continue reading “DRP NB 16 Dec. 2019: Why the first NGC meeting signifies Govt’s Failure on Ganga” →