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.

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2024: Corruption in Hydro, Dams in India

January 4, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Construction site of 382 Mw Sunni Hydro project on Sutlej river in Himachal Pradesh. Source: Social Media)

This annual overview focusses on important reports highlighting the corruption issues related to the hydro and dam projects in India in 2024. The electoral bond case has revealed the deep nexus among political parties, contractors and financers as dominant force working behind the projects overlooking the evident disaster risks and undermining the democratic process. As a result, the people, rivers and environment are made to bear the burden and burnt.

The part 1 of the yearend roundup has documented the accidents and disasters related to dam and HEP projects in India in 2024. The part 2 focuses on community resistance against hydro projects in Himalayan states. The part 3 covers the struggle of dam projects affected people. The part 4 highlights growing concerns against pump storage projects.

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Urban Flood

2024: Dam Induced Floods in Urban India

January 3, 2025 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image: A drone visual of the flood-affected areas of Vijayawada city on Sept. 6, 2024. Credit: ANI Photo/Source: Rediff.com)

Having covered dam induced flood incidents and embankment breach flooding events in part 1 and part 2, this third part on annual overview compiles media reports on manmade Urban flood disasters in India during the year 2024. While the cities of Pune, Nasik, Nagpur, Vadodara and Bharuch were affected by dam induced floods, the high discharges from Prakasam barrage and multiple breaches in Budameru river deluged the Vijayawada city. Interestingly, these urban flood episodes coincided with heavy rainfall events giving a reality check to dam and city managers.

In addition to failure in dam management, the deluge in Pune, Vadodara and Vijayawada city were particularly worsened by river front development projects and encroachment on river floodplains putting question marks on the urban planning and development works in these cities. Similarly, the breach in embankment of Munak canal in Delhi flooded several homes Bawana area during the monsoon season.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 020125: River Dying by Design or Default?

January 2, 2025February 4, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Instream mechanized mining going on in Yamuna river at Gumthala Rao near Karnal-Yamuna Nagar border in Haryana in Oct. 2024. Source: Yamauna Nadi Mitra Mandli)

This twelfth edition of monthly Yamuna updates and the first one of the new year 2025, rounds up the critical issues impacting the river eco-system during the past year. The updates of the past one month only hint towards the bleak future the river is heading to. Without addressing the adverse effects and exploring cost effective alternatives, foundation stones of two massive river interlinking projects namely Ken-Betwa and Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal have been laid. The work of unjustifiable Renuka and Lakhwar dams in climatically sensitive and geologically fragile region of Himalaya is going on.

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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.

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Dams

2024: Dam Affected Continue to Struggle across India

December 25, 2024January 19, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Tribals in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh protesting against Basania dam in March 2024. Image: ETV Bharat)

The part 3 of annual 2024 overview on the dams and hydro projects covers the ongoing movements of dam affected people in India. All through the year 2024, the Narmada Bachao Andolan continued peaceful protests seeking justice for Sardar Sarovar Project affected villagers. Tribals in upper Narmada Valley have also been fiercely opposing the Basania dam. The Hirakud dam displaced people have demanded formation of statutory national commission to hear their grievances.

The plight of Pong dam affected villagers have worsened as they again face displacement from rehabilitated lands due to new development projects while most of the land given to Renuka dam affected has been damaged by floods. It is indeed tragic that despite sacrificing their land and livelihoods for the ‘development’ of the country decades back, thousands of dams affected villagers are still forced to fight for promised rehabilitation.

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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.

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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.

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Hydro Disaster

2024: Accidents & Damages to Hydro & Dams in India

December 20, 2024January 18, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

The annual overview highlights the damages and accidents affecting dams and hydro power projects in India during 2024. The highest number of such incidents happened in Himachal Pradesh. Incidents are also noteworthy from Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand among the Himalayan states. In addition, noteworthy dam disaster incidents in the year happened in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The previous overview on the issue can be seen by visiting the links 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020.

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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.

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