DRP 200426: Himachal HC takes cognizance of impact of Hydro Project silt flushing on rivers

April 20, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Pandoh dam discharging flood waters in Beas river in Aug. 2025. Source: Amar Ujala)

In a remarkable development, the Himachal High Court has taken cognizance of the impact of silt flushing from the Shanan Hydropower project in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh on the downstream fish, has fined the project Rs 12 lakhs and has ordered scientific monitoring of the future sediment discharge, only to be done after March 1 each year. The order is largely due to the fact that under the Himachal Pradesh Fisheries Act, Nov to Feb is trout breeding season. The order thus is not likely to be applicable for silt flushing by other hydropower projects. It is also good to see that the court has formed a monitoring committee and asked for compliance reports.

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Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 130426: CAG Reveals Governance Failure in J&K Wetlands Management

April 13, 2026April 13, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Cover page of CAG report on Wetlands management in J&K)

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India report is revealing official document on how systemic governance failure has failed the wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir. The fact that 518 out of 697 lakes have shrunk or disappeared, reflects on decades of ineffective policies. As per the report, the multiple departments operated in isolation with no accountability, no shared database and no management plans thus making the wetlands vulnerable to encroachment.

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Yamuna Manthan 0426: Will Govts Ensure Survival of Chambal River Sanctuary?

April 9, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Index map of Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal River Interlinking Project. Souce: NWDA)

Two critical developments over the past month have once again highlighted the scale of threats undermining the ecological integrity of the Chambal, the largest tributary of the Yamuna. The rich aquatic life in the Chambal Sanctuary has already been adversely affected by the gradual decline in river flows and unabated illegal sand mining.

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Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 6 April 2026: CAG Report on DJB indicates fundamental issues

April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Sewer line cleaning work by DJB in North West Delhi’s Sanjay Colony. Credit: Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)

The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Audit of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for 2017-2022 highlights the fundamental issues facing Urban Water Sector in India. Unfortunately, CAG stops short of reaching the conclusion that lack of National Urban Water Policy and lack of accountable governance are the fundamental issues also plaguing DJB like other Urban Water Bodies in India.

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Dams, Rivers & People · Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

DRP 300326: Sad state of migratory Riverine fish in India

March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Cover page of CMS summary report on Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes)

The key CMS (Conservation of Migratory fish Species) report this week once again highlights the sad state of migratory Riverine fish, fisheries and fisherfolks in India. Shockingly, even when thousands or tens of thousands of fisherfolks lose their livelihoods due to projects on rivers, there is not even assessment of impacts of such projects on fish, fisheries and fisherfolks, leave aside consideration of compensation or rehabilitation for them. The Sardar Sarovar Project on Narmada River in Gujarat, one of the most celebrated dams of India, as an apt example of this situation. Farakka Dam is another such example.

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2025: Mass Fish Death in Lakes, Ponds in India

November 23, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Dead fish being removed from Budha Sagar pond in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh in 1st week on Nov. 2025. Source)

This compilation documents over three dozen incidents of mass fish death that occurred in water bodies including lakes, ponds, tanks and Ramsar wetlands located in Urban and Rural areas across India so far in 2025. Interestingly, most of these incidents are reported just before or after south west monsoon. In urban water bodies sewage contamination, water stagnation, dumping of solid waste have become common reasons for sudden fish mortality. These incidents are quite frequent even in the historic lakes and religious ponds in many cities despite crores of rupees spent in their maintenance by local agencies which is mainly limited to their beatification.

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2025: Struggle & Resistance of Fisherfolks in India

November 21, 2025November 22, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Boats of small fishers in Hooghly river in Haldia. Credit: Rahul Singh/ Mongabay India)

The theme for World Fisheries Day (WFD) 2025, “We have not caught anything, but at your word I will let down the nets” aptly resembles the plight of lakhs of fisherfolks both inland and coastal in India whose livelihoods have apparently been undermined by various development projects. However, amid growing uncertainties they keep up the resistance against the destructive projects to reclaim their rights as the top ten stories of past one year compiled here signifies. This is the fifth part of our annual overview on the subject and in first four parts we have highlighted the positive developments on fisheries, impact of dams on fish diversity and habitats, important studies and new fish species discovered in India during past one year.

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2025: New Freshwater Fish Discoveries from India

November 21, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The new species of cyprinid from the Brahmaputra River. Source)

Amid rising threats, the researchers continue to discover new freshwater fish species in India mostly from North East and Western Ghats as shows this overview, prepared on the occasion of World Fisheries Day (WFD) 2025. This is fourth overview and we have covered positive developments, impact of dams, important studies on the subject taking place during the past one year in first, second and third parts of the series.

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2025: Important Studies, Reports on Freshwater Fish Species, Habitats

November 21, 2025November 23, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

Marking World Fisheries Day (WFD) 2025, we present some of important studies and reports highlighting the growing threats over freshwater fish species in India and across the globe. The multi-taxon global freshwater fauna assessment for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species published this year is among most concerning report revealing looming extinction threats over 24% of freshwater fauna worldwide. This includes the hump-backed mahseer, subterranean snakehead and peninsular hill trout found in rivers and waterbodies of Western Ghats.

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Dams, Rivers & People · Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2025: Impacts of Dams on Inland Fish, Fisherfolks

November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

On the Occasion of World Fisheries Day (WFD) 2025, SANDRP shares the top ten reports underlining the growing impacts of river obstruction projects on freshwater fish species and dependent fisherfolks in India. Indeed, damming free flowing rivers has become the single biggest reason behind growing extinction rate of aquatic life by severely disrupting their migration routes. The iconic hilsa and mahaseer fish in Ganga and Narmada have declined sharply due to construction of Farakka and Sardar Sarovar dams respectively, among others.

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