July 2024: USDMA Clueless on Flashflood Disaster at Vishnugad Pipalkoti HEP

July 18, 2024July 19, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Screenshot of social media video showing flash flood imapct at HCC’s batching plant during intervening night of July 15-16, 2024.)

The batching plant at the controversial under construction Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Power (HEP) project site in Uttarakhand has suffered significant damages due to a flash flood incident during the intervening night of July 15-16, 2024. The plant belongs to the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) and has been set up by the Alaknanda river downstream the dam of 444 Mw HEP project adjacent to it dumping yard at Gulabkoti in Helang area of Joshimath tehsil in Chamoli district.

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Cloud Burst

2023: ‘Cloudburst’ Incidents in J&K, Ladakh & North East

November 24, 2023November 24, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image:- Locals walk across a damaged road following flash floods due to cloudburst in the Naginar area of Faqir Gujri, on the outskirts of Srinagar, Saturday, July 22, 2023. Photo: PTI/S. Irfan)

This article is about ‘cloudburst’ incidents that have taken place in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakah in North West Himalayan states and in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in North East Himalayan states during south west monsoon 2023 season. SANDRP has earlier published detailed analysis on ‘cloudburst’ incidents in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh states in SW Monsoon 2023.

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Hydro Disaster

More Himachal Pradesh Hydro Projects damaged in flashfloods in July-Aug 2023

September 13, 2023January 3, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Heavy vehicles stuck in Machchhetar nulla near Kuther HEP Adit 3 tunnel in Bharmour tehsil of Chamba after August 25, 2023 cloud burst induced flash flood. Image Source: Screen shot of Himachali Vlogger Balwant Kapoor You Tube video)

In July and August 2023, two more hydro electric power (HEP) projects have faced cloud burst induced flash flood destruction in Himachal Pradesh. The first one is Kuther HEP in Chamba district and the second one is Pittkari HEP in Mandi district. The details of 2 HEPs (14 MW GreenKo HEP in Sutlej basin, Shimla and 66 MW Dhaulasiddh HEP in Beas basin, Hamirpur) earlier impacted by cloudbursts induced deluge in last week of June 2023 can be seen here.

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Floods

Aug 2023 Floods in Alaknanda-Ganga Rivers

September 5, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Ganga river flowing in severe flood condition in Rishikesh on August 14, 2023. Image Credit: PTI/ Source: DH)

On August 14, 2023, there was flash flood in Alaknanda rivers in Uttarakhand causing sharp rise in water level at Center Water Commission (CWC) stations along Alaknanda upto Devprayag and then along Ganga in Rishikesh and Haridwar. The volume of water was so huge that it narrowly missed breaching the June 2013 peak flood level at Rishikesh and Haridwar site. This report tries to analyze hydrographs of 15 CWC flood monitoring sites on Alaknanda and Ganga rivers to assess the actual flood levels in these rivers during this flood spell in comparison with the previous peak flood levels attained on these sites.

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Yamuna River

Uttarakhand: Aug 2023 Landslide Renders Jakhan in Yamuna Valley Inhabitable

August 28, 2023August 29, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Landslide damaged homes in Jakhan village, Dehradun. Image source: Social Media)

The Jakhan village in Yamuna valley suffered a huge landslide in noon hours of August 16, 2023. The village is populated by 28 families. The incident has reportedly damaged 10 houses and 07 cowsheds fully and 02 houses partially apart from impacting a power transmission tower of Power Transmission Corp of Uttarakhand Ltd (PTCUL) forcing the villagers to take refuge in nearby primary school of village Pashta.

The village is part of Binhar region situated about 5 km uphill the power station of 120 Mw Vyasi Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Project on Yamuna river. The Vyasi Project is in Hathyari village of Vikas Nagar tehsil in Dehradun district. Before the fateful incident, the area had witnessed prolonged rain spells and the villagers had seen small cracks around the village.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 140823: A year after Karam dam disaster: people suffer, engineer set free, contractor building more dams

August 14, 2023January 3, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Breach in Karam dam, Madhya Pradesh. Source:- Social Media)

It was on Aug 13, 2022, a year ago when the Karam dam wall in Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh started leaking water. Two days later it collapsed. The people who suffered during the disaster continue to suffer. The engineers who were supposed to ensure proper construction of the dam, following all the norms, did not do that, were supposed to be suspended, but got reinstated elsewhere. They kept quiet in the courts. The black listed contractor continues to build more dams.

A clearer evidence of the nexus that supports unwanted, destructive, costly, corruption ridden and disastrous dams would be difficult to find. As the destruction due to dams and such other unaccountable infrastructure development plays out in Himachal Pradesh & elsewhere this year, the nexus that thrives on opaque, unaccountable and non-participatory governance continues to happily grow even as the changing rainfall patterns bring greater disasters before our eyes.

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Hydro Disaster

Himachalis blame NHPC dams for flood disaster in Sainj Valley in July 2023

August 9, 2023August 12, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image:- Deluge in Pin Parbati river engufling riverbank habitations in Sainj market on July 09, 2023. Source: Anil Khatri Vlogs)

The official report of what has transpired in Sainj Valley under Banjar subdivision of Kullu district during July 8-10, 2023 is still not in public domain, however the multiple media reports suggest it to be one of the worst flood disasters for the valley and have once again raised serious questions on the role the hydroelectric power (HEP) projects. Local people have specifically underlined the gross negligence by National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) company for turning floods into a disaster. Moreover, old media reports from the area have also highlighted that it was a disaster in the making for which the state government machinery as well hydro projects and NHPC have contributed hugely.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 310723: Disastrous SHORT TERMISM in Urban India

July 31, 2023July 31, 2023 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image: Earthmovers on restoration work as massive landslide damaged buildings at Shamti after heavy monsoon rainfall, in Solan district, on July 11, 2023 | Photo Credit: PTI/The Hindu)

The Supreme Court’s notice on Shimla development plan that lacks balance between development and environment is welcome and one hopes the apex court takes the issue to its logical conclusion. The consequences of unplanned and ill planned urban developments are a clear invitation to major disasters, including floods, landslides, traffic congestions, air and water pollution, health hazards and also water shortages. The Shimla Master plan also violates the NGT directions with complete impunity.

This is exactly what the EDIT in the Times of India on Mussoorie misery, dangerous short termism that pervades across sectors in Urban India with no policy to guide Urban Water sector or for that matter any other sector.

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Bhutan · Hydro Disaster

July 2023 Bhutan Hydro Project Disaster: 23 Dead and missing

July 23, 2023July 27, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

At least seven people were killed and 16 others missing in Bhutan after flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains washed away a section of a hydroelectric plant on July 20 2023[i]. They were washed away by the sudden burst at the residential area next to the worksite at Ungar village, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering, who is in Lhuentse, said the devastating flashflood presented one of the biggest loss of lives and properties in recent memory, and shook the core of the nation.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 170723: Man-Made Reasons That Make Flood A Disaster

July 17, 2023July 17, 2023 SANDRP2 Comments

(Feature Image: At Bhuntar, the Beas in spate claimed more than 20 shops, several houses and a major chunk of the road. PTI/The Tribune)

Over the past 10 days, several Himalayan and North Indian states including national capital Delhi have been battling severe flood disaster which has already taken a heavy toll of human lives apart from displacing people in large numbers and causing massive scale and still unfolding destruction to public-private infrastructure which is still unfolding.

While at macro level the impact of climate change induced excessive and abnormal rainfall patterns is seen as a major culprit but the micro level analysis reveals the deep connection of human activities behind the devastation on ground.

For example, in Himachal and Uttarakhand it is increasingly becoming clear that the large-scale construction and widening of improperly designed and poorly executed highways projects have started proving a double whammy for the fragile hills and river systems.

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