DRP 170826: Assam Floods: Engineering alone cannot help

August 17, 2026August 17, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Drone image showing flood situation in Assam. Source: TNIE/ Credit ANI, July 26, 2026)

Among many analyses of the recent Assam Floods, three contrasting ones stand out to illustrate the limitation of supremely confident perspective that engineering alone will solve the problem. One of them is by Mitul Baruah and another one is on edit page of The Times of India on Aug 17 2026. The third one by Arupjyoti Saikia is published in Indian Express. The one in TOI does not look at cultural or historical aspects of floods in Assam, nor the uniqueness of unprecedented upper Assam floods & the reasons behind it. The analysis by Mitul Baruah, in contrast, takes into account all this and in fact comes from lived experience in Majuli. Arupjyoti Saikia, an environmental historian, takes historical perspective.

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Alaknanda · Climate Change · Disasters · Ganga · Himalayas · Hydro Disaster

Aug 2026: Eight Killed in THDC’s Vishnugad-Pipalkoti HEP Tunnel Disaster

August 17, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Rescuers using make shift raft made of plastic drums to search for the missing workers inside flooded Vishnugad-Pipalkoti HEP. Source: Amar Ujala/Aug. 14, 2026)

At least eight workers have been killed in a major disaster inside the tunnel of under-construction Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project (HEP) on Aug. 13, 2026 in Uttarakhand. The incident occurring between 6:30 and 7:00 pm inside the project’s Tail Race Tunnel (TRT) near Mayapur area in Chamoli district, has also left 12 workers injured and two still missing. The rescued workers have sustained fractures and other trauma injuries and are currently under treatment. The disaster happened about 1.5 km inside the 3 km long TRT, being constructed between Durgapur to Siyasain area in Pipalkoti.

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Floodplain · Floods · Urban Rivers · Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan Aug 2026: Floodplains remain under threat

August 13, 2026August 13, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Map showing the temporal changes in the Yamuna river courses for years 1990, 2007, 2014 and maximum possible/ visible extents of the associated floodplains for years 1807, 1952, 1980, 1990, 2007 and 2014; digitized from the toposheets compiled from Survey of India, IRS 1C LISS III imageries and Google Earth images. Credit: Constriction of the Yamuna River Floodplains within Delhi Region since 19th Century: A Serious Concern)

Three recent studies have once again highlighted both the severe degradation of the Yamuna and the critical role of its floodplain in Delhi. Their findings make it clear that cleaning sewage alone will not revive the river. Protecting natural flows, restoring floodplain connectivity and conserving wetlands are equally important for reducing flood risk, recharging groundwater and sustaining the river’s ecology. Undoubtedly, the Yamuna floodplain has already suffered extensive encroachment, fragmentation and ecological damage due to weak governance.

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Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 100826: State of Dam Safety Affairs in India

August 10, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Idukki dam in Kerala. Credit: Reju Arnold/ Source: The Week)

The two important developments over the past week have once again highlighted the worrying state of dam safety affairs in India. Firstly, the information shared by Union Jal Shakti Minister on Aug. 03, 2026 in Parliament has revealed that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has updated Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for only 735 of the country’s 6,598 completed and operational specified dams as of July 30, 2026.

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Floods · Highest Flood Level · Rivers

July 2026: Rivers Crossing Highest Flood Levels

August 6, 2026August 6, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna river at Kalanaur flood monitoring station in Saharanpur on March 31, 2025. SANDRP)

In July 2026, SANDRP has documented Highest Flood Level (HFL) breaches at least at 15 flood monitoring sites of Central Water Commission (CWC) in India. These 15 sites are spread over 7 river basins, with maximum 4 sites in Brahmaputra basin followed by 3 sites each in Brahmani & Baitarani and Mahanadi basin, 2 sites in West Flowing Rivers from Tapi to Tadri basin and at 1 site each in Ganga, Narmada and Tapi river basin.

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Climate Change · Dams, Rivers & People · Himalayas · Hydro Disaster

DRP 030826: Eight Disasters Hit Himalayan Hydro Projects in Six Weeks

August 3, 2026August 14, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Flash flood in Chenab valley on July 06, 2026 buried several vehicles at Kwar HEP site in Kishtwar. Source: NDTV)

Over the past one and a half months of the 2026 monsoon season (since June 24), at least eight (& counting) major accidents and disasters have affected hydropower and dam projects across the Himalayan region. In addition, two recurring landslide lakes have emerged as significant hazards that are either linked to HEP construction activities or have the potential to impact downstream hydropower infrastructure. Notably, these incidents span the Teesta, Brahmaputra, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and Yamuna basins underlining that almost no major Himalayan river basin remains untouched by recurring hydro-related disasters.

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Beas · Himalayas · Landslide dam

July 2026: Flood Threat from Landslide Lake in Sainj Valley, Himachal Pradesh

August 1, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Google Earth image marks locations mentioned in the report along landslide lakes and nearby hydropower infrastructure in the Sainj Valley. The red circle marks the probable location of the landslide lake on Jiva nullah, while the yellow circle indicates the landslide lake that formed on Varshanu nullah in June 2025. The numbered locations represent: (1) 1 MW Jiva Small HEP, (2) 100 MW Sainj HEP powerhouse, (3) 800 MW Parbati-II HEP powerhouse and (4) the dam of the 520 MW Parbati-III HEP.)

Fresh landslides and the continued expansion of a landslide-dammed lake on Jiva nullah in the Sainj Valley of Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, have once again raised concerns over a potential downstream flood disaster. Although no official estimate of the lake’s area or stored water volume has been made public, local residents say the impounded water body has expanded steadily over the past three years.

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Climate Change · Himalayas · Hydro Disaster · Ravi River

July 2026: Workers Injured by Rockfall near Chamera-III Dam Site in Ravi Basin

July 31, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Rockfall at Chamera III dam site in Chamba on July 24, 2026. Source: Amar Ujala)

A rockfall at the dam site of the 231 MW Chamera-III Hydro Project narrowly averted a major tragedy on July 24, 2026. The incident occurred close to the dam construction area around 6 PM near Kharamukh on the Pathankot–Bharmour NH in Chamba dist, Himachal Pradesh.

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Climate Change · Himalayas · Hydro Disaster · Ravi River

July 2026: Flood Damages Chanju-III HEP Again in Ravi Basin, Himachal Pradesh

July 31, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Flash flood at Chanju III HEP site in Chamba on July 19. Source: The Modern Himachal)

A flash flood in the Chanju stream on July 19, 2026, caused significant damage to the Chanju-III Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Ravi basin. The project is being built near Chanju and Dehra villages in Churah subdivision of Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh. As per initial reports, the swollen stream washed away large quantities of construction material and damaged several temporary structures at the project site.

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Dams, Rivers & People · Urban Rivers

DRP 270726: Urban Rivers Need Ecological Restoration, Not Concrete, Cosmetic Fixes

July 27, 2026July 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Vrishabhavathi river in Bengaluru. Credit: Deccan Herald)

Despite sustaining cities with water supply, groundwater recharge, flood moderation, biodiversity, livelihoods and cultural services, India’s urban rivers continue to deteriorate, as highlighted by several reports this week. The Yamuna in Delhi remains the starkest example – ecologically dead across long stretches due to unchecked sewage inflows, shrinking flows and relentless floodplain encroachment. Similar stories are unfolding across the country, with Mumbai’s Mithi, Hyderabad’s Musi, Chennai’s Cooum, Bengaluru’s Vrishabhavathi, Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati, Vadodara’s Vishwamitri, Jaipur’s Dravyawati, Nasik’s Godvarai, Pune’s Mula-Mutha amd several other urban rivers increasingly reduced to sewage drains or heavily degraded waterways.

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