Yamuna SW Monsoon 2024: Upper Segment Misses Flood

October 2, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna river at Mawi site in Kairana, UP in Sept. 2024)

After remarkable deluge in 2023, the upper segment of Yamuna river has seen no significant flood spell all through the just concluded southwest monsoon 2024. This is unusual as the river generally witnesses at least a couple of low or medium flood spells in this segment every year.

However, this year the discharges from Hathnikund Barrage (HKB) in Haryana did not cross 1 lakh cusec figure even a single time. The peak discharge from the barrage was 87,017 cusecs at 06:00 hour on 26.09.2024.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 300924: Focus on River Studies

September 30, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

Rivers are the most important ecosystems (eco here includes ecology and economy) and yet possibly least studied entities. Some news below this week about some river studies brings the focus on need to take up many more river related studies.

Most important aspect of river related studies is the need for credible, independent studies, not influenced by the needs of the governments. Otherwise, the government is likely to not only influence the study, but also decide not to make it public as they did in case of the studies related to Joshimath town and role of Chamoli disaster.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 160924: Urban Flood lessons from Vadodara, Vijaywada

September 16, 2024September 16, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Vadodara: A flooded area after heavy monsoon rainfall, in Vadodara, Tuesday, Aug. 27). Photo Credit: PTI/The Hindu)

Like every monsoon, a number of cities have faced catastrophic floods in SW monsoon this year. Vadodara and Vijaywada have got the media attention more than any other city for urban floods this year. In both cases a number of factors are common: role of upstream dams, encroachment on water bodies including rivers, lakes, streams, role of illegal sand mining particularly in Vijaywada, not having learnt any lessons from past flood disasters.

It is interesting to see Andhra Pradesh CM hinting at bringing HYDRAA like enforcement institution to remove encroachments on Budameru and other water bodies. Considering the nature of his politics and track record, it is doubtful if this NDA CM will take such a bold step, but it is certainly worthy of consideration for almost all urban areas in India.

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Highest Flood Level

Lower Yamuna Basin: 11 Rivers Crossed old HFLs in just 2 days in Sept 2024

September 14, 2024September 14, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna rivers in severe flood situation at Pachnada in Etawah, UP on Sept. 14, 2024. Image source Udaybhan)

It is interesting to see that at least 11 rivers at as many flood monitoring sites of Central Water Commission (CWC) located in Bundelkhand region (4 sites) and lower Yamuna basin (7 sites) have crossed old Highest Flood Level (HFL) just in 2 days on September 12-13, 2024. These sites are in 3 different states of Madhya Pradesh (7 sites), Uttar Pradesh (3 sites) and Rajasthan (1 site).

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Dam floods · Dam Induced Flood Disaster · Dam Safety

August 2024: Tonga Dam Breach floods Madhya Pradesh villages

September 11, 2024September 11, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Breach in Tonga dam. Source: ETV Bharat)

A breach in earthen Tonga dam has flooded half a dozen villages in Sabalgarh tehsil of Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. The breach occurred in intervening night of August 12-13, 2024. As per reports, the dam first overflowed following rainfall, leading to the breach.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 090924: Question marks over Yettinahole should not be buried under money spent

September 9, 2024September 9, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: File photo of Yettinahole Project. Source: Daijiworld)

The Yettinahole project has seen protests and question marks right from the time when the project was proposed, none of them have been convincingly answered. As the Karnataka Chief Minister and his deputy commissioned a small part of it, those question marks remain as relevant today, including its hydrological viability, environmental impact assessments and sustainability, with hugely weakening of the western ghats by such major interventions without any credible impact assessments. (see: https://sandrp.in/2013/09/18/yettinahole-diversion-an-imprudent-rs-100-billion-proposition/)

It is good to see CWC and MoEF have also raised some questions and asked report even at this stage. One however expects CWC to raise such questions much earlier in the project cycle and before the project becomes fait accomplice. Else, it seems more like politicking. MoEF could have raised issues of violations before the violations happened on ground and should have refused to provide piece meal forest clearances as it has alleged.

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Dam Safety

Andhra Pradesh: Prakasam Barrage Damaged by ‘Sand Boats’ Again

September 4, 2024September 11, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Sand boats hit Prakasam Barrage gate no 69 while irrigation officials release 11.24 lakhs cusecs of flood water in Vijayawada on Monday (Sept. 02, 2024). Image Source: Deccan Chronicle)

Amid the unprecedented flood spell in Krishna river passing through the Prakasam barrage located in Vijaywada city of NTR district in Andhra Pradesh, an incident of ‘sand boats’ getting stuck and damaging the barrage in early morning of Sep. 2, 2024, has been reported. The number of boats varied from three to five. The incident became a cause of worry for the structural safety of the barrage.

The New Indian Express report mentioned above reported, quoting irrigation officials that all 70 gates of the barrage were lifted at 2200 hours on Sept. 2, 2024, passing 11.03 lakhs cusecs of water, highest in 70 year history of the barrage. The report stated: “Previously, the Krishna River saw historic floods from October 2 to 13, 2009, when the maximum inflow recorded at Prakasam Barrage was 11,10,404 cusecs at 11 pm on October 5.”

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 020924: HYDRA to protect water bodies in Hyderabad – a landmark move?

September 2, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: An analysis of satellite imaging of 54 lakes taken in 1979 and 2023, secured by the HYDRAA from the NRSA shows that 40 lakes or nearly 75 per cent of lakes have shrunk by half. (Image: Twitter/DC)

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency, or Hydra was established under GO 99, dated July 19 2024. A task the agency has taken up in all seriousness is protection of water bodies in the Hyderabad Capital Region (it includes 4 districts). To begin with it has started demolition of buildings illegally built inside the Full Tank Area (FTL) and Buffer area of the water bodies.

In July, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy replaced the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of the government with Hydra, a body mandated to tackle illegal encroachment on water bodies in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and surrounding areas. Its strength was upgraded from around 800 to 2,200 and its officials came directly under the principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development or the CM himself. “Hydra will also ensure the protection of water bodies in and around Hyderabad,” former EVDM commissioner and Hydra chief A V Ranganath said during its inception.

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Hydro Disaster

August 2024: Mismanagement Damages Mahan-III HEP In Chhattisgarh

August 30, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Mahan III HEP powerhouse in flooded condition due to overflowing of dam. Image Source: Dainik Bhaskar)

The powerhouse and dam of Mahan-III Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Chhattisgarh have faced significant damages due to floods during intermittent rainfall in the catchment of Mahan river in the 1^st week of Aug 2024. As per the reports, the HEP dam overflowed and breached adjoining embankments because the project authority failed to open its gates in time.

The 24.75 Mw project is developed by Venika Hydro Power Project Ltd near Chikini village under Odgi (also spelt as Oudgi & Odagi) block of Surajpur district in Chhattisgarh. Work on the Run of the River (RoR) project started around 2011, and it was commissioned in Nov 2019. The dam is about 21 meter high and about 400 meter long including 70 meter and 20 meter long earthen embankments on right and left side of the main dam respectively.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 260824: Urban flooding plan welcome, Urban Water Sector needs attention

August 26, 2024August 26, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Assam Floods: Commuters wade through a flooded road after incessant rains, in Guwahati, Friday, July 5, 2024. Image Source: PTI/ABP Live)

The Union Government plan to spend Rs 2517 Cr in 2 years in seven metro cities to mitigate floods is certainly welcome announcement. The key component of the plan, conservation and improving capacity of urban water bodies is noteworthy along with storm water drainage. Does it mean that the River Front Development projects that actually reduce the flood carrying capacity of the rivers will be closed, since one does not expect govt to be working at cross purposes in different schemes.

In fact, Urban Water Sector as a whole needs attention with National Urban Water Policy as a first step. This is because the groundwater aquifers that are fast being emptied out, can be least cost option for storing the excess rain water, serving the purpose of reducing storm water drainage load and also improving water conservation. There is huge scope for this in all the seven metros listed in the scheme as also in many other cities.

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