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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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 190824: Goa River group win important battle against illegal sand mining

August 19, 2024August 19, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Sand extraction in Mandovi river near Candola bridge. Image Credit: GRSPN)

This is indeed a rare and important victory by Goa River Sand Protectors’ Network (GRSPN) in their long fight against illegal river sand mining in Goa. Following a petition in the National Green Tribunal the state government has agreed to recall all the environment clearances granted by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.

Goa government has agreed since these clearances were given without a District Survey Report (DSR) as required under the sustainable sand mining guidelines of MoEF. While this may sound like a temporary respite based on some technical violation, the fact is most sand mining clearances across India are given without a credible DSR, but it has not been possible to stop such violations elsewhere.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 120824: Chalakudy community demand Prudent Dam Management Plan

August 12, 2024August 12, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Water flows through the gates of the Peringalkuthu dam on Chalakudy river after a sluice was opened following heavy rain in Thrissur on Aug. 04, 2022. Photo Credit: PTI/The Hindu)

One of the heartening development this week is from Kerala, where Chalakudy river community held a satyagraha to demand proper integrated dam management plan in the Chalakudy River basin to minimize flood risks. It is rather rare that communities come out for such a demand. It was also great to see that the satyagraha was supported by Chalakudy Puzha Samrakshan Samiti, Chalakudy municipal chairman and also environmentalists.

The satyagraha in fact had specific demand for each of the dams included in the Paramibikulam Aliyar Project, including in Kerala and upstream Tamil Nadu. We hope the Kerala government positively responds to these demands at the earliest.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 080824: Welcome Judicial Decisions for River Floodplain

August 8, 2024August 8, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna floodplain downstream old railway bridge Delhi. March 2024, SANDRP)

In the past one month there have been some interesting judicial interventions taking up the matters of floodplain, pollution and aquatic eco-system of the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Of these, the most significant one is the NGT order on July 11 fining MoJS & CWC of ₹50 000 each for the non-demarcation of floodplain in Agra.

The fine was to be submitted before Aug. 06,2024 hearing but there is no update available so far on this. It is also not clear whether Yamuna floodplain has been demarcated and officially notified in Agra stretch or not. Earlier in May 2019 and March 2022, the NGT had asked for demarcation of Yamuna floodplain in Agra and Mathura respectively.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 050824: Cities fail monsoon test

August 5, 2024August 5, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image by Cartoonist Alok/ Sakal, July 25, 2024)

This monsoon has again shown how our cities have been failing the monsoon test for decades. As rightly suggested in the Indian Express Edit this week, main reasons are: outdated drainage systems, planning that is blind to local hydrology and pathetic state of civic agencies. The last factor in fact needs to change to failed governance at all levels. There is no water or flood policy that guides our cities, nor is there any reward for improving governance, nor any penalties for lack of it.

In fact, with better rainwater management, cities can convert this problem into a blessing, both in terms of water security and also improved state of urban landscape. This would be possible if it prioritizes the city’s capacity to hold, store, recharge and drain the rainwater. Instead, the cities are busying destroying such capacities by destroying the rivers, ridges, forests, local water bodies, groundwater recharge capacities and also the drainage capacity.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 290724: Dam Floods need urgent attention

July 29, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Officials said it was very important to identify a dry area for construction of the diaphragm wall and the earth-cum-rock-fill dam on top of it, this being the main dam of the Polavaram project. DC Image)

The floods last week in Pune, with significant contribution from dam releases from upstream has led to Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directing the water resources department to keep the Khadkwasla Dam only half full to avoid repeat of the floods. While this is welcome and needs to be implemented, it also raises a number of questions.

The phenomena of water releases from dams contributing to downstream floods is not new, it has been going on for decades as SANDRP has been pointing out. Even in 2023 monsoon, several dams were found guilty of this including Sardar Sarovar on Narmada in Gujarat and Bhakra & Pong dams in Punjab (this was highlighted at a meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday by SANDRP and others), among others. In 2019 floods in Maharashtra and Karnataka too this happened in Krishna basin. So, the minister’s statement post disaster is surprising.

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