Narmada

18 high flood levels breached in Western India in Sept. 2023

September 22, 2023September 22, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The water level of the Narmada river near Golden Bridge rises to 35 feet due to heavy rains, in Bharuch on Sept. 17, 2023. ANI/TNIE)

Several of Narmada basin districts in Madhya Pradesh have witnessed heavy to very heavy rainfall spells between September 14 to 16, 2023 resulting in severe flood situation along the river in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and resultantly leading to breaching of Highest Flood Level (HFL) at 13 sites in Narmada Basin alone. Similarly, there have been at least 5 more HFL breaches during the same period in western India.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 180923: Floodplain loss, the biggest in Asia, disaster in the making

September 18, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Ongoing ghat work along Yamuna at Qudsia ghat, ISBT Dellhi. SANDRP, June 2023)

A floodplain, according to the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, is “any land area susceptible to being inundated by floodwaters from any source”. According to the report “Human alterations of the global floodplains 1992–2019”, over 460,000 sqkms of floodplain area was lost to agriculture, while another 140,000 sqkms was redeveloped to new areas over the existing floodplain. Continent-wise, Asia lost the biggest area of floodplains — a little over 200,000 sqkms — among all the continents. It was followed by South America (92,000 sqkms) and Africa (73,000 sqkms).

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 110923: Another independent institution-CEC destroyed

September 11, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Ramganga River near Marchula. SANDRP 08 Sept. 2023)

The Govt of India’s Sept 5 2023 notification reconstituting the Central Empowered Committee completely destroys the independent nature of this institution of accountability and course correction. This institution, set up by the Supreme Court in 2002 and reconstituted in 2008, worked as eyes and ears of the Supreme Court on environmental issues. The new committee has no independent members, it will be constituted by the MoEF, MoEF itself has such an abysmally poor track record.

The notification, reports said, diluted the CEC’s autonomy on four key counts: the committee will report to the ministry, instead of the SC; the ministry will pick all the members and the SC will have no role in the process; the ministry, and not the court, will fund the committee; the provision of having two NGOs in the committee has been done away with.

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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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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 04092023: Will National Ganga Mission too fail to clean up Ganga?

September 4, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Untreated industrial effluents being dumped in Drain No. 6, Sonipat in May 2023.)

More than 7 years have passed since the central government launched Rs. 20, 000 crores Namami Gange Programme in May 2015 replacing Ganga Action Plan (GAP) and created National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) a nodal agency to implement the programme.

The NMCG has already missed the target of cleaning the Ganga by 2019 and then by 2020 due to improper planning and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) as accepted by G. Asok Kumar, Director General (DG), NMCG in an interview to The Week in January 2023 further extending the target to 2026.

Though Namami Gange aimed to adopt a basin wise approach with focus on e-flows, afforestation, revival of tributaries, biodiversity conservation in participatory manner; so far it has extensively worked on creation of sewage treatment infrastructures in the states along the main stem of the river.

Despite that the ground situation is far from improving as shown in the The Hindu report below which reveals that about 80 percent of the overall budget is being spent on sewage infrastructure creation and by 2026, the treatment plants capacity would be able to treat at the most 60 percent of sewage generated only along the main stem of the Ganga river.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 280823: Defund nature destroying activities

August 28, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Construction work of World Bank funded 444Mw Vishugad-Pipaltkoti hydro dam project is going. The Developer have been found dumping muck in massive amount in river and carrying out blasting work evening during monsoon time. Image Source: Social Media)

This is indeed the key message if we are serious about tackling climate change with any sincerity. The adverse impacts of mindless activities in the name of development, are acting as force multipliers for climate change impacts as we are experiencing first hand, latest example being in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

Particularly when the “development” activities are done without credible project specific and cumulative impact assessment, genuine public consultation process and confidence inspiring monitoring and compliance processes, as is the norm.

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CWC - Central Water Commission

July-August 2023: Problems in CWC Flood Monitoring & Forecast

August 19, 2023August 19, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: CWC’s Delhi Railway Bridge forecast site showing abrupt changes in Yamuna water level during unusual flood spell in July 2023)

July and August are peak months of South West monsoon. There has already been flood related destruction in several states including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttarakhand so far. Amid these flood spells, SANDRP has observed many serious issues plaguing Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood forecasting and monitoring work and some of these are described below.

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DRP News Bulletin

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

August 14, 2023February 27, 2026 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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Dams

DRP 070823: Forests & Biodiversity amendments: Gap between intent & application

August 7, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Dense Dudhatoli forest range near Peethsain in Thalisain block of Pauri Garhwal. Feb. 2023/ SANDRP)

As editorial comments in two different national newspapers given below shows, the biodiversity and forest conservation amendment bills passed by the Parliament last week weaken the cause of biodiversity and forest conservation, when it is most pressingly required to strengthen them.

Both amendments pave the way for ease of doing business and reducing role of local communities, both in terms of legal norms and practical implications.

The need for conservation of these resources was never more urgent than now considering the impacts of climate change on them and their importance for not only livelihood security of vast millions, but also for hydrological implications, food security, protection against increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, but also for adaptation in the context of changing climate. We hope against hope that better sense will prevail sooner rather than later to ensure the amendments do not lead to destruction of forest and biodiversity resources.

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