Yamuna Manthan 030424: DDA Continues to Destroy River Floodplains

April 3, 2024May 1, 2024 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image: Huge part of Yamuna floodplain raised by massive soil dumping near Bela Estate just upstream Shashtri Park Metro Depot in North East Delhi. Photo Credit: Vivek Nigam, Photo Journalist Amar Ujala, Source: Principal Correspondent in Amar Ujala, Delhi)

In latest example proving Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) utter failure in protecting Yamuna River floodplains from abuse and encroachment, a large part of floodplain land has been levelled by soil dumping thus raising it by several meters at Bela Estate farm near Shashtri Park Metro Depot. As per the reports, the DDA has allotted about 19.5 ha of floodplain to forest dept for compensatory plantation. The plantation work at the site like at most of the sites on Yamuna floodplain in Delhi has suffered damages during July 2023 floods. And the levelling at the Bela Estate site is being done in the name of protecting the compensatory plantation.

The site is among few remaining floodplain patches available for spread of flood waters. The floodplain area on western bank at the location is less and already developed. Due to natural gradient, the part of floodplain on eastern side undergoes periodic floods. The patch was under several feet floodwater in July 2023. The floodplain immediately downstream the site has already been encroached by the bridge road, metro depot and buildings. Hence, raising of floodplain here would not only reduce spread of flood waters but also hamper the groundwater recharge.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 060324: Linking Plans Threatening Yamuna

March 6, 2024March 6, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: PKC link index map. Source: Feasibility Report of Parbati Kalisindh Chambal Link Project. NWDA)

Yamuna the largest tributary of National River Ganga has already been succumbing on account of dams, hydro projects, unsustainable riverbed mining and ever-increasing pollution load in Himalayan, upper and middle segments. Despite this, the river has managed to be in better shape and size in its lower segment mainly due to its tributaries network including Chambal, Sind, Kali Sindh, Betwa, Ken etc. However, now there are river interlinking plans threatening the remaining relatively flowing and living stretch of the river in this very lower segment.

The push for country’s so called first river interlinking plan namely Ken-Betwa River interlinking is going on ignoring the norms, clearances and better viable alternatives. Now, the state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have signed agreement to prepare DPR for Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) river interlinking under modified Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

The central government has termed the project of national importance and would share the 90 precent of it cost. The entire project is estimated to cost Rs. 72,000 crore and claimed to be built in 5 years. The project proposes interlinking of 6 Chambal rivers namely Parbati, Kalisindh, Kshipra, Kuno, Lakhunder, Mej, Kyul by at least 17 big and small dams and barrages.

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Yamuna River

Delhi July 2023 Floods: Parliamentary Committee Report Raises More Questions

February 20, 2024February 20, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Waterlogged Red Fort after heavy rainfall and rising Yamuna river water level in New Delhi on Friday (July 14, 2023). Image Credit: ANI/Gulf News)

In absence of any official report so far, the causes behind unusual flood spell in Delhi in July 2023 remains to be fully explained, understood and addressed. Amid this, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources in its 27^th report which was presented in Lok Sabha on February 06, 2024 has in a welcome step, deliberated on the issue under Chapter X titled “Role of Barrages on River Yamuna and Flood Management in Delhi” (60 to 66 pages) and has recommended some measures (page 86-88) to avoid its reoccurrence.

A careful reading of the chapter has only compounded the flood mystery and thrown some questions on the operation and management of Wazirabad and ITO barrages. The report has also revealed some contradictory and confusing statements by Central Water Commission (CWC), Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) and Haryana Government.

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Yamuna River

यमुना मंथन 07 फरवरी 2024: नदी संरक्षण, पुनरुत्थान के अपर्याप्त प्रयास

February 7, 2024February 8, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(वज़ीराबाद बैराज, दिल्ली के समीप यमुना नदी. भीम सिंह रावत/SANDRP, 09 जनवरी 2024)

(यमुना जिये अभियान के संयोजक स्वर्गीय मनोज मिश्रा द्वारा किये गए यमुना संरक्षण कार्यों की विरासत को आगे बढ़ाते हुए, SANDRP यमुना नदी से संबंधित समसामयिक मुद्दों पर समाचार रिपोर्टों और अन्य सूचनाओं का फरवरी 2024 से संकलन प्रकाशित कर रहा है। यह इस श्रृंखला का पहला संकलन है और हम इसे हर महीने के पहले बुधवार को जारी करने का प्रयास करेंगे। इसका का मुख्य उद्देश्य राष्ट्रीय नदी गंगा की सबसे बड़ी सहायक नदी यमुना को प्रभावित करने वाले सभी विषयों की निगरानी, दस्तावेजीकरण एवं शोध करना और सभी संबंधित पक्षों को नदी की जमीनी स्थितियों से अवगत और समस्याओं के प्रति जागरूक करना है। आप सभी से इसे पढ़ने, साँझा करने और बेहतर बनाने हेतु सुझाव देने का निवेदन है।)

संसद की जल संसाधन पर स्थायी समिति (2023-24) ने 06 फरवरी 2024 को संसद में ‘दिल्ली तक ऊपरी यमुना नदी की सफाई परियोजनाओं की समीक्षा और दिल्ली में नदी तल प्रबंधन’ शीर्षक से अपनी रिपोर्ट जारी की है। इस रिपोर्ट में यमुना नदी को प्रभावित करने वाले कई मुद्दों की जमीनी स्थिति को विस्तार से प्रस्तुत किया गया है और इनके निराकरण के लिए सम्बंधित विभागों, सरकारों को कई सिफारिशें की हैं। नीचे दी गई मीडिया रिपोर्ट्स में इन बिंदुओं का जिक्र किया गया है। हम जल्द इस रिपोर्ट की एक विस्तृत समीक्षा भी अलग से प्रकाशित करेंगे।

मोटे तौर पर, रिपोर्ट में पाया गया है कि हरियाणा के हथिनी कुंड बैराज के नीचे की ओर यमुना नदी में अपर्याप्त प्रवाह है और इसे 10 क्यूमेक्स (क्यूबिक मीटर प्रति सेकंड) से बढ़ाकर 23 क्यूमेक्स करने की आवश्यकता है जैसा कि राष्ट्रीय जल विज्ञान संस्थान ने अपने हालिया अध्ययन में पहले ही सिफारिश की है। रिपोर्ट में नदी सफाई परियोजनाओं की धीमी गति और यमुना नदी के पानी की गुणवत्ता में कोई महत्वपूर्ण सुधार नहीं होने पर भी प्रकाश डाला गया है क्योंकि हिमाचल प्रदेश, उत्तराखंड, हरियाणा, दिल्ली और उत्तर प्रदेश में फैले 33 स्थानों में से केवल 10 स्थानों पर यमुना की पानी की गुणवत्ता निर्धारित मानदंडों के अनुसार पाया गया है।

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Yamuna River

SC & NGT Reject Delhi Police’s Plea for Construction on Yamuna Floodplain

January 7, 2024January 7, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Part of Yamuna river & its floodplain downstream Geeta Colony bridge in Delhi in June 2023. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)

In a welcome decision, the Supreme Court of India has rejected Delhi Police’s petition seeking permission for construction of the Police trainees’ accommodation in the floodplains of Yamuna River in Delhi. The plea was rejected by the Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan on January 2, 2024.

The Bench was hearing the Civil Appeal (No. 000002 of 2024 (Arising out of Diary No.44256 of 2023) by Commissioner of Police Delhi which was represented by Mukesh Kumar Maroria, Senior Government Advocate against National Green Tribunal (NGT) dismissal of same proposal on 28 September 2020.

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Yamuna River

The 2023 Yamuna floods of Delhi only a trailer of bigger floods to come in future?

August 12, 2023 SANDRP2 Comments

(Feature Image:- Boats tied to Yamuna river bank at Wazirabad Barrage in June 2023. SANDRP)

In this detailed interview by Questions of Cities; Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator, SANDRP talks on multiple issues affecting the Yamuna and offers some corrective measures to improve the overall condition of the river. The interview has already been published by Question of Cities and can be seen here. The interview also covers possible reasons behind unusual floods in Yamuna in Delhi in July 2023 and the detailed SANDRP blog on the issue can be seen here.

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Yamuna River

मनोज मिश्र: नदियों के संरक्षण को समर्पित एक वनाधिकारी

June 10, 2023June 14, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(फीचर इमेज: कौशाम्बी उत्तर प्रदेश में यमुना की ऑक्स बो लेक अलवारा में भ्रमण के दौरान मनोज मिश्र। फोटो: डॉ एस आर टैगोर, दिसंबर 2012)

“मेरे जीवन काल में तो यमुना की हालत में सुधार संभव नहीं है पर आने वाली पीढ़ी शायद एक जीवित नदी देख पाएं”, यह बात मनोज मिश्र जी ने वर्ष 2013 में उस समय कही थी जब वे यमुना में आई बाढ़ का मुआयना कर रहे थे। आज यमुना नदी संरक्षण को समर्पित प्रख्यात पर्यावरणविद मनोज मिश्र हमारे बीच नहीं हैं। विगत दो माह तक करोना से जूझने के बाद, 04 जून 2023 को मनोज जी का निधन हो गया।

देश की राजधानी दिल्ली में सालभर मृत अवस्था में रहने वाली यमुना, केवल बाढ़ के समय ही थोड़ी अवधि के लिए खुद को साफ़ करते हुए उद्गम से संगम तक एकरूप में बहती है। इसे मनोज जी नदी के लिए वरदान मानते थे और सरकारों से यमुना बाढ़ क्षेत्र (खादर) को बचाने और नदी में अविरल बहाव को लाने के लिए समग्र सोच के साथ गंभीर प्रयास की अपेक्षा रखते थे। वास्तव में नदी खादर का बचाव एवं नदी में प्राकृतिक बहाव की बहाली मनोज जी के यमुना शोध एवं संरक्षण कार्य का केंद्र बिंदु रहे।

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Sand Mining

Uttar Pradesh: Ken River ravaged by Illegal Sand Miners in Banda

April 21, 2023April 26, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: March 2022 Google Earth image showing excessive mechanized mining in Ken river at Chatkan meander in Banda)

Ken river one of the important tributaries of Yamuna in lower segment has been witnessing industrial scale riverbed mining in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. The Sentinel Hub satellite images reveal the mechanized mining of morrum (light orange colour sand) has been going on unabated at multiple locations in the district. Recent local media reports have also highlighted the illegalities and violations of the rules by the miners.

The information on Directorate of Mining & Geology website shows that there are 50 sand mine sites in Banda district of which 36 sites are closed. The complete list of 50 closed and active sand mine sites in Banda can be seen here.

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Dams · DRP News Bulletin

DRP 050922: Corruption in Large Dams & pro dam media Mughals

September 5, 2022February 23, 2026 SANDRP2 Comments

(Feature Image: Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river. Source: Central Water Commission 30.08.2022)

As this article on corruption in large dams in India shows, it is open secret that large dams involve massive corruption, kickbacks and political funding. But the politicians from PM downwards across the party lines have understandably no interest in this issue.

But unfortunately, the large dams-corruption is not limited to politicians. The corruption in various forms plague even the media Mughals like Swaminathan Ankalesaria Aiyer and Shekhar Gupta, both known for their fundamentalist pro dam views. They too have no interest in corruption in large dams. In fact some of them have no qualms accepting sponsorships of dam contractors for their media awards! They are however, ever ready to criticize Narmada Bachao Andolan and Medha Patkar, though they have no clue about the issues they are talking about and keep using some flawed study whose reply (by Nandini Oza and Shripad Dharmadhikary) is already out in public domain. It is interesting that they have launched this fresh attack on dam critics just when Gujarat Chief Minister and country’s Home Minister have also launched attack on the NBA. Neither Gujarat CM, PM or HM is replying as to why Kutch, the main justification for Gujarat getting disproportionate share of Narmada waters, were the last to get their share of the water (even now not fully as the canal distribution system is still incomplete), almost two decades after the water rich Central Gujarat started getting Narmada waters. Nor are the pro dam media Mughals bothered about this.

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Dams · Yamuna River

August 2022: Yamuna flood reclaims encroached floodplains in Delhi

August 21, 2022August 21, 2022 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image: RMC plants located in active floodplain of Yamuna at Noida More submerged in flood water on Aug. 13, 2022. Image Credit:- Vikrant Tongad, SAFE)

A much awaited flood spell has flowed through Delhi during August 13-14, 2022. It came after more than two months of south west monsoon. Usually by this time, Yamuna river would have witnessed two or three flood spells in national capital lending a fresh lease of life to one of the most polluted rivers of India.

The small scale flood spell in the river has invaded parts of floodplains under abuse and encroachment by government agencies in open defiance of National Green Tribunal (NGT) January 13, 2015 judgement [i]. Apart from this flood, Delhi stretch of the river has witnessed few more abnormal events in this monsoon season so far.

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