At least 40% of India is facing worst drought of 30-40 years as per various researchers. A very large part of that happening in areas that are focus of India’s dam building. These areas are facing drought in spite of so much dam building. But the official agencies never saw the link. Its heartening to see some media reports and edits have started recognising the elephant in the room. Hope this is change for the better and if the media continues to highlight the situation and linkages, may be, may be we will also see impact on the governments. A silver-lining as they say in otherwise dark situation.
Continue reading “DRP: 20 May 2019: This drought, Big Dams recognised as elephants by media”Tag: Ganga
DRP: 13 May 2019: MoEF’s expert committee not bothered about rivers or environment, acts like lobby for Dams
The minutes of the Apr 23, 2019 meeting of MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley Projects once again proves that this committee is least bothered to honour its mandate to protect rivers and environment and ensure adherence to rules and punish violations. In stead, it acts more like a lobby for Dams. This was apparent from a number of instances, but more glaringly from what it said about the proposed Lakhwar Dam on Yamuna river, in Ganga Basin. Lakhwar dam has had no EIA, public consultations, appraisal, management plan, disaster impact assessment, or cumulative impact assessment. SANDRP, after field visit and via more than one letters informed the committee before its meeting on April 23, 2019 about the violations and destruction of riverbed, flood plain and biodiversity happening, but the committee has not even bothered to acknowledge the submissions, leave aside the question of taking any action on them. (https://sandrp.in/2019/04/23/lakhwar-vyasi-dam-different-reality-before-the-window-dressing-for-eac/)
Continue reading “DRP: 13 May 2019: MoEF’s expert committee not bothered about rivers or environment, acts like lobby for Dams”
DRP: 06052019: Delhi HC takes Suo moto action on RWH in Delhi
On April 16, 2019, Delhi High Court bench decided to initiate a Public Interest Litigation based on a newspaper report that not much rainwater harvesting or groundwater recharge is happening in spite of years of talk that seems to have remained empty. This is a welcome move and one hopes HC takes the issue to its logical conclusion.
Continue reading “DRP: 06052019: Delhi HC takes Suo moto action on RWH in Delhi”
चारधाम राजमार्ग परियोजना: ग्रामीणों के लिए त्रासदी बना गंगा -यमुना घाटी सुरंग निर्माण
अतिथि लेख ओंकार बहुगुणा द्वारा
यह रिपोर्ट बड़कोट के निकट धरासू बैंड पर सुरंग निर्माण कार्यों में नियमों की अवेहलना किये जाने से स्थानीय पर्यावरण और ग्रामीणों पर हो रहे विपरीत प्रभावों को दर्शाती है। इस सुरंग का निर्माण चार धाम राजमार्ग परियोजना के तहत किया जा रहा है। साढ़े चार किलोमीटर लम्बी सुरंग के माध्यम से यमुना-गंगा घाटी को आपस में जोड़ा जाना है। वास्तव में यह निर्माण कार्य हाल ही में शुरू किया गया है जबकि चार धाम राजमार्ग परियोजना में पर्यावरण को हो रहे नुकसान का मामला माननीय उच्चतम न्यायालय में विचाराधीन है। अपने फ़रवरी 2019 में जारी आदेश में सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने स्पष्ट तौर पर कहा था कि जब तक जब तक मामले पर अंतिम निर्णय नहीं आ जाता तब तक परियोजना के तहत नए कार्य शुरू नहीं किया जाना है। इस तरह यह सुरंग निर्माण कार्य सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के आदेश में अवमानना है। साथ में निर्माण कार्य के दौरान तय मानकों का खुलेआम अवेहलना की जा रही है सो अलग।
DRP: 29 Apr 2019: Sindhudurg shows the way for wetlands documentation & protection
Sindhudurg has become the country’s first district to have successfully documented and mapped wetlands, following a Mumbai HC order in Vanashakti petition. Engaging community participation in the eight-month long process, the district is now training bodies of other districts in the state to replicate its documentation model. This was the state response to Mumbai HC as a pilot in Sindhudurg district. The district administration approached the team of local organization Syamantak, which suggested engaging community participation in the documentation and mapping process.
– “Conducting mapping through community is an effective way to save public money. If this model is implemented across the state, the government can save crores,” said Sachin Desai, who is running Syamantak’s study centre for experiential learning in Dhamapur. The committee completed the task of mapping 57 wetlands in the district in about eight months. Sindhudurg will soon be releasing the first volume of magazine ‘Sindhudurg — Land of Wetland’, the first-of-it-kind in the country. The district planning and development council (DPDC) is giving financial support to the magazine through the forest department.
Continue reading “DRP: 29 Apr 2019: Sindhudurg shows the way for wetlands documentation & protection”
Election Manifestos of 2019: Which party shows faith in people, rights & democracy?
Even as India’s General Elections 2019 are underway, by now the manifestos of most major parties[i] are out now. The latest one to come out was from AAP on April 25, 2019. Here we have tried to capture the key aspects of the manifestos of main political parties, particularly on aspects that we work on. While looking at the promises in the manifestos, we also look at the track record of the outgoing government, since that is the most relevant and current experience. We try and see how the parties try to come to grips with the massive water and environment crisis that India faces and how the poorest are the first and many times the only victims of the crisis. Continue reading “Election Manifestos of 2019: Which party shows faith in people, rights & democracy?”
DRP: 22 Apr 2019: Swami Aatmabodhanand to give up water; Why is Gov so little concerned about Ganga?
DRP: 22 Apr 2019: Swami Aatmabodhanand to give up water; Why is Gov so little concerned about Ganga?
Following death of Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (Prof G D Agarwal) while on fast unto death on Oct 11, 2018 and disappearance of Swami Gopal Das ji from AIIMS-Delhi, Swami Aatmabodhanand ji has been on fast unto death at Matri Sadan, Haridwar since Oct 24, 2019. In a letter to the Prime Minister on April 19, 2019 he has said that if the government does respond by April 25, 2019 to the four demands for which the fast undo death is undertaken, he will leave water from April 27, 2019. The four demands are well known:
- Cancel all under construction and proposed dams on Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and their tributaries.
- Prohibit all mining and tree cutting in the Ganga flood plains, particularly in Haridwar
- Enact Ganga Act for the preservation of River Ganga, the draft of which has been sent to the govt.
- Constitute an autonomous Ganga Council
Can Outdated Water Institutes steer India out of dire crisis?
As even NITI Aayog report acknowledged in June 2018[i], there is consensus that India is facing dire water crisis, which will only get worse. This was also predicted by the World Bank way back in their 2006 report called “India’s Turbulent Water Future”. But do we have the institutions that are capable of taking us out of this crisis? Remember the current institutes are at the root of our water crisis.
Imagine you have to forecast flood using a mathematical model run on a Pentium processor; or manage your office with typewriters instead of a desktop! How frustrating isn’t it, to manage an office with the near obsolete typewriter or run a flood forecasting model using outdated Pentium processor? Continue reading “Can Outdated Water Institutes steer India out of dire crisis?”
DRP: 15 Apr 2019: Bundelkhand villages demand ponds, not Ken Betwa Link
A pond dug a few years ago in Jignanda village of Hamirpur district still holds plenty of water despite scanty rainfall (Photo by Soumya Sarkar)
In a remarkable campaign during the ongoing general elections, Bundelkhand villages have demanded PONDs for Votes. This is exactly what is required for Bundelkhand, and not the destructive, costly and contractor driven Ken Betwa link that BJP has been trying to push here. Congratulations to the Bundelkhand people and People’s Science Institute that has led this campaign.
Continue reading “DRP: 15 Apr 2019: Bundelkhand villages demand ponds, not Ken Betwa Link”
India Water Challenges in the context of 2019 elections
SYNOPSIS: Everyone concerned agrees that India is facing unprecedented and worsening water crisis. Some of the key aspects of water sector challenges include: Lack of reliable water information, need for restructuring of institutions, groundwater lifeline in distress, politicians and institutions pushing more large dams when evidence shows they do not work, the need for attention to maintenance of massive water infrastructure, the increasing footprint of Urban water sector, State of our rivers in general and Ganga in particular, water management for agriculture, governance and changing climate, among others. Unfortunately, these challenges do not seem to get reflected as electoral issues and all parties are equally to be blamed for this. The current Union government has very poor report card on almost every one of the water sector challenges, and its seems like a series of missed opportunities.
Continue reading “India Water Challenges in the context of 2019 elections”
SANDRP 