South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People
(Feature Image: Screen shot of remaining portion of washed away tin-shed of NHPC’s Parbati II HEP. Source: Anil Khatri Vlog)
In addition to severely damaging the Jiwa and Priyadarshini small hydro power projects, the ‘cloudburst’ induced flash floods on June 25, 2025 has also significantly affected the Parbati II & III projects in Sainj Valley of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh.
Continue reading “June 2025: NHPC Parbati II, III HEPs damaged in floods”In the just concluded three month pre-monsoon season (March 1 to May 31, 2025) India received 185.8 mm (125.9 mm in Pre-Monsoon 2024, 146.6 mm in Pre Monsoon 2023[i]) rainfall, 42% above (4 below normal in Pre-Monsoon 2024 and 12% above in Pre Monsoon 2023) the normal rainfall of 130.6 mm as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In 2020[ii] , 2021[iii] and 2022[iv] India received 158.5 mm, 155.2 mm and 130.6 or 20% above normal, 18% above normal and 1% below rainfall respectively. So, India has received the highest pre monsoon season rainfall in 2025 compared to those in previous five years.
Continue reading “Pre-Monsoon 2025: District wise rainfall in India”The rising numbers and intensity of western disturbances (WDs) in pre-monsoon months are causing excessive but short rainfall spells across the country particularly in the Himalayan states. These events are then resulting in sudden flash floods and taking a huge toll on human life and public infrastructure. However, the specific monitoring and warning services for such disasters by the Central Water Commission (CWC) & Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) are largely unavailable as these agencies are mainly forecasting floods during the monsoon.
Continue reading “CWC, IMD Need to Improve Extreme Weather Forecast Services”Guest Article by S P Ravi
The share of hydro electricity in the energy mix of state of Kerala has come down sharply over the last three summers. Hydro share that used to be around 25-30 percent in previous summers has come down to well below 15 percent on many days. This is despite a sharp rise in electricity demand since 2023.
Continue reading “Room for optimality in Kerala Summer Electricity Demand vs Hydro Generation”According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), during the Post Monsoon Rainfall for 2024, that included rainfall during the three Oct-Dec 2024 months, India received 117.4 mm rainfall, 3% below normal (110.7 mm, 9% below normal in Post Monsoon 2023[i], 144.1 mm, 19% above normal in Post Monsoon 2022[ii] and 177.7 mm rainfall, 43.54% above normal in Post Monsoon 2021[iii]) rainfall of 121 mm. In the same period in 2020, India received 124.6 mm rainfall, 0.64% above the normal rainfall. As per IMD[iv] definition, the rainfall in Post Monsoon 2024 was in Normal Rainfall category.
Continue reading “Post Monsoon 2024: District wise Rainfall in India”(Feature Image: 10 MLD Kundli CETP in Sonipat. BS Rawat/SANDRP/May 2023)
A detailed report in this week’s DRP News Bulletin below shows how India’s Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), Govt’s main weapon against pollution of rivers in Urban areas, have been a failure for decades. It is pertinent to note that this is the golden jubilee year of Water Pollution Control Act of 1974, that led to the formation of Central, state Pollution Control Boards, and the whole water pollution control bureaucracy, institutions and legal architecture. There should be little doubt that whole architecture has abysmally failed in achieving basic objective for which it was created, including ensuring proper treatment of urban sewage.
India has spent thousands of crores of rupees on these STPs, mostly, mega, centralized projects. But there has been little effort to address governance of the STPs, to ensure that they function as required and provide the results that they have been set up for. Whether they function or not, qualitatively or quantitatively, year after year and decades after decades, there are no consequences! In fact, if treated properly, sewage can become a asset rather than nuisance that it now is. The Judiciary too, right up to the apex court, have badly failed in achieving any improvement in this eminently justiciable issue.
Continue reading “DRP 270125: India’s non-functional Sewage Treatment Plants”A detailed review of functioning of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests’ (MoEF) Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley Projects (RVP) for 2024 by SANDRP shows that the committee or for that matter MoEF has almost non-existent rejection rate. Even when a project is not cleared, when it applies again, it gets clearance, whether the application if for stage I (Terms of Reference) or Stage II (Environment Clearance- EC) clearance. Even in some cases like Pump Storage Projects (PSP) in Western Ghats or the Hydropower projects in disaster prone Himalayas, including the disaster-stricken projects like the 1200 MW Teesta III projects in Sikkim, the scrutiny including field visits by the EAC Sub committees is minimal, not worthy calling even scrutiny.
Continue reading “DRP 200125: Whither Env Clearance Rejection rate from Expert Appraisal Committee or MoEF?”The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) released two important reports last week. While the Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2024 reveals rise in nitrate fluoride, arsenic and uranium contimination of groundwater resource in India, the Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2024 claims substantial rise in annual groundwater recharge and decline in extraction of the resource.
As per the first report, the number of districts affected by high nitrate levels in groundwater has gone up to 440 (near 56% of all 779 districts in country) from 359 found in 2017 assessment which means in 7 years 81 more districts have been found having excessive nitrate levels in groundwater. This should concern us from a number of points of view.
Continue reading “DRP 060125: Concerns about & Contradictions in CGWB’s Reports”(Feature Image: Breach in the earth dam of Peddavagu project flooded several villages in Telangana & Andhra Pradesh on July 17, 2024. Source: DC)
India has seen several manmade flood disasters during the 2024 monsoon. The mismanagement of dams in Narmada valley including Bargi, and SSP inundated several dam affected villages despite adequate actionable advance warnings. The uninformed excess releases from DVC dams have led to flooding in large areas in West Bengal as repeatedly raised by the state government. The extensive floods in Tripura have revealed glaring loopholes in flood prevention and disaster management.
The floods in the year have also washed away or damaged several earthen dams, tanks in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan affecting human population, agricultural lands in their vicinity. Even during Northeast monsoon, the sudden releases from Sathanur and Veedur dams in Tamil Nadu created avoidable flood damage in downstream areas. Similarly, the states of Gujarat, Telangana, Haryana and Delhi have seen deluge due to mismanagement or breaches in the canals. The case of Narmada canal waters flooding large areas of Little Runn of Kutch is quite concerning.
Continue reading “2024: Dam Induced Floods in India”(Feature Image: The Basai wetlands in Gurugram. Photo by Pankaj Gupta at Live Mint)
It is indeed good to see an Editorial in a newspaper on the important issue of wetlands protection and rejuvenation. The Supreme Court’s order on wetlands last week shows its concern over the threat to wetlands as a natural feature of the environment that is under serious threat. The court ordered the protection of about 30,000 wetlands (each with area more than 2.25 ha) over the 201,503 protected by an order which it issued in 2017, and asked states to ensure their demarcation and ground-truthing which involves closer verification, within three months.
The order is in response to a PIL that said the Central government had abdicated its functions under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to protect the wetlands. The petition also sought the identification and protection of around 5,55,557 wetlands which are less than 2.25 hectares in size. The court is likely to consider the proposal in March. One hopes the SC also gives effective orders for their protection.
Continue reading “DRP 231224: Can we expect the Supreme Court to be more effective this time on Wetlands?”
