In an astounding move, NHPC published a Tender Notice for ‘Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project (Link 3)’ on the 20th May 2026 [1] and immediately cancelled it on the 23rd May 2026. No details of this project were online before this sudden announcement and its retraction, nor does the project have legally required environmental, forest, tribal ministry clearances or Gram Sabha resolutions in support.
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DRP 010626: Secret Pipeline to dump untreated pollutants in River in Rajasthan
(Feature Image: Dainik Bhaskar 29 May 2026 clip on illegal pipeline from CETP discharging effluents in Jojari river.)
Even for the murky dealings going on in the name of pollution control in India, this must figure most imaginative, filmy stuff. On May 27, a 4 km long secret pipeline was discovered by a Supreme Court appointed committee in Jodhpur district in Rajasthan. The pipeline connected a Central Effluent Treatment Plant and Jojari River. It’s not yet clear for how long this has been going and how many more such imaginative infrastructure exist.
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DRP 250526: No more Hydro in Upper Ganga welcome decision: Science demands same for rest of Himalayas
(Feature Image: Yamuna river in flowless condition downstream Juddo dam (Vyasi HEP) in Dehradun in June 2023. Bhim Singh Rawat/ SANDRP)
The decision of Government of India, conveyed to the Supreme Court through a joint affidavit from Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Environment and Forests, with concurrence of also the Union Power Ministry that no more hydro projects will be taken up in Upper Ganga basin after three under construction projects are completed (four of the seven listed are already commissioned, so only three under construction projects remain) is welcome. It has taken decades of struggle by many campaigns and movements, including the massive June 2013 disaster and the Supreme Court order led by Justice Radha Krishnan then among others.
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DRP 180526: Ethanol Production in Drought prone areas: A false solution?
(Feature Image: AI generated image. Source: National Herald)
The proliferation of sugar mills and sugarcane cultivation in drought prone areas like Marathwada, North Karnataka, Cauvery basin areas in Tamil Nadu has always been a huge scandal, ongoing for decades. Now new dimensions are getting added to this, as the following article this week shows: Ethanol procurement for blending with petrol, now upto 20%, but there are moves afoot to increase it to upto 100%.
The Ethanol does not come just from molasses, a by-product of sugar manufacture, but now even from sugar. Yet another dimension that is getting added is the use of rice and maize also for manufacture of ethanol. Rice itself is hugely water intensive crop, its second stage high water consumption come from manufacture of ethanol from rice. This is being sold as a solution to high import bill in petroleum import, particularly in times of the ongoing Gulf War.
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DRP 110526: Fast spreading impacts of climate crisis
(Feature Image: Binnu river a tributary of Ramganga in Deghat, Almora. SANDRP)
Interestingly, there are a number of developments this week related to climate crisis from at least four states/ Union Territories of Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, even if we do not include in these other directly or indirectly related developments. These show how fast the impacts of climate crisis across the country are spreading and the number of different sectors are increasingly getting involved in the climate crisis. All these are related to water related issues.
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DRP 270426: Probe into violations by Pune River Front Development Project
(Feature Image: Pune RFD work along Mula Mutha river. Credit: Free Press Journal)
The Maharashtra government order for a probe into the violations of the Environmental Clearance of the controversial Pune River Front Development (RFD) project is noteworthy for a number of aspects. Most importantly, it signifies a significant gain for the critiques of the project, since the probe has been ordered following a letter by environmentalist Sarang Yadwadkar, who has been relentlessly fighting against the project.
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DRP 200426: Himachal HC takes cognizance of impact of Hydro Project silt flushing on rivers
(Feature Image: Pandoh dam discharging silt laden flood waters in Beas river in Aug. 2025. Source: Amar Ujala)
In a remarkable development, the Himachal High Court has taken cognizance of the impact of silt flushing from the Shanan Hydropower project in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh on the downstream fish, has fined the project Rs 12 lakhs and has ordered scientific monitoring of the future sediment discharge, only to be done after March 1 each year. The order is largely due to the fact that under the Himachal Pradesh Fisheries Act, Nov to Feb is trout breeding season. The order thus is not likely to be applicable for silt flushing by other hydropower projects. It is also good to see that the court has formed a monitoring committee and asked for compliance reports.
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DRP 130426: CAG Reveals Governance Failure in J&K Wetlands Management
(Feature Image: Cover page of CAG report on Wetlands management in J&K)
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India report is revealing official document on how systemic governance failure has failed the wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir. The fact that 518 out of 697 lakes have shrunk or disappeared, reflects on decades of ineffective policies. As per the report, the multiple departments operated in isolation with no accountability, no shared database and no management plans thus making the wetlands vulnerable to encroachment.
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DRP 6 April 2026: CAG Report on DJB indicates fundamental issues
(Feature Image: Sewer line cleaning work by DJB in North West Delhi’s Sanjay Colony. Credit: Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)
The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Audit of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for 2017-2022 highlights the fundamental issues facing Urban Water Sector in India. Unfortunately, CAG stops short of reaching the conclusion that lack of National Urban Water Policy and lack of accountable governance are the fundamental issues also plaguing DJB like other Urban Water Bodies in India.
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DRP 300326: Sad state of migratory Riverine fish in India
(Feature Image: Cover page of CMS summary report on Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes)
The key CMS (Conservation of Migratory fish Species) report this week once again highlights the sad state of migratory Riverine fish, fisheries and fisherfolks in India. Shockingly, even when thousands or tens of thousands of fisherfolks lose their livelihoods due to projects on rivers, there is not even assessment of impacts of such projects on fish, fisheries and fisherfolks, leave aside consideration of compensation or rehabilitation for them. The Sardar Sarovar Project on Narmada River in Gujarat, one of the most celebrated dams of India, as an apt example of this situation. Farakka Dam is another such example.
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