DRP 200524: After Ten years of Namami Gange and Rs 40 000 Cr expenditure Ganga remains dirty

May 20, 2024February 28, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image: Untreated effluents being discharged in Gang river through ‘Chor’ nullah in Kanpur on May 19, 2024. Image Source: Sceenshot of ABC News Media report)

The reports this week from Ganga basin rivers clearly show that after ten years of Namami Gange and NMCG (National Mission for Clean Ganga) efforts and expenditure of over Rs 40 000 Cr, there is no improvement in even river pollution, leave aside the state of river flows or state of the rivers in the Ganga basin.

In fact, there is nothing to show that even the new STPs are making any difference to the river even with respect to the limited objective of sewage treatment. As highlighted in the report below, until and unless the governance of STPs become more transparent, accountable and participatory, there is no hope for change, no matter how much money is spent, how much new STP capacity is added or what technology is used. Only a responsive, confidence inspiring governance can make a difference. But there is no interest in working in that direction from the government.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 130524: Unreliable Hydropower poses new challenges for India

May 13, 2024February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: NHPC’s under construction 2000 Mw Subansiri Lower Hydro Power Project. Source: PIB, June 2023)

As per this Reuters report based on official information and statements, in June 2024 India will face the biggest peak hour power shortfall in 14 years, mainly due to the slump in hydropower generation. This is the result of not only pushing hydropower projects over the decades, but also not taking any steps to optimize peaking power generation from existing hydro or doing anything worthwhile to manage peak load. India’s hydropower generation had steepest fall in four decades in the year ending on March 31 2024, which was another reason not on rely on unreliable hydropower projects. The regular and frequent disasters that we see connected with hydropower projects in almost every month and more frequently in monsoons should be another reason in this regard.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 250324: Celebrating 50 years of Chipko Movement and Message

March 25, 2024February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: A photo taken in March 1974 of people in Raini village, Uttarakhand, a few days after they protested against the felling of trees in order to make tennis racquets. Source: Varsha Singh/Third Pole report dated 30 Nov. 2022. The original photograph was taken on 30 March, 1974 by Chandi Prasad Bhatt and has been reproduced in The Third Pole with permission)

As we celebrate the golden jubilee of Chipko Movement, one of the most iconic and memorable environmental movements of India, we need to remember the key messages of the movement. It may seem gloomy situation at the place where the movement originated in Raini village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. In fact, as we travel from Raini to Chamoli to Uttarakhand and beyond, as far as environmental situation is concerned, there is not too much around us to celebrate about.

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Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 040324: Ganga Water not fit for even bathing in Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, W Bengal

March 4, 2024February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: A drain falling into Ganga in Varanasi. Source: Amar Ujala)

A number of reports given below from this week shows that Ganga River water is not fit for even bathing at a number of locations in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and W Bengal. These are all official statements, mostly given in reports submitted to judicial bodies or statements by the judicial bodies.

This shows how little progress has been achieved by the government, including by the Prime Minister, central and concerned state governments including by schemes like Namami Gange and scheme of National Mission for Clean Ganga and expenditure of tens of thousands of crores of rupees. This is in spite of the promises given in the past by the Prime Minister and Union Ministers including Nitin Gadkari to clean the river by deadlines that have come and gone.

The worst part is that if we look at the trajectory of various work being done in this regard, we see no hope of any improvement in the foreseeable future unless there is major change in the way this problem is dealt with. But how will such a major change happen?

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 260224: Karnataka faces Drought, Farmer Distress, water scarcity

February 26, 2024February 28, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

(Section 144 imposed near Bhadra Canals to stop illegal water lifting amid supply crisis. Representational image. TNIE)

As the two reports from media today shows, Karnataka is facing drought in 223 of 236 talukas, water scarcity and even farmer distress and suicides. The state government is aware of the situation and taking necessary measures. The situation could be similar in a number of states including Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and even some of the eastern and northern states. The North Himalayan states have experienced hugely below normal snowfall in the ongoing winter. The Winter Rainfall at all India level for the period Jan 1 2024 to Feb 25 2024 is already 31% below normal.

There is role of global warming and El Nino in this and these factors are going to persist at least till the end of Indian Summer. So the governments both at centre and in states needs to be ready for the crisis.

The current Karnataka govt is awake to reality and seems to be taking the appropriate steps. Karnataka had deficit rainfall in SW Monsoon 2023.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 080124: Supreme Court stays Sham post facto clearances

January 8, 2024February 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: A Ramganga tributary before joining the river at Marchula, Ramnagar in Nov. 2022. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)

Post facto environment clearances are indeed a sham as the Hindustan Times Edit has said. It is welcome that the Supreme Court of India has stayed, on Jan 2, 2024, the MoEF memorandums allowing such post facto environmental clearances. Following a petition filed by the Mumbai based environmental group Vanashakti, the sham practice that has been going on since March 2017. Such clearances are clearly contradictory, in letter and spirit to the prior environment clearances as required under the EIA notification of 2006.

The Sham practice should have been stayed much earlier, for example when the Madras High Court gave an interim stay on the MoEF notification of 2017. But unfortunately, the Supreme Court then interpreted that the Madras High Court order will only be limited to Tamil Nadu. Or it may have been stayed earlier by NGT.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 181223: Varanasi’s illegal tent city inaugurated by Prime Minister in Jan 2023

December 18, 2023February 23, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Collage of Sentinel Hub satellite images of Tent City location in Ganga river bed in Varanasi from Nov. 26, 2022 to Dec. 11, 2023)

While the NGT putting a stay on the Varanasi Tent city and imposing a fine of Rs 25000 on MoEF for not responding to NGT about how the turtle sanctuary was denotified is welcome, we hope NGT takes it to its logical conclusion. It is strange, to say the least to see the NMCG telling NGT through its one page report dated Dec 13 2023 that the Varanasi Development Authority proposal dated Nov 28 2023 for tent city is under consideration! The Tent city companies were fined by NGT, but UP PCB is yet to do anything to collect the fine. Most interestingly, the Prime Minister, no less, inaugurated the tent city project on January 13 2023, over 11 months back! And very shockingly, none of the National Media is even reporting this remarkable situation.

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Hydro Disaster

2023: Accidents & Damages to Hydro, Dam Projects in India

December 11, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The damaged Chungthang dam on Teesta river in North Sikkim. Source: The Telegraph)

This annual overview compiles the incidents of accidents and disasters that have caused significant damages to the hydro power and dam projects and around them in India during 2023. The report also highlights the incidents of violations of environmental norms at some under construction project sites which could result in manmade disaster in future.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 131123: Another Himalayan Disaster: 40 workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand

November 13, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Ongoing rescue work inside Badkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Image Source: HT)

In yet another disaster in the Himalayas, at least 40 workers are trapped in an under-construction tunnel being constructed by National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), among others. The Hindustan Times has wrongly named the construction company as Hydroelectricity Investment & Development Company Limited (HIDCL) possibly of Nepal govt. Some people at the location have informed us that it may take another day before the workers are rescued.

NHIDCL was not even sure of the total of number of workers, as they gave the number as 36, which was corrected by the district administration later on to 40. It is also strange to see the work going on even on a Diwali day. Another disturbing aspect is that all the workers are reportedly mostly from outside Uttarakhand, when Uttarakhand villagers are known to migrate in large numbers to outside the state for employment. This disaster thus raises a lot of questions, which will need answers once the workers are rescued safely. The workers are still trapped over 30 hours after the disaster. The work at the 4.5 km long tunnel is being built under Char Dham Road Widening project since over 4 years, and violations have been happening in the work since then, as we reported in 2019.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP 061123: Dam Disasters bring focus on Dam Safety Governance in India

November 6, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature Image: Location of washed away Teesta Urja dam. Source: Ka Shlem)

Is the Dam Safety Panel (DSP) report dated Nov 1 2023 on Medigadda barrage on Gadavari in Telangana, a self-indictment of the Dam Safety Mechanism in India?

The report concludes: “it is construed that the I&CAD (Irrigation and Command Area Development) Dept. has nothing to submit about instrumentation data, pre-monsoon &post monsoon inspection reports, completion reports, quality control reports, condition of gates and many other inputs sought in the list therein”.

How and why did the NDSA (National Dam Safety Authority) allow such a state of affairs to continue for such an important dam that has huge implications for life and economy as the report itself says? What steps did the NDSA take before this disaster struck to ensure that all these basic dam safety measures were indeed in place and functioning? What is NDSA doing to ensure that all such basic steps and measures are in place at all the large dams in India? What did NDSA do to ensure that this dam, important from the point of view of life and economy, was also listed in CWC’s National Register of Large Dams? What has NDSA done to ensure that CWC’s National Register is indeed updated every year with inclusion of all large dams of India (Large dam as per its definition) and all their salient features? What has NDSA done to ensure that all Dam Safety information is in public domain promptly?

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