The news this week that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, not known for any concern for rivers, has set up the National River Research Centre (NRRC) is welcome with usual caveats. The fact that NRRC has been set up under the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), a body under Union Environment Ministry is not necessarily as positive sign since MoEF too is not known for any concern for rivers. Moreover, setting up of NRRC through NMCG and NRCD also does not provide any hopeful sign for the same reason. WII, where the NRRC has been situated for now itself has had at best mixed track record as far as rivers are concerned.
Continue reading “DRP 160226: National River Research Centre Welcome, will it help the cause of rivers?”Tag: Lakes
Bengaluru Lakes 2025: Buffer Zone Amended, Pollution Rising
(Feature Image: Garbage and untreated sewage have reduced Ulsoor Lake, a major water body in Bengaluru, to a sewage pond. Source)
Bengaluru’s lakes, once central to the city’s water security and flood control have been under stress due to rapid urbanization, rising pollution and weak governance. The year 2025 has seen no major change in the scenario. This overview presents top ten reports from the yearlong developments affecting the water bodies including proposed amendments which could reduce lake buffer zones, prevalent encroachments, delay in restoration projects and deteriorating water quality in most of the lakes.
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DRP 090226: NGT Critiques Shoddy CGWA report
The criticisms of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on January 30 about the report of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), set up under the Environment Protection Act 1986 in late 1990s is rather mild and seems symbolic, but it has the potential of open up a pandora’s box since CGWA has essentially totally failed in doing anything effective about groundwater regulation in India.
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Delhi’s Waterbodies Going Extinct Under Govt. Watch
(Feature Image: A wetland near Jharoda in Wazirabad has been destroyed by dumping of municipal waste over past two years. Source)
This overview tracking wetlands related developments in Delhi shows that the plight of water bodies, lakes, village ponds has only worsened over the past year. Of the 1,367 water bodies officially recorded, only 674 are visible on the ground, underscoring the failure of govt departments to protect these vital resources. Even the surviving water bodies are under threat, gradually being lost to brazen encroachments, waste dumping and unregulated construction under the watch of the very agencies responsible for their upkeep. And the systematic destruction is happening amid multiple ongoing judicial interventions particularly in the NGT.
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WWD 2026: Top Ten Judicial Interventions to Protect Wetlands in India
Marking the World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2026, this overview presents top ten interventions by judiciary to protect the wetlands in India during 2025 so far. Apart from this, there have been several wetlands protection related court cases going on across the country during the year and reports of some of the relevant matters can be seen here. The judiciary has also been pursuing cases pertaining to conservation of several Ramsar wetlands in the country as covered in the first part of the overview here.
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DRP 020226: Karnataka High Court Monitored Probe into sand mining menace?
An interesting sequence of events in Karnataka has led to the High Court Chief Justice taking up a suo moto case and suggesting a court monitored probe into the illegal sand mining menace in the state. One hopes this leads to a proper independent investigation, monitored by the High Court, culminating in ensuring community have the key role in monitoring and compliance of sand mining in their respective area, since that is the most important missing link in governance of sand mining.
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WWD 2026: Govts Wetlands Protection Actions mostly fail to convince
(Feature Image: An aerial shot of Madambakkam lake in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu shows buildings on the banks of the waterbody: Source)
On occasion of World’s Wetlands Day 2026, this overview compiles top ten reports from 2025 covering decisions and steps taken by various state governments for the protection of wetlands in India. There could be some more relevant reports which we could not track and compile. The first part and second part of the overview have covered the continual degradation of Ramsar sites and other wetlands across the country.
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WWD 2026: Top Ten Reports on Our continued Failure to Identify, Protect Wetlands
(Feature Image: Vegetation layer covering entire surface of Giri taal of Kashipur in US Nagar, Uttarakhand in Oct. 2025)
While the World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2026 on February 02 will be celebrated with “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage” theme, the top ten reports about wetlands in India in one year since 2025 WWD shows our collective failure in protecting both the traditional knowledge and cultural heritage concerning Indian wetlands. At national level, the progess of identification and notification process of wetlands over 2.25 ha is very slow. Official health cards of very few wetlands are in public domain.
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World Wetlands Day 2026: India’s Ramsar Sites Facing Threats
(Feature Image: Dead fish floating on Ashtamudi Lake at Kadavur in Kollam in last week of Oct. 2025)
“Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage” is theme for global World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2026 celebrated annually on Feb 2. On the occasion, we share reports about 21 Ramsar wetlands from various Indian states underlining the worsening plight of Ramsar sites in India. This does not necessarily mean that the Ramsar wetlands not listed here are in any better state, it only means that media attention has not brought their stories in public domain with sufficient prominence. The state of Ramsar wetlands in India clearly shows complete lack of any governance in place to ensure that the Ramsar sites get protection from degradation, threats and destruction. Worryingly, even Ramsar Convention seems completely disinterested in doing anything to ensure protection of the wetlands that get Ramsar tag.
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DRP 291225: Looking back on 2025, Looking forward to 2026
(Feature Image: Ramganga river at Marchula on Nov. 03, 2025. SANDRP)
As the year 2025 ends, reflecting on the DRP related developments over the year and even in this last DRP of 2025, one cannot but see largely pessimistic situation for India’s Rivers, Water Bodies, Hills and Mountains, Floodplains, and for the environment in general. As we saw during South West Monsoon 2025, the flood disasters have been so severe that the number of deaths in South Ais are the highest among all climate disasters of 2025 according to the just released Christian Aid report. The spread, intensity and frequency of the disasters are only going to increase, but we, including the government and the society seems to show little sincerity in dealing with this.
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SANDRP 