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.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 111223: NMCG failure: Wither Ganga Rejuvenation?

December 11, 2023February 23, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Najafgarh drain at Wazirabad barrage Delhi in June 2023. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)

A careful reading of the PIB release on the statement of Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in Rajya Sabha on Dec. 04 regarding Namami Gange Program shows that the NMCG has actually failed to make any significant improvement in cleaning of River Ganga so far. Firstly, the program has been extended upto March 2026 without any course correction during its first 7 years of implementation between June 2014 and March 2021.

Secondly, the program since beginning has primarily been focusing on creation and upgradation of sewage treatment capacity and river bank infrastructures without even looking into the root causes including ineffective and undemocratic governance affecting the ecosystem of Ganga rivers let alone the questions of addressing them.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 041223: Groundwater recharge increased in India?

December 4, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Cover photo of the National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment Report by CGWB)

There are at least two headline numbers of Government of India’s Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2023 released by Union Minister on Dec 2 2023, that seem counter intuitive and misleading. These are exactly the issues we also raised about the 2022 report too. Firstly, the PIB Press Release that accompanied the report release says India’s annual groundwater recharge in 2023 has increased by 11.48 BCM compared to the same in 2022.

Secondly, it says the groundwater situation has improved in at least 226 of the 6553 assessment Units across the country. Both seem counter intuitive and possibly misleading in the face of increasing groundwater use, depleting levels, worsening quality of groundwater and our increasing over dependence on groundwater.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 271123: India Rivers Week 2023

November 27, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(IRW 2023 organizers, participants visiting Pun RFD project on Nov. 26, 2023. Image Source: India Rivers Forum)

The Tenth India River Week function was organized at BAIF, Pune on Nov 25-26, 2023, with participation of over a hundred people. The focus of the event was on Pune River Front Development (RFD), being pushed by Pune Municipal Corporation, and RFD in other cities around India, and it was strongly critiqued and opposed at the meeting, including by Bhagirath Prayas Samman winners Sarang Yadwadkar and Jeevit Nadi. A field visit of the participants was also organized to the proposed site of the work of the project. (Also see: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/greens-criticize-approval-rfd-project-pune/articleshow/105523479.cms)

Continue reading →

Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

World Fisheries Day 2023: Resistance and Struggles of Fisherfolks

November 21, 2023November 22, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: A Konda Reddi tribe rowing a Dhone, a traditional boat, in the Godavari near the Papikonda hills in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Photo Credit: T. Appala Naidu/ The Hindu)

On occasion of World Fisheries Days 2023, this compilation of important developments from 2023 highlighting the ongoing resistance and struggles of inland as well as coastal fisherfolks in India whose lives and livelihoods have been significantly affected by destructive developmental projects including dams & hydro power projects, increasing pollution and encroachments of water bodies, mechanized mining of sand from rivers & coastal areas, unsustainable fishing and invasive fish species.

The compilation first lists ten most remarkable developments on the issue and then covers the other relevant incidents in section wise manner. In the first part of the series we have highlighted ten positive stories on river fish and fisherfolks of India. The third part has covered the mass fish death incidents in India that have occurred during past one year.

Continue reading →

Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

World Fisheries Day 2023: Ten Positive Reports from India: Fish, Fisherfolks & Fisheries

November 20, 2023November 22, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image:- Fishermen move around the big lake in Jawaharlalpuram in Madurai to increase the catch. M. PALANI KUMAR Photo/PARI)

World Fisheries Day (WFD) is celebrated annually on November 21 to highlight the importance of sustainable fisheries management and to draw attention to the crucial role of small-scale fishers in ensuring food security and livelihoods for millions around the world. The theme for World Fisheries Day 2023 is “Build enabling policy environments for small-scale artisanal fisheries.” This theme emphasizes the crucial role of small-scale fishers in sustainable fisheries management. Small-scale fishers, who often employ traditional and low-impact fishing methods, contribute significantly to local food security and livelihoods. They also possess valuable knowledge and expertise in managing marine resources sustainably. By supporting small-scale fishers and enabling their participation in policymaking processes, we can promote more equitable and sustainable fisheries management practices. https://www.oliveboard.in/blog/world-fisheries-day-2023/ (20 Nov. 2023)

Marking the WFD 2023 while highlighting the significance of fresh water fish species, inland fisherfolks and fisheries sector in general, SANDRP here presents ten positive reports on fish, fisherfolks and fisheries from India in 2023. Also see the second part of the compilation highlighting ongoing resistance of fisherfolks in India and third part covering mess fish kill incident during past one year in the country.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 201123: Inland fisheries need attention: World Fisheries Day 2023

November 20, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Recreational fishers catching fish in Yamuna river downstream Wazirabad barrage in Delhi in June 2023. Image: BS Rawat, SANDRP.)

On the World Fisheries Day, celebrated on Nov 21 every year, there is urgent need to focus attention on the well-being of one of the poorest and socio-economically weakest and much neglected section of population: Inland fisherfolks. They are in huge number, more than 2 crore directly dependent on inland fisheries, many others indirectly dependent. They, unfortunately have no voice in development discourse or decision making processes, nor any even in mitigation measures. Creating an inland fisheries policy, department and institute in every state and at centre can be an important step forward.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 301023: Top scientist Rajeev Raghavan emphasizes need to conserve River Fish

October 30, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image:- Fish catch from a Ramganga stream in Pauri in June 2022. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)

It is rather rare when we hear the sane voice of a scientist like Rajeev Raghavan neglect of riverine fish conservation in India, from government, research bodies to down to grassroots level. Rajeev Raghavan, incidentally is among the 2% top scientists of the world by the Stanford University, USA. The over emphasis on fish in food, on marine fish, on exotic fish that has such a huge adverse impact on our biodiversity and lack of effort towards conservation of riverine fish are some of the key issues Raghavan emphasizes in this interview. He says most of the fish in the IUCN red list are riverine fish and yet there is so little understanding or effort to conserve such fish or their habitat.

If we see the discussions in the minutes of the meetings of the MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley Projects in spite of there being permanent presence of a representative of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, we see non-existence of any concerns about the impact of the project in riverine fisheries or those who are dependent on them for livelihoods. In fact, we see the shocking spectacle of CIFRI scientists working as consultants to the hydropower companies, working to justify such projects on the highly biodiverse rivers including those of North East India.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 231023: Need to be a little serious about Dam Safety, Flood Forecasting, Use of Early Warnings

October 23, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Landslide warning board at Lakhwar dam site on Yamuna river. SANDRP, June 2015)

India need to relook the Dam Safety Act Experts say the Sikkim incident exemplifies blind spots in both legislation and implementation. The DSA does not promote risk-based decision-making and fails to incentivise transparency. Himanshu Thakkar, an environmental activist and coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, says that the frequency and scale of such disasters reveal a pattern of neglect: “It keeps happening regularly, people face disastrous consequences and we call these ‘natural disasters’. But there’s nothing natural about them.”

A robust DSA should allow different stakeholders to access information easily, but India’s framework falls short. “Dam safety is a public purpose function. Everything about dam safety, functions of all the institutions and committees and authorities, their reports, decisions minutes and agendas, everything should be promptly available to the public,” says Mr. Thakkar. “But nothing is in the public domain.” He adds that transparency is further obstructed when national and State bodies comprise government employees and engineers who worked on these projects, compromising objective decision making and lacking “people with a proven track record of taking independent decisions.”

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 091023: MoEF Panel concerned about impacts of Small Hydro

October 9, 2023February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Gangani SHP on Yamuna river in Uttarkashi affected by June 2013 flash flood. Image: Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan/July 2013)

The Forest Advisory Committee of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) have rightly raised concerns about the impacts of so called small hydropower projects, that is hydropower projects with capacity below 25 MW. The MoEF assumes, following such unknown science or logic, that such projects have no environment and social impacts, they do not need environment and social impact assessments or management plan, they do not need any public consultation process, they do not need any monitoring or compliance and most significantly, they do not even need any clearances! A more unscientific thinking of the govt of India’s top environmental body would be difficult to find.

Continue reading →