In the month of July 2024, the second month of India’s South West 2024 monsoon, India received 306.6 mm (318.4 in July 2023[i] and 327.7 mm in July 2022[ii]) rainfall, 9.3 % above (13.5% above normal in July 2023 and 16.8% above normal in July 2022) the normal July rainfall of 280.5 mm as per India Meteorological department. So this is the third consecutive year when rainfall in July is above normal. In July 2021, the rainfall was 266.1 mm[iii], about 6.7% below normal and in July 2020, the rainfall was 257.1 mm[iv], or about 9.9% below normal.
Continue reading “June July 2024: District wise rainfall in India’s SW Monsoon”Tag: Rainfall
July 2024: ‘Cloudburst’ in Beas Basin Damages 2 HEPs in Himachal Pradesh
(Feature Image: Flashflood ravaged 9 Mw Beas Kund HEP Powerhouse complex. Image Source: News on Air)
The cloudburst induced flashflood destruction took place late on July 25, 2024 in Palchan area of Manali tehsil in Kullu district. Many of the media reports have also mentioned about the deluge damaging a hydroelectric power (HEP) project in Palchan just in a single line without revealing any details or even the name of the HEP.
While looking for more information about the affected HEP, we came to know that not just one but two HEPs have faced significant damages due to the flashflood incident. Both projects are owned and run by private companies in upper Beas River basin.
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June 2024: High Rainfall district days in India’s SW Monsoon Lowest in four years
An analysis of the daily district wise rainfall data from India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the month of June 2024, the first month of India’s South West Monsoon 2024 shows that there were 384 instances (451 in June 2023[i], 462 in June 2022[ii] and 442 in June 2021) when district rainfall of a day was above 50 mm. This, like the monthly rainfall for June, is the lowest figure for June for the last four years. The rainfall of India in June 2024 was 147.2 mm[iii], the rainfall in June 2023 was 148.6 mm, the rainfall of India in June 2022 was 152.3 mm[iv]. The data and analysis are based on IMD’s daily district wise rainfall bulletins for the 24 hours ending at 0830 am each day.
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Becoming water smart holds the key to our water secure future
As somewhat belated summer in North India reaches its peak, with ongoing heat wave in Delhi and surrounding areas, there is increasing fear of water scarcity. The media generally uses one figure to highlight this situation, namely Live Storage in some 150 reservoirs in Central Water Commission (CWC)’s Weekly Reservoir Bulletin (WRB) that is published every Thursday afternoon (why cannot this be given on daily basis is a mystery).
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DRP NB 250324: Celebrating 50 years of Chipko Movement and Message
(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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DRP NB 180324: Electoral Bonds disclosures confirm political economy of large dams
(Feature Image: A controversy over alleged engineering lapses in the ₹1 lakh cr Kaleshwaram project on Godavari triggered an electoral slugfest. HT, 03 Nov. 2023)
The Electoral bonds details now in public domain, thanks to the Supreme Court of India orders, has once again highlighted the political economy of large dams, hydropower projects and irrigation projects. It has once again confirmed what was publicly known that such large water projects involve kickbacks to political parties.
The details so far available involves companies like Megha Engineering, Rithwick Projects Pvt Ltd, Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd, among others. The projects so far that seems to be involved include Polavaram Dam, Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, Sunni Dam and Hydro projects, Kundah Pump Storage Hydropower project in Tamil Nadu and Silkyara Tunnel, almost all of them also involved in some kind of disaster or other.
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DRP NB 110324: Bangalore reminds us: Ignore groundwater at your own peril
(Feature Image: People stand in a queue with water cans to get drinking water at Jnana Jyothi Nagar, in Bengaluru. Image Source: PTI/Live Mint, 10 March 2024)
One central lesson of the ongoing Bangalore water crisis is essentially that ignore groundwater sustainability at your own peril. The surface water availability in Bangalore has not decreased, it is the groundwater depletion that is leading to crisis. There is of course the expansion of the city both horizontally and vertically that is increasing demands, but simple arithmetic tells us that if groundwater levels are sustained, it can take care of these increased demands.
The Groundwater sustainability includes sustaining the groundwater recharge and ensuring that extraction does not go past the recharge. Sustaining the groundwater recharge means first understanding the groundwater recharge mechanisms, zones and protecting them. BDA has been sitting for four years on desilting of two lakes: Bellandur and Varthur, which has caused huge impact on groundwater depletion. It also means increasing the groundwater recharge through rainwater harvesting (Bangalore’s failure here is apparent from the fact that government is collecting crores of rupees as fines from those not following the mandatory rainwater harvesting requirements), groundwater recharge wells and diverting tertiary treated sewage, available in Bangalore of upto 300 Million Liters per Day, to lakes and other such recharge zones.
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DRP NB 040324: Ganga Water not fit for even bathing in Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, W Bengal
(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 NB 190224: NBWL decision of no clearance without compliance of previous projects
The decision of National Board of Wild Life (NBWL) not to clear any projects affecting wildlife areas till there is compliance certificate from previous such projects is certainly welcome, was long overdue. We hope NBWL comes out with clearly defined norms for implementing this decision and also implements the decision in letter and spirit. Needless to add, the compliance certificate must come through an independent assessment done by a body that involves no conflict of interest and has independent track record.
Unfortunately, the news this week that NBWL has given green light to the Jamrani Dam in Uttarakhand without a clearance from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a significant dampener. Similarly, the past track record of NBWL, including the way it gave clearance to Ken Betwa River Link Project does not inspire too much confidence that NBWL is serious about this.
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DRP NB 290124: Wetlands and Human Wellbeing: So little reflected in wetlands governance
(Chest nut clutivators removing water hycinth from Giri taal of Kashipur in US Nagar, Uttarakhand in April 2023. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)
As the world approaches the World Wetlands Day on Feb 2, we notice a proliferation of news related to wetlands, but mostly bad news in this week’s DRP NB: Loktak lake in Manipur facing impact of inland waterways project, the Supreme Court having to intervene for the Futula lake in Nagpur, TN Govt telling NGT that 38% of Pallikaranai marshland is under encroachment, in Bangalore, NGT is asking for response from KSPCB and others regarding the lake buffer zone encroachment. There is also a lot of bad news about the worsening state of our rivers, including Ganga.
One piece of good news is that people have come out with their own plan for restoration of Ennore wetland in TN. In Assam, Maguri Motapung Bill is regaining biodiversity after earlier being polluted by oil spill, but that is only control of damage earlier. Similarly, while it is good news that SC has intervened to protect Futula lake in Nagpur, but the fact that the govt wanted to encroach on it in the name of “temporary” construction is not at all good news.
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SANDRP 