The annual overview tracks top ten people’s resistance stories against large dam projects in India during 2025. It is encouraging to see that the year ended with the Odisha CM announcing scrapping of Samakoi dam project after strong opposition by local villagers. Interestingly, the NTCA and CEC have boldly underlined the threats to tribal people, tigers and forest biodiversity from proposed Morand-Ganjal dam in Madhya Pradesh and dams in Shivalik national park in Haryana. During the year, the villagers have organized mass protests against massive Guna and Dongari dams under PKC link project. Demanding basic information and consultation, the affected tribals have halted ground surveys for Basania dam project.
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2025: Pump Storage Projects Developments in India
(Feature Image: Former SC judge N. Santosh Hegede, environmentalist Suresh Heblekar and other activists stage a protest urging the govt to abandon the Sharavati PSP on Nov. 29. Source)
2025 has seen increase in concerns and protests against pump storage projects (PSP) across the country. While citizens and experts have criticized Sharavathi PSP in Karnataka, Sillahalla PSP in Tamil Nadu, Shahbad PSP in Rajasthan, Bargi PSP in Madhya pradesh and numerous PSPs in western ghats in Maharashtra for their potential adverse impacts on forest, environment, endangered animals, the Sileru, Pedikota and Yerravaram PSPs in Andhra Pradesh faced resistance for undermining tribal and forest rights. Indeed, most of the PSPs are being proposed in sensitive region of Western Ghats and tribal dominated population endangering both the wildlife and vulnerable population.
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2025: Silt accumulation in Indian Dams: Reducing entry of silt is the only viable option
(Feature Image: Luhri-I HEP muck dump along Satluj river. Credit HNA, Aug 2024)
This annual overview highlights the critical issue of siltation in dams across India. Silt accumulation is defeating the very ‘multi-purposes’ for which they were built. While the reduced storage has been hampering dam-based water supplies, it is also leading to their fast filling up and untimely releases in monsoon season thus creating avoidable floods. It is in some case has also been resulting in plans to construct additional reservoirs and increase in dam height.
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Feb. 2025: Srisailam Dam Left Bank Tunnel Collapse Disaster
(Feature Image: A rescue worker at the SLBC tunnel. Credit: Nagara Gopal)
The SLCB tunnel collapse in Feb. 2025 is among worst dam-tunnel disaster this year in India. The incident occurred just four days after resuming tunneling work after a long halt killing at least 8 workers. Despite, two-month long multi agency search operation only two bodies were retrieved while mortals of six still remain buried inside the tunnel. The TBM involved in tunnelling has also been damaged. Given risky situation the rescue work was stopped in April end and there is no update on the same so far. Nearly 10 months after the disaster, there is no official report probing the reasons and addressing the concerns over inadequate geological, geotechnical inspections.
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2025: Govts, Judiciary Actions on Dam Safety in India
(Feature Image: Experts visit Srisailam dam to assess its structural safety in May 2025. Source)
At national level, the NDSA has carried safety audit of 1853 large dams out of 6545 as of Nov. 25, 2025. In July 2025, the Central govt announced to reconstitute NCDS for a period of three years. Before this the NDSA in April 2025 organized a symposium on Dam Safety Act 2021. It has also released the updated version of National Register on Specified Dams 2025. At state level, the Tamil Nadu govt in July 2025 has planned to set up separate dam safety wing. The Punjab govt in May 2025 moved resolution in state assembly to annul Dam Safety Act and planned to enact its own dam safety bill.
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2025: Dam Induced Urban Floods in India
(Feature Image: The Musi river in flood spate in Hyderabad on Sept 27, 2025 following incessant rains and the lifting of gates at the overflowing Osman Sagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs. Credit: Nagara Gopal )
In 2025, we could find reports on two Indian cities facing the impact of dam induced floods. While the excessive discharges by Himayat Sagar reservoir severely inundated residential areas along Musi river in Hyderabad in last week of Sept 2025, the significant releases by Ukai dam authority into Tapi river affected daily life in Surat city twice in mid Aug and first week of Sept. 2025.
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2025: Fly Ash Dam Breach Flood in India
(Feature Image: HTPS fly ash dam breach floods farmlands in Korba in June 2025. Source)
In 2025 we could find one incident of fly ash dam breach flood in India. The incident happened in Dindolbhantha village area near Chhirhut under Katghora tehsil of Korba district in Chhattisgarh on June 26, 2025. The fly ash dam covering around 60 ha is created by Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company (CSPGC) formerly known as Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) to store fly ash slurry from 840 Mw (210X4) Hasdeo Thermal Power Station (HTPS) also known as Korba West Thermal Power Station (KWTPS).
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2025: Dam Induced Flood Incidents in India
(Feature Image: Locals assist in moving flood affected people to a safer place as floodwater enters villages in Ajnala, near Amritsar. Source)
India has witnessed several incidents of dam induced floods during south west monsoon 2025. The most remarkable and devastating episode unfolded in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh states in August 2025 largely due to mismanagement of Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams by BBMB. While negligence of BBMB has invited FIRs in Himachal Pradesh, warnings by Punjab govt and petition in NGT, there is no report in public domain suggesting the authority taking any credible action to make its dam operation scientific and accountable after the disaster.
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WFD 2025: Mass Fish Death in Indian Rivers
(Feature Image: Thousands of fish found dead in Mula-Mutha river near Naik Bet, a river island at Bund Garden in last week of Dec. 2024. Source)
Indian rivers continue to witness mass fish death incidents all through the year 2025. Most of these incidents we were able to track have occurred in urban rivers across the country including Mula-Mutha in Pune, Yamuna in Delhi, Gomti in Lucknow and Varuna in Varanasi. Mass fish mortality cases have also happened in streams passing through Nalagarh & Pithampur industrial areas of Himachal Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh. These streams are part of Sutlej-Ghaggar-Yamuna-Chambal river basins & have been facing large scale fish death for years.
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WFD 2025: Struggle & Resistance of Fisherfolks in India
(Feature Image: Boats of small fishers in Hooghly river in Haldia. Credit: Rahul Singh/ Mongabay India)
The theme for World Fisheries Day (WFD) 2025, “We have not caught anything, but at your word I will let down the nets” aptly resembles the plight of lakhs of fisherfolks both inland and coastal in India whose livelihoods have apparently been undermined by various development projects. However, amid growing uncertainties they keep up the resistance against the destructive projects to reclaim their rights as the top ten stories of past one year compiled here signifies. This is the fifth part of our annual overview on the subject and in first four parts we have highlighted the positive developments on fisheries, impact of dams on fish diversity and habitats, important studies and new fish species discovered in India during past one year.
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SANDRP 