2024: Do Embankments save from floods or worsen the disasters?

January 3, 2025January 3, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: NDRF personnel conduct a rescue operation at a flood-affected area in Bihar’s Supaul district. Image Credit: PTI/Source Live Mint, Sept. 30)

India has seen several floods brought by breach of embankments during the 2024 monsoon. In Bihar, though the state has received deficit rainfalls, the overspilling of barrages and breaching of several embankments created widescale flood damages. Number of reports have again highlighted the ineffective and adverse role being played by flood protection structures in worsening the deluge impacts. The first part of the overview has covered dam induced flood incidents in the country during 2024 and third part has highlighted incidents of dam induced urban floods.

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Dam floods

2024: Dam Induced Floods in India

January 2, 2025January 18, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Breach in the earth dam of Peddavagu project flooded several villages in Telangana & Andhra Pradesh on July 17, 2024. Source: DC)

India has seen several manmade flood disasters during the 2024 monsoon. The mismanagement of dams in Narmada valley including Bargi, and SSP inundated several dam affected villages despite adequate actionable advance warnings. The uninformed excess releases from DVC dams have led to flooding in large areas in West Bengal as repeatedly raised by the state government. The extensive floods in Tripura have revealed glaring loopholes in flood prevention and disaster management.

The floods in the year have also washed away or damaged several earthen dams, tanks in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan affecting human population, agricultural lands in their vicinity. Even during Northeast monsoon, the sudden releases from Sathanur and Veedur dams in Tamil Nadu created avoidable flood damage in downstream areas. Similarly, the states of Gujarat, Telangana, Haryana and Delhi have seen deluge due to mismanagement or breaches in the canals. The case of Narmada canal waters flooding large areas of Little Runn of Kutch is quite concerning.

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Pumped Storage Projects

2024: Concerns about Pump Storage Projects

December 26, 2024December 27, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Sharavathi valley in Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district.Credit: Deccan Herald)

The part 4 of annual overview on the dams and hydro projects covers the concerns about the Pump Storage Projects in India. The government push for Pumped Storage Projects in Western and Eastern Ghats has strongly been contested by communities and experts. Stories here show that these projects are already facing opposition in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

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Hydro Disaster

2024: Accidents & Damages to Hydro & Dams in India

December 20, 2024January 18, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

The annual overview highlights the damages and accidents affecting dams and hydro power projects in India during 2024. The highest number of such incidents happened in Himachal Pradesh. Incidents are also noteworthy from Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand among the Himalayan states. In addition, noteworthy dam disaster incidents in the year happened in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The previous overview on the issue can be seen by visiting the links 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020.

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Cloud Burst

Himachal Pradesh: ‘Cloudburst’ Incidents in SW Monsoon 2024

December 14, 2024December 14, 2024 SANDRP3 Comments

(Feature Image: Cloudburst ravaged Bagipul area along Kurpan khad in Kullu district. in Aug. 2024. Source: Aaj Tak)

We have been able to identify 27 reported incidents of ‘cloudburst’ in Himachal Pradesh during the SW monsoon 2024. A table with some basic information about these incidents can be seen here.

The ‘cloudburst’ incidents have been reported from all geographical areas of the state spanning 8 districts throughout the season beginning with May 12 in Gharshu village of Kinnaur to September 26 from Paonta Sahib area of Sirmaur. The maximum 18 of these incidents have occurred in areas close to glaciers or snow-clad mountains followed by 5 in middle segment of Himalaya and 4 in Shivalik range of the state.

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2024: MASS FISH KILL in Indian Rivers, Wetlands Continue…

November 21, 2024November 21, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

Over the past several years Indian rivers, wetlands have been witnessing mass fish death incidents primarily due to decreasing flows, increasing pollution and other anthropogenic activities. As we celebrate World Fisheries Day 2024, SANDRP compiles the reports revealing mass fish kill incidents in our rivers and wetlands over the past one year across. The first part of year end analysis has covered positive development on fish, fisheries and fisherfolks and the second part has highlighted how fish and fisherfolks have been facing existential crisis on account of adverse impacts of developmental activities in the country.

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

World Fisheries Day 2024: Top Ten Positive Fisheries Reports from India

November 20, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Fature Image: Telangana fishermen fishing downstream Srisailam project after closing of dam gates in Aug 2024. Source: Social Media)

On the occasion of World Fisheries Day 2024 which is celebrated on November 21 annually, we compile top ten positive developments during the last one year on the issues of fish, fisheries and fisherfolks from India.

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Hydro Disaster

Nov 2024: Shongtong Karchham HEP Tunnel Leakage in Kinnaur-Himachal Pradesh

November 17, 2024November 18, 2024 SANDRP1 Comment

The under construction Shongtong-Karchham Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Project in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh has suffered a tunnel leakage incident around 10:00 pm on November 16, 2024.

The sudden gushing water from Adit 2 tunnel of the project near Ralli village flooded the Reckong Peo-Rampur National Highway (NH) 22 with debris in huge amount resulting in closure of highway and causing long traffic jam on both sides. The number of labourers working inside the tunnel is unknown, but reports mention they were recused safely.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 061124: Save River from ‘Illegal’ Sand Mining

November 7, 2024 SANDRP1 Comment

(Feature: Members of Haryana Anti Corruption Society, Yamuna Nadi Mitra Mandli, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Yamuna Nagar raising concerns over unabated unsustainable riverbed mining in Yamuna in Gumthala Rao, Karnal on Oct 07, 2024.)

Large scale riverbed mining has become most underestimated and least discussed threat for Yamuna rivers. While increasing pollution has turned the river stretch between Delhi and Agra ecologically dead, the rampant sand mining has been severely damaging the Yamuna eco-system in upper and lower segments.

Presently, the mining menace is quite rampant in Paonta Sahib, Yamuna Nagar, Saharanpur, Karnal, Shamili, Panipat, Sonipat, Baghpat and Ghaziabad districts along the river in upper segment. Similarly, in lower segment the main stem of river as well as its key tributaries Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken have been bearing the burnt of unsustainable sand mining.

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Yamuna River

यमुना में पर्यावरणीय प्रवाह बढ़ाने के हों ठोस प्रयास

October 31, 2024November 6, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Bone dry Yamuna riverbed at Mawi, Kairnana. (Image Bhim Singh Rawat, June 2010)

सर्दी शुरू होते ही दिल्ली में यमुना नदी में झाग की समस्या चरम पर पहुँच जाती है। इसी के साथ कई दिनों तक ओखला बैराज के नीचे नदी सतह पर तैरते ‘आइस बर्ग’ की भांति दिखने वाले झाग के बड़े-बड़े खंड लोगों के आकर्षण और मीडिया की सुर्ख़ियों का केंद्र बन जाते हैं। बढ़ते नदी प्रदुषण पर नागरिकों की बढ़ती चिंताओं और नदी प्रेमियों के बढ़ते सवालों के बीच राजनितिक दोषारोपण का दौर शुरू होता है। समस्या का फौरी निराकरण करते दिखने के प्रयास में संबंधित सरकारी विभाग आनन-फानन में कुछ आधे-अधूरे कदम उठाते हैं। त्यौहार और खास तौर पर छठ पर्व समाप्त होते ही, लोगों की नदी पर जाने वाले भीड़ कम हो जाती है और दो-तीन सप्ताह बाद सब यमुना नदी में बढ़ते प्रदुषण और झाग की समस्या को भूल जाते हैं। लगभग एक साल बाद फिर से यह क्रम दोहराया जाता है जब सर्दी के समय झाग के आगोश में लिपटी प्रदूषित यमुना, नागरिकों की उदासीनता और नदी सफाई योजनाओं की नाकामी को उजागर करती है।

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