The World Water Day is celebrated on 22nd March annually across the globe. The theme selected for 2024 is ‘Water for Peace’. On this occasion, this report puts together the top ten positive water stories from Rural India during past one year. The compilation underlines the successful collective actions from village communities in the creation, protection and revival of local water sources including ponds, lakes, tanks etc. which are far better, sustainable and cost-effective measures for meeting potable and irrigation water requirements at local levels.
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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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Yamuna Parliamentary Committee Report Missing on River Governance
(Feature Image: Solid waste strewn along east bank of polluted river Yamuna near Geeta Colony bridge, Delhi on March 09, 2024. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources has submitted its 27th report titled “Review of Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Projects upto Delhi and Riverbed Management in Delhi” to the Parliament on 6 Feb 2024. The 113 paged report has two parts first on Narration and second on Observation and 25 Recommendations. The first part of the report has XI chapters dealing with various issues of River Yamuna.
SANDRP here presents a detailed chapter wise overview of the key observations made by the Committee based on the replies mainly from Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) along with the Committee’s recommendations and some comments by SANDRP.
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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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Yamuna Manthan 060324: Linking Plans Threatening Yamuna
(Feature Image: PKC link index map. Source: Feasibility Report of Parbati Kalisindh Chambal Link Project. NWDA)
Yamuna the largest tributary of National River Ganga has already been succumbing on account of dams, hydro projects, unsustainable riverbed mining and ever-increasing pollution load in Himalayan, upper and middle segments. Despite this, the river has managed to be in better shape and size in its lower segment mainly due to its tributaries network including Chambal, Sind, Kali Sindh, Betwa, Ken etc. However, now there are river interlinking plans threatening the remaining relatively flowing and living stretch of the river in this very lower segment.
The push for country’s so called first river interlinking plan namely Ken-Betwa River interlinking is going on ignoring the norms, clearances and better viable alternatives. Now, the state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have signed agreement to prepare DPR for Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) river interlinking under modified Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).
The central government has termed the project of national importance and would share the 90 precent of it cost. The entire project is estimated to cost Rs. 72,000 crore and claimed to be built in 5 years. The project proposes interlinking of 6 Chambal rivers namely Parbati, Kalisindh, Kshipra, Kuno, Lakhunder, Mej, Kyul by at least 17 big and small dams and barrages.
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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 260224: Karnataka faces Drought, Farmer Distress, water scarcity
(Section 144 imposed near Bhadra Canals to stop illegal water lifting amid supply crisis. Representational image. TNIE)
As the two reports from media today shows, Karnataka is facing drought in 223 of 236 talukas, water scarcity and even farmer distress and suicides. The state government is aware of the situation and taking necessary measures. The situation could be similar in a number of states including Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and even some of the eastern and northern states. The North Himalayan states have experienced hugely below normal snowfall in the ongoing winter. The Winter Rainfall at all India level for the period Jan 1 2024 to Feb 25 2024 is already 31% below normal.
There is role of global warming and El Nino in this and these factors are going to persist at least till the end of Indian Summer. So the governments both at centre and in states needs to be ready for the crisis.
The current Karnataka govt is awake to reality and seems to be taking the appropriate steps. Karnataka had deficit rainfall in SW Monsoon 2023.
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Delhi July 2023 Floods: Parliamentary Committee Report Raises More Questions
(Feature Image: Waterlogged Red Fort after heavy rainfall and rising Yamuna river water level in New Delhi on Friday (July 14, 2023). Image Credit: ANI/Gulf News)
In absence of any official report so far, the causes behind unusual flood spell in Delhi in July 2023 remains to be fully explained, understood and addressed. Amid this, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources in its 27th report which was presented in Lok Sabha on February 06, 2024 has in a welcome step, deliberated on the issue under Chapter X titled “Role of Barrages on River Yamuna and Flood Management in Delhi” (60 to 66 pages) and has recommended some measures (page 86-88) to avoid its reoccurrence.
A careful reading of the chapter has only compounded the flood mystery and thrown some questions on the operation and management of Wazirabad and ITO barrages. The report has also revealed some contradictory and confusing statements by Central Water Commission (CWC), Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) and Haryana Government.
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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 120224: Report of Parl Com on Yamuna wants 23 cumecs water in the river
(Feature Image: Flowless Yamuna downstream Vyasi HEP, Dehradun in June 2023. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)
In a welcome move, the Parliamentary Committee report on Yamuna River has suggested at least 23 cumecs (Cubic Meters for Second) water needs to be released from Hathnikund barrage at least in nine non monsoon months from Oct to June as per the recommendation of the National Institute of Hydrology, a govt of India body. The report has said that almost no water is being released for the river from the Wazirabad barrage in Delhi.
The 10 cumecs water now being released (how regularly even this is being released is also a question) is inadequate as most of it evaporates or percolates soon after it is released. The committee has asked the Union Jal Shakti Minister to take urgent steps in this direction. In fact, the committee should have given a time limit for this. We hope these urgent steps will be taken soon.
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SANDRP 