South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People
(Feature image is from the New York Times)
The annual Conference of Parties (COP) on climate change begins its annual meeting in Brazil today. Consider the track record of the annual meetings so far, it is a valid question to ask, as the Question of Cities asks, Does the World still need this meeting with such a huge carbon footprint of its own? Is it a futile exercise now?
Continue reading “DRP 101125: Does the world still need the annual jamboree of COP, given its record?”(Feature Image: Drain No. 2 carrying untreated effluents in Yamuna river in Panipat. March 30, 2025, SANDRP)
The following report this week about lack of reliable data on Rivers raises right questions, including if there is any hope for our rivers without such reliable data? The report however, misses the point that Central Water Commission, which works more like a lobby for large dams, has clearly no interest in sustaining, reviving or rejuvenating our works.
Continue reading “DRP 271025: Without reliable data, is there any hope for our Rivers?”(Feature Image: A flooded housing society in Bangaluru after heavy rainfalls in Sept. 2022)
The excellent opinion piece below by Soumya Sarkar clearly explains how absence of hydrological governance has been root cause for increasing incidents of urban flooding across the country. Indeed, the urban development in India is construction centric where resilience has become a postscript rather an inbuilt feature.
Continue reading “DRP 201025: Indian Cities Drowning in Crisis of Governance”(Feature Image: People raising objections against Sharavathi PSP at a Public Hearing in Shivamogga on Sept. 16)
It is interesting that this week there are reports about growing opposition to Pump Storage Hydro Projects across the country including in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh (proposed project near Bargi reservoir in Narmada Valley) besides similar opposition seen earlier in Maharashtra. This should wake up the authorities and realise that the assumption of such projects being socially and environmentally benign is totally wrong.
Continue reading “DRP 131025: Pump Storage Hydro Projects facing increasing opposition”(Feature Image: Drone image of the Teesta III dam in Sikkim, taken from Chungthang town looking downstream. Image by Praful Rao of Save the Hills.)
According to a report in the National Daily, the Centre has decided to hire outside experts on fixed contracts to evaluate designs of planned hydropower projects, a move aimed at speeding up construction of several dams in the pipeline, an official said on Oct 1. The Union Govt plans to expedite construction of a slew of hydroelectric projects, especially in Jammu & Kashmir and the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Continue reading “DRP 061025: Dangers of expediting Hydro Projects in the Himalayas”One of the key issues that comes up from the reports this week is regarding Punjab and Himachal Pradesh having greater say in operation of Bhakra and Pong dams during the monsoon. Particularly since when these dams are mismanaged as it happened once again during the SW Monsoon 2025, leading to the dams contributing to worsening the flood disaster in Punjab. The demand is legitimate, considering that these two states are the ones that will be positively or negatively affected when the Bhakra and Pong dams are properly or improperly operated during monsoon.
Continue reading “DRP 290925: Should Punjab & HP not have decisive say in Operations of Bhakra & Pong dams during Monsoon?”(Feature Image: As the floodwaters recede, silt deposition has been observed in many parts of Mand area in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala.)
There are a number of stories this week and throughout the ongoing SW monsoon, where the key central figure is the same: Silt. This is true in case of reports about silting of dams, silting of rivers, illegal dumping of silt in rivers and dams, accumulated silt choking Punjab and Delhi rivers, and even a suggestion that what Indus Basin needs is silt management policy.
Continue reading “DRP 220925: India urgently needs National Silt Policy, Prudent silt management”It’s heartening to see the Editorial in Arunachal Times (see below) about the flawed, dishonest, cut and paste Environment Impact Assessment report of the Kalai-II Hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh. NEHR has written about this to the Anjaw district Deputy Commissioner and one hopes the DC has the courage to take appropriate action: Halt the public hearing and ask the project proponent to get a proper EIA done by a competent and honest consultant. WAPCOS Ltd, which has done the current flawed EIA has been known to do such flawed EIAs on numerous occasions in the past as we have written about it and also informed the MoEF, Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley Committee, without any impact so far unfortunately.
Continue reading “DRP 150925: Flawed, dishonest Kalai-II HEP EIA”(Feature Image: Seraj valley in Mandi district of Himachal battered by extreme weather events in July 2025)
Well known environmentalist Manshi Asher through the following article is giving a very important message that everyone, particularly Judiciary needs to listen and act upon. While higher judiciary is rightly highly respected, its track record on acting on environmental issues is far from satisfactory and leaves a lot to be desired.
Continue reading “DRP 080925: Will the higher judiciary Listen?”(Feature Image: Punjab WRD minister Barinder Kumar Goyal asserted that the timely release of water by the BBMB in June could have significantly reduced the damage caused by the floods.)
It is clear from the following details that the massive floods that Punjab experienced and parts continue to experience even now has a lot to do with the way Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams were operated. There was sufficient actionable information that was available to take advance water release action. Had these actions been taken, the proportions of the disaster could have been reduced. The risk of further floods remains considering the IMD forecast of heavy rains in catchments of these dams during the remaining weeks of SW Monsoon 2025.
Continue reading “DRP 010925: Punjab floods need independent inquiry”
SANDRP 