Yamuna Manthan 031024: Threatened River Wetlands

October 3, 2024October 3, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, along with the river Yamuna, is considered to be green lung of the Agra city. Source: ToI report Six-member committee to probe development of Agra Trade Centre in Soor Sarovar eco-zone. Nov. 01, 2018)

The waterbodies, lakes, wetlands in Yamuna basin continue to face damages and threats from many quarters, including concerned govt departments. In latest examples of this, there are reports of Uttar Pradesh govt’s plan to reduce the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Keetham lake to zero. The wetlands also known as Sur Sarovar is a large ox bow lake formed by Yamuna River in Agra. It is a protected bird sanctuary and has been designated a Ramsar site in August 2020. In Sept. 2022, the Supreme Court had directed the govt to increase lake’s ESZ to 799 ha from 403 ha.

Similarly, the Uttar Pradesh govt departments have also been delaying process to notify Dhanauri wetlands as a Ramsar site in Greater Noida. The case is going on in NGT (National Green Tribunal) for the past many years. In the recent hearing held on Sept. 26, the NGT asked govt department to explain reasons behind delay in notifying the wetlands apart from directing it to remove water hyacinth chocking the wetlands. The next hearing will be held on Jan. 27, 2025.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 050624: Time to review UYRB to address Delhi water crisis & save river

June 5, 2024June 5, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: River Yamuna at Panipat on June 05, 2024. Photo by Rakesh Gautam)

In the wake of water crisis in Delhi, the Supreme Court on June 3, 2024 has directed Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) to convene urgent meeting on June 5, 2024 and submit status report in the court by June 6, 2024. The direction came following Delhi government claim that the state of Himachal Pradesh is ready to share surplus water with it and for that it required cooperation from Haryana government. The outcome would hopefully be known by the evening on June 5 2024.

Given the prevailing political equations among the basin states, there is uncertainty whether the board would be able to effectively resolve the issue. The UYRB suffers from some flaws in formation and functioning. The board is working in an opaque manner. Presently its website is inaccessible and meeting minutes are not in public domain. It is also reportedly crippled by shortage of staff as against originally sanctioned post of 58, it is currently functioning with just 5 officials.

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Yamuna River

Restore Yamuna Floodplain Raised by Illegal Soil Dumping near Shashtri Park, Delhi

April 20, 2024April 20, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Experts object elevation work on Yamuna floodplain in North East Delhi. Source: ToI, March 29, 2024)

This is an open letter to concerned government officials regarding restoration of Yamuna floodplain illegally raised and levelled by Forest Department, Delhi and DDA at Bela Farm near Shashtri Park, Delhi.

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Yamuna River

यमुना मंथन 07 फरवरी 2024: नदी संरक्षण, पुनरुत्थान के अपर्याप्त प्रयास

February 7, 2024February 8, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(वज़ीराबाद बैराज, दिल्ली के समीप यमुना नदी. भीम सिंह रावत/SANDRP, 09 जनवरी 2024)

(यमुना जिये अभियान के संयोजक स्वर्गीय मनोज मिश्रा द्वारा किये गए यमुना संरक्षण कार्यों की विरासत को आगे बढ़ाते हुए, SANDRP यमुना नदी से संबंधित समसामयिक मुद्दों पर समाचार रिपोर्टों और अन्य सूचनाओं का फरवरी 2024 से संकलन प्रकाशित कर रहा है। यह इस श्रृंखला का पहला संकलन है और हम इसे हर महीने के पहले बुधवार को जारी करने का प्रयास करेंगे। इसका का मुख्य उद्देश्य राष्ट्रीय नदी गंगा की सबसे बड़ी सहायक नदी यमुना को प्रभावित करने वाले सभी विषयों की निगरानी, दस्तावेजीकरण एवं शोध करना और सभी संबंधित पक्षों को नदी की जमीनी स्थितियों से अवगत और समस्याओं के प्रति जागरूक करना है। आप सभी से इसे पढ़ने, साँझा करने और बेहतर बनाने हेतु सुझाव देने का निवेदन है।)

संसद की जल संसाधन पर स्थायी समिति (2023-24) ने 06 फरवरी 2024 को संसद में ‘दिल्ली तक ऊपरी यमुना नदी की सफाई परियोजनाओं की समीक्षा और दिल्ली में नदी तल प्रबंधन’ शीर्षक से अपनी रिपोर्ट जारी की है। इस रिपोर्ट में यमुना नदी को प्रभावित करने वाले कई मुद्दों की जमीनी स्थिति को विस्तार से प्रस्तुत किया गया है और इनके निराकरण के लिए सम्बंधित विभागों, सरकारों को कई सिफारिशें की हैं। नीचे दी गई मीडिया रिपोर्ट्स में इन बिंदुओं का जिक्र किया गया है। हम जल्द इस रिपोर्ट की एक विस्तृत समीक्षा भी अलग से प्रकाशित करेंगे।

मोटे तौर पर, रिपोर्ट में पाया गया है कि हरियाणा के हथिनी कुंड बैराज के नीचे की ओर यमुना नदी में अपर्याप्त प्रवाह है और इसे 10 क्यूमेक्स (क्यूबिक मीटर प्रति सेकंड) से बढ़ाकर 23 क्यूमेक्स करने की आवश्यकता है जैसा कि राष्ट्रीय जल विज्ञान संस्थान ने अपने हालिया अध्ययन में पहले ही सिफारिश की है। रिपोर्ट में नदी सफाई परियोजनाओं की धीमी गति और यमुना नदी के पानी की गुणवत्ता में कोई महत्वपूर्ण सुधार नहीं होने पर भी प्रकाश डाला गया है क्योंकि हिमाचल प्रदेश, उत्तराखंड, हरियाणा, दिल्ली और उत्तर प्रदेश में फैले 33 स्थानों में से केवल 10 स्थानों पर यमुना की पानी की गुणवत्ता निर्धारित मानदंडों के अनुसार पाया गया है।

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Yamuna River

मनोज मिश्र: नदियों के संरक्षण को समर्पित एक वनाधिकारी

June 10, 2023June 14, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(फीचर इमेज: कौशाम्बी उत्तर प्रदेश में यमुना की ऑक्स बो लेक अलवारा में भ्रमण के दौरान मनोज मिश्र। फोटो: डॉ एस आर टैगोर, दिसंबर 2012)

“मेरे जीवन काल में तो यमुना की हालत में सुधार संभव नहीं है पर आने वाली पीढ़ी शायद एक जीवित नदी देख पाएं”, यह बात मनोज मिश्र जी ने वर्ष 2013 में उस समय कही थी जब वे यमुना में आई बाढ़ का मुआयना कर रहे थे। आज यमुना नदी संरक्षण को समर्पित प्रख्यात पर्यावरणविद मनोज मिश्र हमारे बीच नहीं हैं। विगत दो माह तक करोना से जूझने के बाद, 04 जून 2023 को मनोज जी का निधन हो गया।

देश की राजधानी दिल्ली में सालभर मृत अवस्था में रहने वाली यमुना, केवल बाढ़ के समय ही थोड़ी अवधि के लिए खुद को साफ़ करते हुए उद्गम से संगम तक एकरूप में बहती है। इसे मनोज जी नदी के लिए वरदान मानते थे और सरकारों से यमुना बाढ़ क्षेत्र (खादर) को बचाने और नदी में अविरल बहाव को लाने के लिए समग्र सोच के साथ गंभीर प्रयास की अपेक्षा रखते थे। वास्तव में नदी खादर का बचाव एवं नदी में प्राकृतिक बहाव की बहाली मनोज जी के यमुना शोध एवं संरक्षण कार्य का केंद्र बिंदु रहे।

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 050623: Manoj Misra, a True River Warrior Is No More, Salutes to Manoj ji!

June 5, 2023June 5, 2023 SANDRP2 Comments

(Feature Image: Late Manoj Misra speaking at India Rivers Week seminar in Delhi in Nov. 2018. Source: IRF)

As we mark the World Environment Day 2023; India has lost one of the staunch river crusader Manoj Misra, the convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan (YJA). He has been driving force behind formation and functioning of India Rivers Forum (IRF) a platform dedicated for the rejuvenation and restoration of rivers in India. IRF work started in 2014 and 2023 is the tenth year of annual India Rivers Week meetings focused on rivers. Bhagirath Prayas Samman and Anupam Mishra Medal for exemplary media work on rivers are part of India Rivers Week.

He was hospitalized for over a month due to COVID & related complications and breathed his last on June 4, 2023 afternoon in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. His sudden demise is a great loss for all river lovers, experts, activists in the country. Down to Earth, resourceful, open-minded, academician, people’s rivers scientist are few words but not enough to describe the personality of Manoj Misra.

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Dams · Yamuna River

Yamuna Jayanti 2020: Bridges-Connecting People, Disconnecting River?

April 2, 2020July 13, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

Bridges are essential infrastructure for human and cargo mobility across a river. They have also allowed us stop over and gaze on the beauty of flowing water streams without any risk of getting drowned or getting ourselves drenched in water. More and more bridges are being built on rivers without understating their impacts. There is hardly any debate or discussion on governance and decision making process or minimum distances to be maintained between two bridges or limiting the number of bridges on given stretch, considering what the river can support. This report takes a look at the situation of bridges on river Yamuna and describes few examples how they have been impacting the river eco-system.

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India Rivers Day

IRD 2019: Envisioning the Institutional Framework for River Governance

December 3, 2019December 3, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

The sixth addition of India Rivers Day (IRD) 2019 held on Nov. 23 in New Delhi saw participation of scientists, academicians, experts, government officials and civil society groups. In the day long day seminar organized by India Rivers Forum (IRF) presentations, debates and panel discussion were held on the theme “Envisioning the Institutional Framework for River Governance in India”.

After honoring Mustaqueem Mallah with Bhagirath Prayas Samman (BPS) for his sustained efforts made in revival Katha river, Manoj Misra, member Organizing Committee (OC) IRF, presented the summary of “Rejuvenating Ganga A Citizen’s Report”. The report highlighted that most of the government work under Ganga Action Plan (GAP) and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is done on the main stem of Ganga river which forms only three per cent of the entire basin.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP News Bulletin 7 January 2019: NGT REJECTS FLAWED GROUNDWATER NOTIFICATION

January 7, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

Good to see NGT rejecting the flawed Groundwater notification dated Dec 12, 2018 from CGWA that was also critiqued by SANDRP: https://sandrp.in/2018/12/31/groundwater-governance-why-dec-12-2018-cgwa-notification-would-be-disastrous/. However, NGT should have asked an independent panel to formulate the policy for sustainable groundwater use, rather than a committee of the same government persons. Besides, there is also need for restructuring of currently totally ineffective CGWA and make it COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT of government.

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Dams · Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

World Fisheries Day 2018: India’s Increasing Fish Kill Incidents

November 20, 2018November 21, 2018 SANDRPLeave a comment

21 November is celebrated as world fisheries day across the world. Apart from crucial source of food and livelihood to lakhs of fisherfolks in India, fish diversity determines the health of the water body including lakes, ponds and rivers. However with growing threats and pollution mass fish mortality has been taking place in various rivers and lakes in the country every year. On World Fisheries Day 2018 SANDRP has put together known mass fish kill incidents that took place this past year to highlight the gravity of threat so that corrective measures can be taken by respective Governments and others concerned.

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