Delhi’s Drinking Water is 9 inch Wall away from Toxic Industrial Effluents & Sewage

May 16, 2019May 17, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

Feature image showing drain number 6 with industrial pollution running along drain number 8 which carries raw water for potable water supply to Delhi. The over spill in drain number 6 is plugged with sand bags. Image by author, May 11, 2019

Role of Drain Number 8

About 300 cusec of water is supplied to Delhi via Drain Number (DN) 8. The drain branches off from Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) near Garhi Bindroli village in Sonipat. The total length of the drain is about 25 km. It carries Delhi’s share of water and discharges it into River Yamuna at Palla, where the river enters Delhi territory.

The water then flows 21 km downstream up to Wazirabad barrage where it is treated at Wazirabad Treatment Plant (WTP). This plant also supplies water to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas which includes President House, Parliament areas among other prominent VIP residential units.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 13 May 2019: MoEF’s expert committee not bothered about rivers or environment, acts like lobby for Dams

May 13, 2019February 27, 2026 SANDRP1 Comment

The minutes of the Apr 23, 2019 meeting of MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley Projects once again proves that this committee is least bothered to honour its mandate to protect rivers and environment and ensure adherence to rules and punish violations. In stead, it acts more like a lobby for Dams. This was apparent from a number of instances, but more glaringly from what it said about the proposed Lakhwar Dam on Yamuna river, in Ganga Basin. Lakhwar dam has had no EIA, public consultations, appraisal, management plan, disaster impact assessment, or cumulative impact assessment. SANDRP, after field visit and via more than one letters informed the committee before its meeting on April 23, 2019 about the violations and destruction of riverbed, flood plain and biodiversity happening, but the committee has not even bothered to acknowledge the submissions, leave aside the question of taking any action on them. (https://sandrp.in/2019/04/23/lakhwar-vyasi-dam-different-reality-before-the-window-dressing-for-eac/)

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 06052019: Delhi HC takes Suo moto action on RWH in Delhi

May 6, 2019February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

On April 16, 2019, Delhi High Court bench decided to initiate a Public Interest Litigation based on a newspaper report that not much rainwater harvesting or groundwater recharge is happening in spite of years of talk that seems to have remained empty. This is a welcome move and one hopes HC takes the issue to its logical conclusion.

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Char Dham Highway

चारधाम राजमार्ग परियोजना: ग्रामीणों के लिए त्रासदी बना गंगा -यमुना घाटी सुरंग निर्माण

May 3, 2019May 4, 2019 SANDRP1 Comment

अतिथि लेख ओंकार बहुगुणा द्वारा

यह रिपोर्ट बड़कोट के निकट धरासू बैंड पर सुरंग निर्माण कार्यों में नियमों की अवेहलना किये जाने से स्थानीय पर्यावरण और ग्रामीणों पर हो रहे विपरीत प्रभावों को दर्शाती है। इस सुरंग का निर्माण चार धाम राजमार्ग परियोजना के तहत किया जा रहा है। साढ़े चार किलोमीटर लम्बी सुरंग के माध्यम से यमुना-गंगा घाटी को आपस में जोड़ा जाना है। वास्तव में यह निर्माण कार्य हाल ही में शुरू किया गया है जबकि चार धाम राजमार्ग परियोजना में पर्यावरण को हो रहे नुकसान का मामला माननीय उच्चतम न्यायालय में विचाराधीन है। अपने फ़रवरी 2019 में जारी आदेश में सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने स्पष्ट तौर पर कहा था कि जब तक जब तक मामले पर अंतिम निर्णय नहीं आ जाता तब तक परियोजना के तहत नए कार्य शुरू नहीं किया जाना है। इस तरह यह सुरंग निर्माण कार्य सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के आदेश में अवमानना है। साथ में निर्माण कार्य के दौरान तय मानकों का खुलेआम अवेहलना की जा रही है सो अलग।

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 29 Apr 2019: Sindhudurg shows the way for wetlands documentation & protection

April 29, 2019February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

Sindhudurg has become the country’s first district to have successfully documented and mapped wetlands, following a Mumbai HC order in Vanashakti petition. Engaging community participation in the eight-month long process, the district is now training bodies of other districts in the state to replicate its documentation model. This was the state response to Mumbai HC as a pilot in Sindhudurg district. The district administration approached the team of local organization Syamantak, which suggested engaging community participation in the documentation and mapping process.

– “Conducting mapping through community is an effective way to save public money. If this model is implemented across the state, the government can save crores,” said Sachin Desai, who is running Syamantak’s study centre for experiential learning in Dhamapur. The committee completed the task of mapping 57 wetlands in the district in about eight months. Sindhudurg will soon be releasing the first volume of magazine ‘Sindhudurg — Land of Wetland’, the first-of-it-kind in the country. The district planning and development council (DPDC) is giving financial support to the magazine through the forest department.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Fish, Fisher-folks at Palla

April 28, 2019 SANDRP3 Comments

Fisher-folks know a river better than most others. Fish diversity is unfailing indicator determining river health. Unfortunately given the pollution load and lack of fresh flowing water, the Delhi stretch of Yamuna river is biologically dead. Hence fishing activities are rare and not much is known about the current fishermen community.

Situation was better in the past. Many people still fondly recollect, memory of bathing in a pristinely flowing Yamuna in Delhi around 1970s. They also describe their narrative of enjoying plenty of fish variety. Elderly in Greater Noida even claim watching ‘Sush’ dolphin in the river during their childhood.

Now the river is in continual degradation. It gets some clean water during monsoon, when adjoining areas face flood threat.

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Yamuna River

Lakhwar & Vyasi Dam: Different reality before the window dressing for EAC

April 23, 2019April 26, 2019 SANDRP1 Comment

Field Observation Report, 20-21 April 2019 at Lakhwar Multipurpose Dam Project, Lohari and Vyasi Hydro Electric Project, Juddo. This author, also an applicant in NGT petition, visited the Lakhwar and Vyasi project area before the sub committee of MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley Projects visited the site on Apr 22, 2019.

The proposed site of Multipurpose Lakhwar dam project was seen affected with multiple landslides. One such fresh landslide was seen right at the site where the 204 meter high dam is supposed to be built. Locals revealed that many of the landslides in and around the location have become perennial.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 22 Apr 2019: Swami Aatmabodhanand to give up water; Why is Gov so little concerned about Ganga?

April 22, 2019February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

Following death of Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (Prof G D Agarwal) while on fast unto death on Oct 11, 2018 and disappearance of Swami Gopal Das ji from AIIMS-Delhi, Swami Aatmabodhanand ji has been on fast unto death at Matri Sadan, Haridwar since Oct 24, 2019. In a letter to the Prime Minister on April 19, 2019 he has said that if the government does respond by April 25, 2019 to the four demands for which the fast undo death is undertaken, he will leave water from April 27, 2019. The four demands are well known:

Cancel all under construction and proposed dams on Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and their tributaries.
Prohibit all mining and tree cutting in the Ganga flood plains, particularly in Haridwar
Enact Ganga Act for the preservation of River Ganga, the draft of which has been sent to the govt.
Constitute an autonomous Ganga Council

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 15 Apr 2019: Bundelkhand villages demand ponds, not Ken Betwa Link

April 15, 2019February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

A pond dug a few years ago in Jignanda village of Hamirpur district still holds plenty of water despite scanty rainfall (Photo by Soumya Sarkar)

In a remarkable campaign during the ongoing general elections, Bundelkhand villages have demanded PONDs for Votes. This is exactly what is required for Bundelkhand, and not the destructive, costly and contractor driven Ken Betwa link that BJP has been trying to push here. Congratulations to the Bundelkhand people and People’s Science Institute that has led this campaign.

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DRP News Bulletin

DRP: 8 April 2019: PM Modi asks: Are Dams ATM for Politicians?

April 8, 2019February 27, 2026 SANDRP6 Comments

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has possibly inadvertently, started a debate that really needs to be honestly looked at: ARE BIG DAMS ATM MACHINES FOR POLITICIANS? He may have raised the issue only in the context of Polavaram Dam and Andhra Government, but the question is equally valid for all big dams across the country. Including for Sardar Sarovar Dam, as Andhra Water Resource Minister has possibly only rhetorically asked.

As analysis by SANDRP and others including by numerous CAG reports have shown, dams are not adding to Net National Irrigated area since over 25 years. They in fact worsen the groundwater recharge and sustainability situation, directly and indirectly. And groundwater remains our water lifeline since several decades and will remain so. And yet, thousands of crores get spent on big dam every year, while such resources are not available for sustenance of groundwater, India’s water lifeline. This election, we wont have that honest debate, since both the initiator and responder are not particularly serious about it. Nor the media seems to have the stomach for such a debate. WHEN WILL WE HAVE AN HONEST DEBATE THAT WILL ANSWER THIS QUESTION: ARE DAMS ATM MACHINES FOR POLITICIANS?

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