Himachal villages to carry out own EIA

Himachal villages to carry out own EIA

90,000 people from 250 villages in the Sutlej basin of Himachal Pradesh decide to carry out their own assessment of the environmental damage caused by hydropower projects. They allege that the state-sponsored Indian Council of Forest Research and Education report is largely in favour of hydel companies

Climate change may hit fishers in Kerala

The State Action Plan on Climate Change says that diseases and migration of species could lead to depletion of fish stocks, while the damage to coastal infrastructure could enhance the vulnerability of the fishing community

In times of water scarcity, onion gives way to tapioca

Area under onion cultivation in Perambalur district in Tamil Nadu, the main supplier of onions to the state, has come down from 8000 ha to 500 ha in the last two years, thanks to monsoon failure in the last two years

Glacier protection order a threat to livelihood in Rohtang

The snow-covered mountain pass near Manali in Himachal Pradesh had no glaciers for the past 15,000 years, say locals. The NGT has ordered that commercial activities at Rohtang be shut down to prevent glacial melting

Inland waterways planned across Kerala lake

The Inland Water Transport Authority is trying to revive old waterways from Kottappuram to Kollam through the Vembanad lake after 32 years. Some of them, however, would be difficult to revive as parts of the lake have been encroached upon for road construction

Delhi renews its water demand from Haryana

With summers on the head, the Capital has asked the Haryana government to release 51 cusecs of water from the Yamuna meant for irrigation as per a 1994 MoU. Haryana, however, claims to have released the entire share

Matkas prevent devotees from polluting the Yamuna

An NGO has placed giant Matkas near the ITO bridge to collect religious offerings that people often fling across the bridge into the river. The offerings are then segregated and composted or recycled

Girl washed away as dam releases water without warning

Residents in Sikkim where the accident happened when water was released unexpectedly from Teesta-V dam, claim that this has become a normal practise with the company. A siren that was earlier used to inform people about releasing water is also no more functional

Evaporation reduces water level in Alamatti

The water-level in the Alamatti dam across the Krishna river in Karnataka's Bijapur district has gone down considerably, thanks to increased evaporation because of rising temperature and constant supply to the Raichur Thermal Power Station

Digital water monitors for Chennai

The city water authority is installing these devices at reservoirs and various water distribution points to keep a tab on water levels through a centralised online network

Swajal Dhara scheme a damp squib

The scheme to reform the drinking water supply in rural areas was launched in 2002 yet in Odisha all one sees today is just the overhead tanks, with no water reaching people's houses yet

Blocked drains means no drinking water at Pune station

The drains of water booths at the Pune railway station are choked with waste material, filling the basins with water, forcing people to buy bottled water. Railway officials cite lack of staff in summers and public apathy for the problem

This is the news roundup of April 20 and 21, 2014.