"Protests rock Cauvery basin as Karnataka releases water to Tamil Nadu in keeping with Supreme Court directive" - Roundup of the week's news (24-30 September 2012)

Protests rock Cauvery basin as Karnataka releases water to Tamil Nadu in keeping with Supreme Court directive
Over 100 people were detained as Karnataka started releasing water from the Krishnarajasagar and Kabini dams  in keeping with a Supreme Court order. Karnataka was directed to release 9000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, in spite of the state’s pleas of there not being enough water in its rivers. Karnataka intends to  file a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a review of the order.

Nine villages in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Saheb found to have high level of nitrates in water
A demographic census of over 1800 households in 9 villages conducted in Fatehgarh Saheb in Punjab has revealed that submersible pumps and tubewells had high quantities of nitrates, rendering them unfit for drinking. The cropping pattern is being blamed for this state of affairs.

Study reveals substantial increase in farmer income from cash crops due to Narmada waters from Sardar Sarovar project in Gujarat
A high-level study carried out by Hyderabad-based Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy has said that the availability of Narmada waters from the Sardar  Sarovar project has substantially boosted farmers’ incomes in about six lakh hectares (ha) since 2007. The farmers have particularly benefited from cash crops like cumin, fennel, cotton and castor, though the income from foodgrains did not show as substantial a rise.

Centre proposes setting up of a Brahmaputra River Valley Authority
The Centre has proposed the setting up of a  Brahmaputra River Valley Authority ( BRVA) chaired by the Union Minister for Water Resources  to deal with water management, flood and related issues in the north-eastern region. The body would also act as an umbrella organization for the Centre and  states in the region to pool resources and expertise for tackling  issues related to land reclamation, irrigation and erosion. Apart from the Brahmaputra, the BRVA would also deal with the Barak and other rivers in the region.

Nal Sarovar in Gujarat declared a Ramsar site
The Nal Sarovar wetland near Sanand, in Gujarat has been internationally recognized as a Ramsar site. Millions of birds visit Nal in the winter months of November to February every year. The Ramsar Convention is a treaty that recognizes internationally important wetlands and levies strict conservation and non-pollution norms on them.