Dams, Barrages and Reservoirs

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Man-made floods in Orissa in September 2011- Key issues raised by Water Initiatives Orissa
The Orissa floods of 2011 point to the loopholes in river basin planning and management and calls for urgent attention of planners and policy makers. Posted on 06 Oct, 2011 10:24 AM

Orissa was hit by two spates of flood in September 2011, the first one being caused by heavy rains in the Mahanadi catchment and release of huge discharges from Hirakud dam. The second one was caused by heavy rains and flooding of Brahmani, Baitarani and Budhabalanga rivers. These floods point to the loopholes in river basin planning and management and calls for urgent attention of planners and policy makers. 

Photo exhibit on water conservation - Delhi's might, Renuka's plight - JNU Art and Aesthetics School, Delhi, September 26 – October 2, 2011
Posted on 30 Sep, 2011 08:19 PM

Photo Exhibit: Delhi's might, Renuka's plight - 26th Sept-2nd Oct


Venue: Art & Aesthetics Gallery, JNU Campus, New Delhi

JNU 

The School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU is one of the few places in India that offers post-graduate degree courses in the theoretical and critical study of the cinematic, visual and performing arts. Moreover, it is the only place in India where these disciplines are offered in an integrated programme that allows students to understand the individual arts in a broader context of history, sociology, politics, semiotics, gender and cultural studies apart from being able to integrate the study of one art form with the other arts. The three streams of study offered at the school are Visual Studies, Theatre & Performance Studies and Cinema Studies.

Different designs, same management: A note from Water Initiatives Odisha on Rengali dam and flood management
‘Did we manage the Rengali dam the way we managed Hirakud?’ asks Water Initiatives Odisha Posted on 28 Sep, 2011 09:57 AM

Water Initiatives Odisha, brings out a special note on this issue in response to the latest spell of the flood disaster in northern Odisha Rivers.

Taking action in India on downstream impact of dams - Report of the workshop held by International Rivers and Save Western Ghats Movement at Jog Falls, Karnataka in May 2011
India is on a large-dam building spree, with more than 5,100 large dams already blocking almost all of its important rivers, and more to come. Posted on 14 Jun, 2011 05:17 PM


Jog falls in Western GhatsJog falls in Western Ghats

 These dams have had a profound negative impact on communities and ecology upstream and downstream. While promised benefits of these dams (irrigation, hydro-power or flood control) have been overstated, numerous interrelated and complex negative impacts have simply not been studied or documented. Nonetheless, communities and ecosystems continue paying huge prices of these impacts.

Godavari river water sharing accord - A paper by N. Sasidhar
The paper highlights the acute water scarcity faced by Sriramsagar and Nizamsagar irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh. Posted on 13 Jun, 2011 03:37 PM

 The water availability in these projects has diminished to 33% dependability from the designed dependability of 75% in last nine years. Due to meager inflows, the river water quality is becoming unsafe for human and cattle consumption. It also suggests the remedial action to overcome the problem in future.

Fluorosis in an urban slum area of Nalgonda - Andhra Pradesh - An epidemiological study - Indian Journal of Public Health
This paper describesa study undertaken in Nalgonda to explore the impact of a new water source, the water from the Nagarjunsagar dam. Posted on 07 Jun, 2011 10:09 AM

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ADB funded hydro projects in Himachal Pradesh: Disastrous experience - Press release by Him Dhara, SANDRP and HLJM
The Asian Development Bank is financing four hydro projects under the misleading name of 'Himachal Clean Energy Development Programme'. Posted on 06 Jun, 2011 06:07 PM


South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and PeopleReport questions ADB funded projects under the 'Himachal Clean Energy Development Programme'.

  • ADB loans for four hydroprojects at eco-fragile zones
  • Livelihood concerns and environmental issues un-addressed
  • Section 17/4 – Urgency clause being used by HPPCL for forced acquisition of land
  • Poor EIA reports and non compliance to environmental norms

Recently, a Public Hearing for the World Bank funded Luhri Hydro Electric had to be cancelled after public protests making it clear that the environmental and social impacts of Hydropower projects as well as the increasing gap between their promise and performance, especially in the Himalayan region have become issues of serious concern. And yet these projects continue to be promoted in the garb of renewable and clean energy. So much so that governments are borrowing millions of rupees from international banks and financial institutions to fund these so called 'green' projects.The four ADB financed hydro power projects being constructed by HPPCL include the 195 MW Integrated Kashang Stage I, II and III and the 402 MW Shongtong-Karccham in Kinnaur. The other two projects are the 111 MW Sawara-Kuddu hydropower projects in Shimla district and the 100 MW Sainj hydropower project in Kullu District.

Polavaram fraud - The Polavaram dam on the Godavari could displace 400,000 people and submerge nearly 4,000 hectares of forest land - Article from Down To Earth
The Polavaram dam on the Godavari could displace 400,000 people and submerge nearly 4,000 hectares of forestland. Posted on 06 May, 2011 08:33 PM

 Most of the people threatened to be displaced cannot be relocated until their rights over forestland are recognized under the Forest Rights Act. How did the Andhra Pradesh government meet this immense challenge? It quietly told the Union environment and forests ministry that all claims have been settled.

The ministry gave forest clearance to the project last year. Now over 50 villages have written to the ministry, saying their forest rights have not been settled. Richard Mahapatra visited the villages and found the state had indeed lied.

Following similar complaints, the ministry had scrapped Vedanta’s proposal to mine Niyamgiri hills and withheld forest clearance to the POSCO steel plant in Odisha. Will it apply the same yardstick to Polavaram?

Residents of Teladibbalu did not know they had forest rights. The village is in the dam’s submergence zone and accessible only by boat (Photo: G Srinivas).Residents of Teladibbalu did not know they had forest rights. The village is in the dam’s submergence zone and accessible only by boat. (Photo: G Srinivas).

Application of Composite Correction Program for improvement in efficiency of water treatment plants - A WHO paper
Safe drinking water, sanitation, water purification, secured supply, are all unchecked on goals' checklist; emphasizing on the need of intricate tools and plans and their implementation. Posted on 20 Apr, 2011 12:41 AM

The goal of safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation has not yet been achieved. The current practices of water purification are inadequate to produce secured water supply. Maintaining health protection at water supply systems has become more challenging with resistance of some pathogens to disinfection using chlorination and an increase in the immuno-compromised population (e.g., people with HIV, organ transplant patients, the elderly).

In this context, it has become essential to develop various tools such as Composite Correction Programme (CCP) and Water Safety Plans (WSP) to improve water purification and distribution systems, to achieve the goal of providing safe drinking water.

Resistance against the Polavaram dam - An EPW article
Displacement of the tribal population caused by the Polavaram dam under construction on the Godavari river in Andhra has led to substantial number of protests in recent years Posted on 19 Apr, 2011 11:02 PM

 

This EPW paper studies the various forms of resistance against the construction of Polavaram dam, and notes that the main feature of the struggles has been the involvement of people’s organisations due to the failure of traditional as well as statutory bodies, representatives and regional leadership of mainstream political parties.