SANDRP

There is a rush of riverfront development schemes in India. We have heard of Sabarmati Riverfront development being drummed many times, followed by the proposed rejuvenation of Ganga, supposedly on the lines of Sabarmati. What does Riverfront Development entail?...

River Netravathi in the upper reaches Photo: Parineeta Dandekar, SANDRP Like a many-headed serpent, Yettinahole (Netravathi) Diversion Project refuses to die. Every time one of its head is cut, it grows a new head. Following criticism of the Project Report [i](based on...

Adaptive Agriculture: A mix of Millets, Corn, Legumes and Vegetables grown by tribals in the same plot. Photo: Aparna Pallavi, Down to Earth When the farmers were losing their crop due to less or no rain, the government was still speculating...

Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project has converted the Sabarmati River into an urban space by reclaiming nearly 200 ha of land and displacing nearly 10000 people. Concrete embankment walls of height 4 to 6 meters have been created for a stretch...

Guest blog by: Dr Kelly D. Alley (ALLEYKD@auburn.edu), Auburn University, USA Varanasi is newsworthy these days, situated symbolically and politically in the new Prime Minister’s agenda. In his victory speech, the PM-elect Narendra Modi vowed to clean the sacred river...

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MEFCC) in the BJP led new government at the centre has, through Office Memorandum (OM no 22-15/2014-IA.III) dated Aug 29, 2014 constituted High Level Committee (HLC) under the chairpersonship of former...

Last Sunday of every September is celebrated as ‘World Rivers Day’. It is a recent phenomenon, but in many senses more significant than World Water Day. While ‘Water’ is seen more as a resource than the life-blood of the global ecosystem,...

Guest Blog by: Sumit Mahar (sumitmahar.12@gmail.com), Him Dhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh [1] Tunneling for hydropower project using the blasting technique can have massive impacts. It has a series of direct and indirect impacts which have already been...

Pungent fishy smell is the first thing that grabs your attention in Bhadbhut village in Bharuch District of Gujarat, which lies on the estuary of the mighty Narmada River, as it meets the Arabian Sea. Every alternate shop in every...

The state of Himachal Pradesh has a hydropower potential of almost 23,000 MW, which is about one-sixth of the country’s total potential[1]. In a bid to harness it, the state authorities seem to have gone all out without really even...

Uttarakhand is another hotbed for the setting up of dams in order to utilize its claimed potential of about 27,000 MW. The government is overlooking the damage these will cause to the already fragile environment. This article tries to provide...

Every possible violation of norms, procedures, law and democratic governance is being committed in pushing clearances for the India’s largest capacity hydropower project, which involves India’s highest dam proposed so far & North East India’s Largest capacity reservoir: the 3000...

Guest Blog by: Ritwick Dutta (ritwickdutta@gmail.com) Environmental Lawyer, Managing Trustee, Legal Imitative for Forest and Environment, New Delhi The review of Environmental Law is currently being undertaken by the High Level Committee (HLC) constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and...

How recent orders and guidelines issued by MoEFCC to "streamline" clearances are missing main problems of the system in their bid to please the industry.

A recent appraisal has found that there is no river in any of the top 50 cities in the country which is not sick or dying with river Yamuna in Delhi-Mathura-Agra and Ganga in Kanpur-Varanasi-Patna leading the list. Widespread devastations...

The National Green Tribunal, NGT marked its 4th Foundation Day on 18 October 2014, with an impressive fanfare. A full day function was organized at the Plenary hall of the capital’s iconic Vigyan Bhawan. NGT in this short span has...

(Above: River Ganga at Rishikesh Photo with thanks from Ramesh Rawat, India Travelz) - Guest Blog by: Manoj Misra (manojmisra@peaceinst.org. Author is the Convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan) A ‘road map’ might be an inappropriate term for a ‘river’ rejuvenation plan....

Reaching exasperating lows of environment decision making, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC is a statutory body of the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) formed under the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. FAC appraises Forest diversion proposals) has...

Above: Dead river Yamuna at Mawi, Panipat Photo: Yamuna Jiya Abhiyan ~ Guest Blog by Manoj Misra (yamunajiye@gmail.com) Ganga is hotter but Yamuna is hot too, with a number of suitors now trying to chase it, thanks to Prime Minister Modi’s...

Riverfront Development in India: Cosmetic make up on deep wounds

Yettinahole Diversion DPR: New Avataar, old problems

Climate Change and Agriculture: Where is the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture?

Whither Riverfront Development? A photo tour of Sabarmati River

Ganga and Varanasi’s Waste-water Management: Why has it remained such an Intractable Problem?

Review of environment laws is necessary – But the TSR Subramanian HLC lacks credibility

World Rivers Day and Ganga: A look at Farakka Barrage and other such calamities

Photo Essay on the impacts of blasting and tunneling for hydropower projects in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh – 1

Photo Essay on the impacts of blasting and tunneling for hydropower projects in Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh – 2

Narmada Estuary: Hilsa, other Fish and Fisher people need protection

Hydropower in Himachal: Do we even know the costs?

Uttarakhand Hydropower: No lessons learnt from June 2013 disaster

Manipulating Environment & Forest Clearances for Dibang Project: Déjà vu: LSHP History repeated: Will it be tragedy or comedy?

Strengthen and not dilute Environment Laws: Submission to the MEF’s HLC to Review Environment Laws

MoEFCC orders “Don’t Ask Additional information unless Inevitable” (Or: “Just clear the projects and don’t bother about informed decisions”)

Press Release: “INDIA RIVERS WEEK”, FROM 24-27 NOV 2014. First IRW to be held in Delhi

National Green Tribunal’s Fourth Foundation Day: Why such a pro hydro bias?

A RIVER MAP FOR REJUVENATING GANGA

Dibang Insensitivity Analysis : FAC recommendation can destroy 4577 ha rich Forests

YAMUNA IS ‘HOT’: But JICA’s two decades of failure to rejuvenate Yamuna won’t be forgotten in a hurry