There is urgent need for publicly known norms of transparency and accountability in operation of reservoirs that are like time bombs that can explode multiple times. Bhakra exploded in 1988, Ukai in Gujarat did in Aug 2006, Hirakud did in Sep 2008, Srisailam, Tungabhadra, Upper Krishna and Damodar dams did in Sep 2009. The wrong operation of Bhakra, Pong and Tehri reservoirs in 2010 lead to avoidable floods in the downstream areas.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) sent its response to the Kosi Bandh Katan Judicial Enquiry Commission, through Letter No 7/2/2/2009-FM.II/427 dated 04.12.2009, authored by C P Singh, Director FM-II, issued "with the approval of Chairman, CWC" as the letter says.
The Planning Commission of Government of India gave investment clearance to the Sardar Sarovar Project in October 1988 for a cost of Rs 6406 crore at 1986-87 prices. The project is still far from complete. The Project applied for over six fold increase in cost of the project earlier this year. This is a narration of what happened to that application in Planning Commission.
Bamboo is an important part of rural livelihood in a developing country like India. Due to its versatile nature and multiple uses, it is also called 'poor man's timber'. Though it grows tall like a tree, it belongs to the grass family.
Most rivers and streams in urban India are dead or on the verge of collapse. With a very few and rare exceptions, these once-beautiful water bodied have been encroached upond, sources dried up or converted into sewage drains all over the country.
Snow and glacial melt are important hydrologic process in the Himalayan basins and changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to seriously affect the melt characteristics. Melt water is extremely important in the Indus basin and important for the Brahmaputra basin.
The true costs of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Project, planned for the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon, will be much higher than dam proponents admit, according to a new independent review by a panel of 40 specialists. The panel found that the dam would have serious consequences for the region, its inhabitants, and ecosystems of the Amazon rainforest.
Traditionally agriculturalists of western Madhya Pradesh had adopted practices that made most use of the soil moisture and conserved the ecosystem to ensure a sustainable output.
The truth is that the Dal dwellers are hardly responsible for this vanishing ecosystem - they didn't cut the forests, build bunds, construct on the banks or dam the rivers. It is the way our nation has industrialised that we cannot see nature as an ecosystem, but only as resources.
