September 2, 2019 SANDRP
Different kinds of Dam Floods is affecting India this monsoon. Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) Dam, thanks to decision of the Govt of India and its Ministry of Water Resources, Narmada Control Authority including its Chairperson UP Singh (Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources), Gujarat Govt is flooding hundreds of villages in Madhya Pradesh, displacing Thousands of families, whose rehabilitation has not been done even as per the Madhya Pradesh government. Medha Patkar and 1000 other women of Narmada Bachao Andolan are on indefinite fast. As we finslise this, the water level of Narmada at SSP Dam is already at 134.99 m and Gujarat Chief Minister has said it will be taken to Full Reservoir Level of 138.68 m this year. The Prime Minister declared his joy when water level crossed 134 M and he will shortly have occasion to celebrate again as water level crosses 135 m. There is not a word of concern for the thousands of victims of this joyous achievement from any of them. The Photo Blog by Parineeta Dandekar provides one perspective of the Narmada Valley events.
In Maharashtra, the govt has set up a committee to investigate the role of dams in floods in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur district in August 2019, but it does not seem to have people who can speak up independently and do not hesitate to call spade when they see one.
Karnataka is yet to set up such a committee for the Krishna basin floods in that state that happened the same time and a few days latter while Maharashtra was suffering. As SANDRP has written, there seems also a case of Dam induced floods in Uttara Kannada district too in Karnataka, that will require a separate investigation. We hope that too happens soon.
The Goa Chief Minister has written to his Maharashtra counterpart that Tillari Dam of Maharashtra created floods in Goa.
The IMD Pune office has started a new initiative to provide expected water volume for each of the 101 sub basins for the next four weeks, but it is seriously doubtful if it will serve the stated objective of achieving reduction in floods due to mismanagement of dams.
“As I write this, around 1000 people are on a hunger strike in a small village on the banks of Narmada river in Badwani District, one of the most fertile and culturally rich part of Madhya Pradesh.
The hunger strike which started with 5 women and leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Medha Patkar is now in its 6th day on Aug 31, 2019.” Photo blog based on visit to Narmada Valley by Parineeta Dandekar. Photos by Abhay Kanvinde. Plz Read, Share and do spread the word. The movement really needs and deserves this. https://sandrp.in/2019/08/31/photoblog-rivers-for-life-narmada-rally-at-badvani-july-2019/ (31 Aug. 2019)
Sardar Sarovar Dam Patkar began fast to protest Gujarat govt refusal to open Narmada dam gates Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has begun fast, with 24 women at Chhota Badda village in Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh, against the refusal of the Gujarat govt to open Sardar Sarovar dam’s gates to keep the reservoir level less than 130 m. https://www.counterview.in/2019/08/medha-patkar-begins-fast-to-protest.html (26 Aug. 2019)
Health of NBA leader Medha Patkar, on a hunger protest for the past eight days seeking rehabilitation of those displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project, has deteriorated, some of her fellow protesters claimed on Sept. 1. https://www.news18.com/news/politics/on-hunger-strike-against-sardar-sarovar-dam-medha-patkars-health-deteriorates-supporters-2293123.html (1 Sept. 2019)
The CPI has written to PM Modi seeking his intervention to protect the lives of activist Medha Patkar and the villagers who are agitating against the move to close the shutters of Sardar Sarovar dam and raise its water levels. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/politics/cpi-seeks-pm-modis-intervention-to-save-life-of-sardar-sarovar-dam-protesters-4395861.html (2 Sept. 2019)
A PTI story on Aug 28, 2019 stated: B S Kalesh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dhar, said in the last 22 days,about 15,000 people or 3,261 families from 21 villages were shifted to safer places. 1,338 families were still living in the submergence area in Dhar district and their evacuation was in progress. The Narmada Bachao Andolan led by activist Medha Patkar continued its protest against the Centre and the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat at Chhota Badda.
– “We have relocated about 1,500 people from 360 families to safer places in past 22 days, evacuating houses and shops from Rajghat, Chhota Badda and other places located in the submergence area,” said Barwani district collector Amit Tomar. Twenty-three families were still living in higher areas of Rajghat village which has now become an island. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/over-16-000-evacuated-in-22-days-as-ssd-backwaters-rise-in-mp/story-Ah0Jw55Up01j9X1QrSfR1N.html (29 Aug. 2019)
Struggle against use of illegal submergence as a weapon by the Central and State governments (Gujarat and others) and Narmada Control Authority continues. https://www.counterview.in/2019/08/medha-patkar-rejects-chief-minister.html (29 Aug. 2019)
At the same time, local people of 150 villages from five districts surrounding the Little Rann of Kutch, have strongly protested from people, against Gujarat Govt’s Rann Sarovar Project. https://www.counterview.in/2019/08/farmers-fisherfolk-agariyas-oppose-rann.htm (27 Aug. 2019)
Unprecedented Dam flood situation in Uttara Kannada in Aug 2019. This is absolutely unprecedented. The New Indian Express published a most remarkable report on Aug 24, 2019. It said, among other things: That the Uttara Kannada district administration, frustrated by the dam mismanagement by KPCL engineers, took over the operation of Kadra Dam in first week of August to reduce the impact of dam releases on the flood disaster in the district.
The blog analyses available information and finds that while KPCL dam operators definitely mismanaged the dam, leading to contributing to flood disaster, the district officials also seemed to be at fault on a number of counts. https://sandrp.in/2019/08/31/unprecedented-dam-flood-situation-in-uttara-kannada-in-aug-2019/ (31 Aug. 2019)
Qurban Ali of Dhyeya IAS Channel talking with Prof CK Varshney and SANDRP Coordinator on Floods in India. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E75O7gnYIXo (2 Sept. 2019)
Dam floods, Maharashtra: Maharashtra govt sets up a panel to investigate into the causes of W Mah floods of Aug 2019, role of dams and lessons for future. The committee, interestingly is headed by same person that headed a committee post 2005 floods: Nandkumar Wadnere. That committee report is still not out, nor it is known what the govt did about the recommendation of the committee. The list of members of the new committee, to submit report by end of Nov 2019 is not out, but it is not clearly if there are any members who have track record of taking an independent stand. This article also reveals:
– On August 21, former BJP MP Nana Patole and Mumbai-based social activist Sanjay Lakhe Patil wrote to chief justice Pradeep Nandrajog of the Bombay High Court demanding the setting up of an expert committee by the court to look into the floods. Describing the floods as “a man-made disaster” caused by inaction and delayed response, Patole sought the court’s intervention to set up an experts’ committee to establish the truth and also to suggest preventive measures for the future.
– Another intervention was sought from the very same court by two flood-affected residents of Kolhapur. The petitioners, Raosaheb alias Narsappa Annappa Alase and Rajendra Shivgonda Patil, filed a public interest litigation (PIL) pleading for fixing of responsibility and action against officials responsible for “dereliction of duty.” The petitioners have charged that the ‘Guidelines for Preparing Operation and Maintenance Manual for Dams’ issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC) were not followed by central and state officials leading to the disaster. https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/maharashtra-floods-probe-panel-could-emerge-with-vital-lessons-for-india-opinion/story-2uzZR3mgKfPAsk6hwkkVzH.html (1 Sept. 2019)
Dam Floods Goa: The CM on Aug 27, 2019 said he will write to Maharashtra CM about sudden and without warning water releases from Tillari Dam in Maharashtra leading to flooding of two villages of Goa. http://www.uniindia.com/goa-cm-to-write-to-fadnavis-over-release-of-tillari-dam-water/west/news/1710914.html (27 Aug. 2019)
On August 12, release of water from the dam over the Tillari river in Maharashtra caused a flood-like situation in two border villages in Goa — Sal and Ibrahimpur. Though located in south Maharashtra, some canals of the Tillari dam flow into the North Goa district to irrigate the region`s agricultural areas. https://zeenews.india.com/india/goa-cm-pramod-sawant-to-talk-to-maharashtra-counterpart-devendra-fadnavis-over-tillari-dam-water-release-2230286.html (27 Aug. 2019)
IMD forecast of Water Volume in River Basins: Can it help prevent Dam floods? IMD Pune has recently announced a new initiative to publish sub basin wise forecasts of rainfall and expected water volume for next four weeks, starting Aug 1, 2019, we learn. The basic objective is to achieve better operation of dams to reduce possible flood disasters.
A review of available information about this on IMD Pune website here shows that while this is a welcome initiative, there a lot of questions about how useful it will for its objective of achieving better dam management to reduce floods in the downstream area.
Source: https://sandrp.in/2019/09/02/drp-nb-02-september-2019-dams-floods-due-to-sardar-sarovar-and-other-dams/
