Rivers

Groundwater management in a coastal aquifer in Krishna River Delta – A paper in Current Science
This paper in Current Science deals with groundwater management in a coastal aquifer in Krishna river delta of Andhra Pradesh. Posted on 10 May, 2011 08:03 AM

Groundwater conditions in the multi-aquifer system in the delta, were studied through an integrated approach using hydrochemical, hydrogeological and isotopic techniques. This study was taken up because of the reported seawater intrusion into the groundwater system of this agriculturally rich region.

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).

Ganga water quality trend - A report by Central Pollution Control Board (2009)
Water quality of the Ganga as it passes through various states is presented in this document. Posted on 30 Apr, 2011 05:39 PM

The data has been collected over a period of many years from 39 water quality monitoring stations along the main river and 102 stations on its tributaries which were setup in 2008/09.

The study focuses on the parameters for dissolved oxygen, (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and faecal coliforms (FC) as these indicate the biological health of the river. The period of study for the river Ganga is 1999-2008. The study finds that most of the water quality parameters studied do not meet the standards.

The Gharial - Our river guardian - A factsheet prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
This factsheet on the Gharial is prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF). The Gharial is a river crocodile endemic to the Indian sub-continent. Posted on 28 Apr, 2011 04:35 PM

 It was found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma and Bhutan, but is now extinct in these countries. Today, it is seen in a few places in Nepal. In India the major population of Gharials is found in the Girwa and Chambal rivers. It faces many threats to its survival which include fishing, linking of rivers, large irrigation canals etc.

"In Search of Yamuna: Reflections on a River Lost" - A recent book as an ode to rivers
The crisis of river Yamuna is pronounced by a deep sense of loss afflicting the lives of riverfront people who were crucial in shaping the river's many rhythms and cultures. Posted on 27 Apr, 2011 02:26 PM

About the book

In search of yamuna In the present mood of transience and conflict, amidst the emerging riverfront politics, these communities seem to be caught in the eye of the storm.

Dwarekeshwar river basin of West Bengal : A unique combination of flash flood zone, monsoonal flood zone & tidal zone
For a rational approach to planning and design of water resources projects, an understanding of the morphology and behaviour of the river is a pre-requisite. Posted on 27 Apr, 2011 12:59 PM

Dwarekeshwar river basin of West Bengal : An Unique Combination In India, at national level when all the planners are saying about the water grid, river linking project, i

An assessment of crop water productivity in the Indus and Ganges river basins: Current status and scope for improvement – A research report by IWMI
This paper presents a new approach for analysis of water productivity of rice and wheat in the Indus and the Ganges river basins Posted on 20 Apr, 2011 06:43 PM

IWMI ReportThis approach is based on the integration of readily available remote sensing, national crop productivity and land use statistics and weather data.

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.

The effects of agricultural water and landholdings to rural livelihoods in Indo-Gangetic basin – Research analysis by IWMI and ICAR with an emphasis on Bihar
Water use and landholding factors are widely acknowledged as major determinants of agricultural development and hence rural wealth in IGB basin and Bihar. Posted on 18 Apr, 2011 11:56 PM

IWMI PaperThe current research analysis by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in cooperation with ICAR Resear

Vedanta’s red mud pond leaks into Vamsadhara river, Lanjigarh, Orissa - A Down To Earth report
Reports from Lanjigarh say a crack in the western part of the red mud pond of Vedanta Alumina refinery has leaked into the Vamsadhara river. Posted on 18 Apr, 2011 05:23 PM

This happened following a thunder burst on April 5.

According to Mahammad Ashlam of KBK Samachar, the local news agency, the downpour lasted 45 minutes and resulted in a huge run-off of the toxic waste into nearby water bodies from a crack in the pond wall of the one-million-tone refinery. Red mud or bauxite residue is a waste product of the alumina manufacturing process.