News and Articles

News updates - 15th October, 2009
News update for the 15 October 2009 Posted on 14 Oct, 2009 02:23 PM

Drinking water from tankers in Bellary district

Picture from https://www.thehindu.com : (https://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/14/images/2009101451490301.jpg) , drinking water being supplied by tanker in Bellary district

No fresh flood threat:

https://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/13/stories/2009101353490400.htm

 

Several articles cover the post-mortem of the floods, triggered by CWC statements that their warning to the government of AP was ignored

 

PIL filed alleging negligence on the part of AP government

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=3&contentid=20091014200910140355037187a9b2d4c

Major irrigation minister was in hospital on the crucial day
Dam manual of the government to be updated

Rosaiah reacts:

https://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/14/stories/2009101450460100.htm

https://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/13/stories/2009101359070300.htm

Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Outcomes:The Indian approach to climate change
A note on how India has tackled the ongoing climate discussions Posted on 14 Oct, 2009 12:29 AM
Recognising that climate change has of late transmuted from the geo-political to the political in the global arena, India  has tackled the ongoing climate discussions with suave diplomacy that is perhaps a trend-setter of sorts. 
The message has gone across loud and clear, that India will not accept categorically any legally binding
Proceedings of the consultation on Emerging Water Regulatory Frameworks and Related Reforms in Water Governance in Karnataka
A note on the workshop held in Bangalore Posted on 13 Oct, 2009 11:56 AM

The proceedings of the Consultation on “Emerging Water Regulatory Frameworks and Related Reforms in Water Governance in Karnataka” that was held on 02 September 2009 at Bangalore. Please do send us your comments.

In continuation with our efforts within Karnataka we have taken up two initiatives:

  1. Review of the ongoing reform processes in Urban Water Governance, with a special focus on the establishment of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Council.
  2. Preparation of a general reader on water governance in the form of a booklet with a special focus on regulatory reforms in Karnataka, available both in Karnataka and Kannada (targeted at non-academic audiences such as NGO's and CSO's).
Assesment report in Mahbubnagar district
An assesment report of the status in Mahbubnagar district created by a team of civil society representatives Posted on 12 Oct, 2009 11:18 PM

Attached is an assesment report of the status in Mahbubnagar district created by a team of civil society representatives. The report makes reference to a networking effort of civil society organisations in order to co-ordinate their efforts, and the team promises to continue to survey the situation and make periodic reports.

Reports from the Field : On - Site Interaction Reports from the Kosi Basin
A report on the continued effect of the Kosi deluge and also the current local concerns in the field. Posted on 11 Oct, 2009 06:49 AM

The following reports are from interactions organized in and around the Kosi Basin on the initiative of the Barh Mukti Abhiyan in alliance with local organizations. Reports from the interactions offer an unique window to the continued effect of the Kosi deluge and also the current local concerns in the field.

Press release: 467 projects approved and 40 projects completed under JNNURM
A press release giving details of the projects completed under JNNURM Posted on 11 Oct, 2009 05:53 AM

Ministry of Urban Development has approved  467 projects with  total cost of  Rs.50,340 crores under Urban Infrastructure Governance (UIG), Sub-Mission –I of  Jawaharlal Nehru National  Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) so far.

No addition to canal Irrigated areas for 15 years : Report by SANDRP
A detailed report highlighting the fact that there has been absolutely no addition to net irrigated areas by canals from Major and Medium Irrigation Projects as per official data Posted on 09 Oct, 2009 07:55 PM

Image & Content Courtesy: SANDRP

logoIn fifteen years from 1991-92 to 2006-07 (the latest year for which figures are available), there is been absolutely no addition to net irrigated areas by canals from Major and Medium Irrigation Projects as per official data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture, based on actual field data from states. From April 1991 to March 2007, the country has spent over Rs 130 000 crores on Major and Medium Irrigation Projects with the objective of increasing canal irrigated areas.But the official data shows that this whole expenditure of over Rs 130 000 crore has not led to addition of a single ha in the net irrigated area by canals in the country for the whole of this fifteen year period. In fact the areas irrigated by such projects have reduced by a massive 2.44 million ha during this period.

Groundwater scenario of Chidambaram taluk, Cuddalore district, Tamilnadu
An in depth knowledge page on the groundwater condition in Chidambaran taluk, Tamil Nadu Posted on 08 Oct, 2009 07:41 AM

Chidambaram is the taluk headquarters, located at about 250 km south of Chennai on east coast road [ECR] in Cuddalore district of Tamilnadu. It is a coastal taluk having three panchayat unions, Keerapalayam, Melbhuvanagiri and Portonovo. Chidambaram is the most important pilgrim center of the country, and is blessed with the Lord Nataraja temple. The temple town is also known as Bhuloka Kailash and Lord Nataraja, a cosmic dancer, represent the ‘Aakash’ form which is one among the ‘Pancha Boothas’. 

Though this temple town is blessed with such historically important temple, the Nature has cursed Chidambaram area with brackish water, which is also one among the ‘Pancha Boothas’. The total aerial extent of this taluk is 649 square km and the most part of the taluk is confined between the rivers Vellar and Kollidam, which is a distributary of the river Cauvery. Some few lakhs years back the Kollidam river might have flown even north of Chidambaram town and might have receeded subsequently southwards to the present position. Due to this invasion, the entire area might have been changed as marshy lands and mangrove forests. The salinity of ground water may be attributable to the fluvio marine origin sediments, which might have been deposited during this paleo invasion by the river and due to the back water flow. Chidambaram is about 15 km west of sea shore and the mean sea level is 5.1 metres. Geologically this taluk is a sedimentary terrain and the eastern parts are covered by the quaternary unconsolidated formations of clay, black clay, soils, alluvium, silts, kankar and laterites of recent to sub recent age and the western parts by the tertiary formations of Mio-Pliocene age represented by litho units - sand stones, grits, clays with lignite seams and pebble beds.

Information from ReliefWeb
A summary of the events concerning the relief work carried out in Andhra Pradesh n Posted on 08 Oct, 2009 12:45 AM

A map of the affected areas can be seen at this URL

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/(db900SID)/LPAA-7WKB6S/picture/0.84?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif

and is also attached to this blog entry

The below is a brief summary of the events:

OVERALL SITUATION

Heavy rains due to depression in the Bay of Bengal and low pressure from the Arabian Sea from Sep tember 29 to October 2 have caused flash floods in north Karnataka and the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, affecting nearly two million people and claiming 210 lives. In Karnataka, 15 districts are affected and 161 people have nearly tw millionperished. In Andhra Pradesh, five districts were hit by the flash flood and 49 people have lost their lives. However, of the two million, 1.4 million people affected are from Andhra Pradesh.

ACT International, Goonj, Oxfam India gear up for relief work; warn about water and sanitation risks in flood affected areas
The flood affected area seems to be ill prepared for floods Posted on 08 Oct, 2009 12:26 AM

Oxfam India has sent teams to survey and gauge the situation in flood affected areas. They point out that as these are mostly arid areas, they are particularly ill-prepared to deal with floods.

Read the full article here:  http://bit.ly/OME0a

×