Industrial and other Manmade Disasters
Water management across space and time in India – A working paper by the University of Bonn
Posted on 17 Dec, 2010 10:09 PMThis working paper by the University of Bonn attempts to give a spatial and temporal overview of water management in India. It traces how people and the successive regimes made choices across space and time from a wide range of water control and distribution technologies. The paper divides the water management in India into four periods –
- the traditional system of water management before colonial times;
- response from the colonial rulers to manage the complex socio-ecological system;
- large scale surface water development after independence; and
- finally, the small-scale community and market-led revolution.
Water security for India: The external dynamics - An IDSA Task Force Report
Posted on 01 Dec, 2010 08:44 PMThe report by Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses is premised on the fact that India is facing a serious water resource problem and is expected to become 'water stressed' by 2025 and 'water scarce' by 2050. It raises fundamental questions about the forces driving water demand and the political dynamics of riparian relations, both in terms of hindrances and opportunities, amongst states in the subcontinent. Rivers, a crucial source of water resources, physically link upstream and downstream users and at the same time create barriers.
News roundup (8-15 November 2010) :"India proposes a new emission check system" and News round-up on the floods
Posted on 17 Nov, 2010 06:08 PMClimate Change
Environment
Ecological destruction of Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in North East India – A five-part FES-InfoChange series
Posted on 13 Nov, 2010 07:18 PMThis series by Thingnam Anjulika Samom deals with the impact of modernisation, development and state policy on the traditional use, control and management of Loktak lake, the largest common property aquatic resource in Manipur. The Loktak Hydropower Project commissioned in 1983 has damaged the ecology of the largest freshwater lake in the northeast, and has altered the culture, agricultural and livelihood patterns of communities residing around Loktak. The series looks at what this common property resource used to be and what it has become.
Loktak, the 300-square-km lake is spread over three districts in the valley – Imphal West, Bisnupur and Thoubal and covers 61% of the total identified wetlands of Manipur. Besides being the source of livelihood for hundreds of people, Loktak also houses the floating national park Keibul Lamjao, the only home in the world to the endangered Sangai deer. It is not only the geographical topography of the lake that has changed in the last few decades. The lake is also beset by increasing pollution, siltation, rapid proliferation of phumdis and the commissioning of the Loktak hydel project in the 1980s Manipur or Imphal River, with the Loktak lake forming the headwaters to provide regulated storage for power generation.
Storage above design full tank level in Pichola-Swaroop Saagar and Fatah Saagar lakes of Udaipur - A threat to safety
Posted on 10 Nov, 2010 10:02 PMThe historical lakes of Udaipur, Rajasthan, namely Pichola - Swaroop Saagar and Fatah Saagar are more than a century old. Filling them above original design full tank level on public demand or over enthusiasm may prove to be a threat to safety.
"Gujarat farmers fight against climate change: Adopt technoloxxgy to conserve resources and maximize benefits" : News roundup (15-21 October 2010)
Posted on 22 Oct, 2010 11:25 AMClimate Change
The national environment tribunal act - Ministry of Environment and Forests (1995)
Posted on 12 Oct, 2010 10:57 AMThe document describes the details of the Act in terms of:
Kerala state disaster management policy - Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (2009)
Posted on 11 Oct, 2010 04:28 PMThis document highlights the vulnerable status of the state in terms of natural disasters and highlights the urgent need for a disaster management strategy for the state.
The objectives of the Kerala state disaster management policy include:
- To develop and ensure policy, institutional and techno – legal frameworks for disaster management in the state
- To develop and maintain proactive governance and systems, and promote research and development for Disaster risk management strategies for disaster prevention and mitigation.
- To establish effective disaster crisis management through the organisation and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all aspects of emergencies with respect to response, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
- To strengthen the capacities and resilience of vulnerable communities with special emphasis on empowerment of women and establish community level systems for pre, during and post disaster interventions.
- To build capacities and promote positive changes in the administrative systems, procedures and personnel that would facilitate efficient and effective pre and post disaster activities.
- To institutionalise disaster management in government as envisaged in DM Act, 2005 and to mainstream disaster management in to developmental planning.
Save agriculture in Narmada valley
Posted on 20 Sep, 2010 04:44 PMNarmada valley is facing yet another crisis beyond the gigantic dams, which has arisen due to the huge canal network of the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar canals. The canals of these two dams are not yet fully planned, yet certain estimates, which are not yet final by the Narmada Valley Development Authority show that not less than 10,000 hectares of agricultural land is to be acquired, but a larger acquisition is yet to come up in numerous villages, where even a basic socio-economic survey of the affected land and families is yet to be undertaken.
Power finance: Financial institutions in India's hydropower sector - A report by SANDRP, Urgewald and IRN
Posted on 12 Aug, 2010 05:01 PMThis report published by SANDRP, Urgewald and International Rivers Network (IRN) provides a brief background on India's power and financial sectors and illustrates the issues at stake by giving examples of two important power projects in India, the Dabhol project and the Maheshwar project.
The next part of the report describes the role that the domestic and international financial institutions have played and continue to play and the controversies that have been associated with the functioning of these institutions in the implementation of the hydropower projects in India.
The report emphasises the importance of the role of NGOs and civil society movements in making these institutions accountable to the common people whose lives are affected by the projects/ interventions.