DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 150523: Will the govt listen to caveats against Ken Betwa Project?

The following report raises three caveats regarding Ken Betwa River Link Project, among others. Firstly it urges that the substantial impact of climate change on the rivers needs to be taken into account, particularly the need for accurate hydrological assessment. It underlines that the project themselves are accelerating the climate change impact on monsoons as they are reducing freshwater flows to the oceans, which in turn has an impact on the ocean’s thermal and salinity gradients, both of which are drivers of monsoon.

Secondly, it rightly says that the impact of projects on adaptive capacity of areas like Bundelkhand needs to be taken into account. In Bundelkhand, climate adaptation can be harnessed using rain water harvesting, rejuvenation of traditional water systems, less water intensive crops and alternative agricultural practices. Thirdly, the water sharing issues that may worsen with both climate change and big projects, need to be kept in mind while taking up mega projects, particularly its impact on water and other security issues. All three caveats are counter indicative for the Ken Betwa Link Project.

Interlinking of RIvers · Ken Betwa Project

Ken Betwa Project shows why River Linking is non starter

A series of moves by the current Central Government, along with some of the state governments since March 2021 have tried to orchestra a push for the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) in a manner somewhat similar to what happened in 2002 under the previous BJP government led by Shri AB Vajpayee. The 2002 effort did… Continue reading Ken Betwa Project shows why River Linking is non starter

Interlinking of RIvers · Ken River

Ken Betwa project will harm & not help Bundelkhand

People of Bundelkhand certainly need better water access and management as claimed in the Media Briefing Note on the occasion of Union Cabinet clearing the project on Dec 8, 2021. But the Ken Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is not for Bundelkhand, of Bundelkhand or by Bundelkhand. The project will bring unbelievably huge adverse impacts for… Continue reading Ken Betwa project will harm & not help Bundelkhand

DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 11 April 2022: Ken Betwa Affected people protest land acquisition

In absence of the clearances, the land acquisition should not even be started if there is any place for prudent norms in such projects. It would be best if the government stops the process and starts it only if and when it gets all the clearances and after taking all the concerned into confidence through a prudent confidence inspiring process.

Ken Betwa Project

MoEF’s FAC declines clearance to Bunder mine in Ken Catchment

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) meeting held on March 31, 2022, in an important decision[i], has declined to clear a “destructive” diamond mining proposal in the catchment of Ken Betwa Project in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The High Court has already stayed the mining proposal. The FAC has… Continue reading MoEF’s FAC declines clearance to Bunder mine in Ken Catchment

DRP News Bulletin

DRP NB 25 April 2022: Bad news for dams: Vyasi, Renuka, Parbati, Betwa, Ken Betwa, Ganga waterways, Hydropower false climate solutions…

It may be good idea to take a pause on these big dams, hydropower projects and other river affecting projects and rather take stoke of the way we are governing our rivers and these projects?

Ken River

The Natural Water Systems that Make Ken a Living River

An important lesson learned from the walk is that while manmade water extracting schemes of tube wells, stop dams, lift irrigation, dam projects are struggling to deliver intended objectives apart from impacting the river eco-system adversely; the natural dams (Dahar), water pools (Dabra, Dabri) and groundwater hydrology in the form of springs (Jhira, Jhina) are keeping the river alive. But for past many years, the existence of the natural heritage is under constant threats on account of built and proposed dams, water extracting schemes, increasing sand mining, etc.

Ken River

केन नदी को जीवित रखते, झीरा, झीना, डबरा, डबरी, दहार

पदयात्रा के अवलोकन से समझ आया कि क्यां (केन) ज्यादातर जगह अभी बारामास बहने वाली अवरिल नदी नहीं है। यह कहना मुश्किल है कि ऐसी स्थिति कब से है। फिर भी नदी के कुछ आरंभिक और अधिकांश मध्यम एवं निचले भागों में खूब पानी दिखता है। जिसका मुख्य श्रेय नदी की भौगोलिक स्थिति के कारण बने दहार, डबरा, डबरी जैसी प्राकृतिक संरचनाओं और झीरा, झीना आदि के रूप में नदी में मिलने वाले भूजल स्रोतों को जाता है। साथ में कुछ सहायक नदियाँ भी क्यां में जलापूर्ति करती हैं। काफी जगहों पर नदी सूखी है, जलकुण्डों के पानी में ठहराव अधिक और बहाव कम दिखा।

Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 060324: Linking Plans Threatening Yamuna

The Parbati Kalisindh Chambal river linking project has potential to deprive these rivers and ultimately Yamuna of essential environmental flows in lower segment in addition to increasing disaster potential and profound adverse impacts on riverine eco-system as suggested in a latest study. The study mentions that the alteration and reduction in flow patterns would cause many problems in these rivers from destruction of aquatic lives to increase in river water temperature, pollution accumulation and erosion to changes in sediment transportation to impact on river morphology. As a solution the study suggest mandatory incorporation of e-flows as basic component in water management strategies of the project.

It is far better to exhaust all local alternatives and ensure that adversely affected riverine communities and others are able to take democratic and informed decision before embarking on massive project which in the long run would prove detrimental to still living and flowing Yamuna basin rivers in lower segments

Sand Mining

2022: Riverbed Mining Destroying Indian River Eco-system & Freshwater Species

In absence of credible impact assessments, accountable governance systems, transparent monitoring mechanism; the riverbed miners and mafias have been raging havoc on river eco-system and fresh water species in India.
The habitats of endangered gharials, turtels in Chambal; gharials in Mahanadi; Mahseer fish, turtles in Narmada; gangetic dolphins in Brahmaputra rivers; Smooth-coated otters in Cauvery rivers and fish, water birds in Yamuna and Jhelum rivers have faced destruction round the year.
The illegal, mechanized riverbed mining have been found destroying the hydrological functions of Yamuna, Ken, Betwa, Sone, Ganga rivers in north and central parts of country and Godavari, Thenpennaiar, Phalguni, Pamba rivers in southern region.