Afghanistan signs $160 million renewable energy deal with US, Turkey and India

Solar and wind power projects will be developed in Kabul, Balkh and Herat provinces

Afghanistan imports 1,200 megawatts of energy from Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

KABUL: Solar photovoltaic and wind power projects signed by Afghanistan under a $160 million international deal on Wednesday evening will add 110 megawatts to the country’s grid in the next 16 months, officials said.

The projects will be developed in Kabul, Balkh and Herat by a local company with partners from Turkey, India and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).[Readmore]

Sixty Years of the Indus Waters Treaty and How It Survived Many a Fraught Moment

A little over 60 years ago, on September 19, 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed between India and Pakistan to share waters from the Indus rivers system (IRS).

After years of negotiations between representatives from India and Pakistan, which were mediated by the World Bank, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru went to Karachi, the then capital of Pakistan to sign the Indus Waters Treaty along with the Pakistani head of state, General Ayub Khan. The vice president of the World Bank, W.A.B. Iliff also signed the document.[Readmore]

World Rivers Day: Some Amazing Facts on the Mighty Streams Flowing Across India

Every year, September 27 is marked as the World Rivers Day in order to raise awareness and promote conservation of the rivers around the world. The day also emphasises the need to focus on the health of the rivers, as they are the greatest sources of freshwater on the planet.

India is a land of nine great rivers, which serve as lifelines for billions of people. Among all, the Ganga is one of the largest flowing rivers in the country, while the other mighty rivers include the Godavari, Krishna, Brahmaputra, and Indus.[Readmore]

Jaipur’s Ramgarh Dam issue raised in the Parliament

New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) Expressing her concern over the plight of Ramgarh Dam during Zero Hour in the Parliament, MP Diya Kumari said that the Ramgarh Dam which was recognised as the only source of drinking water in Jaipur and the surrounding area has dried up.

There was a time when the dam had 64-feet of water and in 1982, the rowing events of the Asian Games also happened here. But after this, due to the negligence of the administration, the number of encroachments started to increase in the catchment area of the dam and the water stopped coming in. Today the situation is such, that there is not even a single drop of water here, she said on Wednesday.[Readmore]

C''garh dam breach destroys crops on 50 hectares, 2 suspended

Korba, Sep 25 (PTI) Crops on 50 hectares of land were destroyed in Chhattisgarh''s Koriya district after a dam breach flooded the area, prompting the state government to suspend two water resources department personnel, officials said on Friday.

There were no reports of loss of life in the damage caused to a portion of Khada Reservoir, built in Baikunthpur, in 1978, an official said..

"The incident happened on Wednesday morning. Crops on 50 hectares in three villages were destroyed after a flood- like situation was created," an official said.

Koriya Collector SN Rathore said the incident was a result of negligence on the part of the water resources department and a three member probe committee had been set up. [Readmore]

Water-flow in Stanley Reservoir of Coimbatore reaches 100 feet

With the onset of rains, dams are getting filled up in southern India. “The water level has reached 100 feet as against its full reservoir capacity of 120 feet exactly at 12 noon,” said PWD officials. The inflow of water was at 35,000 cusecs and the discharge was affirmed at 20,000 cusecs for delta irrigation, while the discharge through canals was 850 cusecs on Friday morning. The dam’s water level, which reached at 89.77 feet on September 21, rose up to reach 100 feet within the last four days following heavy discharge from Karnataka.[Readmore]

CWC revises rule curve of hydel damsIDUKKI: 

The central water commission has revised the rule curve of hydel dams in the state. The shutter gates of the Idukki reservoir will be opened when the water level reaches 2,373ft on June 10. It was 2,339.7ft on Friday. According to a KSEB official, the CWC decreased the rule curve while considering the chances of flood. A blue alert will be issued four feet below the rule level(2,369ft) and an orange alert will be issued 2ft below the rule level (2,371ft) and the red alert will be issued 1ft below the rule level, the official said KSEB will also conduct a trial run of the sirens at the Cheruthoni dam on June 2 and 3 . [Readmore]