India's Mega Projects: How Hirakud Dam Became The World's Longest Dam?

The Hirakud Dam, built across the Mahanadi River, is the longest in the world, with a length of 4.8 km. It was one of the first initial projects that an independent India undertook. The first Prime Minister of the country, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, put the first piece of concrete of the dam on April 12, 1948. For adequate supervision, Mazumdar Committee was appointed to check the technical soundness and the feasibility of the project, which cost more than US$ 1 Billion in ancient times. Initially, the Committee had pegged the cost at nearly ₹94 crores and predicted the dam's completion by June 1955.[Readmore]

As told to Parliament (December 13, 2021): Sea level along Indian coast rising at 1.7 mm/year

The sea level along the Indian coast was rising at about 1.7 millimetres per year according to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services.

Shoreline change including erosion and sea level rise were slow phenomena and manifesting globally, Ashwini Kr Choubey, minister of state in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change told the Lok Sabha December 13, 2021.

Ambient air quality data

Ambient air quality data in 96 cities showed a decreasing trend of PM10 whereas 36 cities showed an increasing trend of PM10 concentration in 2020-2021, as compared to 2019-2020.

Eighteen cities were found to be within the prescribed National Ambient Air Quality Standard (PM10 less than 60 µg / m3) in 2019-20 which has increased to 27 in 2020-21.[Readmore]

PM Modi to lay foundation of Rs 6,700-crore dam in Himachal Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be laying the foundation of the Rs 6,700-crore Renukaji Dam project from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi town today.

The project on the Giri river in Sirmaur district, once completed, is expected to generate 200 million units of energy in a surface power house with 40 MW installed capacity which would be utilized by the state.[Readmore]

Supreme Court to hear pleas pertaining to Mullaperiyar dam’s safety today

The Kerala government had earlier moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to Tamil Nadu to not release a huge quantity of water in the wee hours from the spillway shutters of the century-old dam, saying it causes heavy damage to people living downstream.

The Supreme Court is set to hear on Wednesday a string of petitions which have raised safety concerns regarding the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, a broiling operational dispute between the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

A bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar had last Friday adjourned the hearing to December 15 after senior advocate Shekhar Naphade informed the top court that the Tamil Nadu government will be requiring more time to file its reply to the fresh objections raised by Kerala.[Readmore]

Union Minister Pralhad Singh Patel Reviews Work At National Water Academy and Central Water and Power Research Station at Khadakvasla

Pune, 24 December 2021: Union Minister of State for Water and Food Processing Pralhad Singh Patel is on a two-day visit to Maharashtra. On the second day of the tour today, Patel visited the Satara Mega Food Park and inspected the ongoing works over there. This food park has not yet started at full capacity. The Minister assured to try and remove the problems related to this project. “Cold storage facilities should be made available in this food park”, he added.

Patel also visited Apshinge village of Satara Taluka and Gutalwadi village in Khandala Taluka of Satara district and inspected various works carried out under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to supply safe and adequate drinking water to households. The Minister appreciated the waste recycling process adopted by the villagers of Gutalwadi.[Readmore]

Uppada coast continues to face erosion threat

Research body recommends erecting 5 km sea wall

Erosion on the Uppada coast in East Godavari district has been a major concern for a long time, and continues to be a threat to the vegetation and the fisherfolk habitat.

A decade ago, a geo-tube was installed along the 1.5 km coastline to prevent erosion. However, hit by repeated cyclones and high tidal waves, the geo-tube has mostly been destroyed. As a result, erosion has eaten up several houses, roads and acres of soil of the fisherfolk habitat. It did not even spare a temple that once stood on the beach.

The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS-Pune) has recommended erecting a five-km sea wall with five-layer geo material to arrest the erosion that is at its peak now. The ₹176 crore proposal is now under the consideration of the State government, according to sources. [Readmore]

Thottappally harbour to be upgraded to global standards

‘₹112-cr. for new breakwater on north, longer structure on south’

The State Government is planning to upgrade the Thottappally fishing harbour on a par with international standards, Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian has said.

Replying to a submission by Ambalappuzha MLA H. Salam in the Assembly on Thursday, Mr. Cherian said the department was preparing an estimate of ₹112 crore for constructing a 436-m breakwater on the northern side and increasing the length of the breakwater on the southern side, among other works.

The first phase of the harbour was completed in 2011. However, the harbour remains almost dysfunctional due to heavy silting in the harbour basin, which makes navigation an arduous task. The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, which conducted a study, recommended increasing the length of the breakwater on the southern side and construction of a new breakwater on the northern side to prevent the accumulation of silt.[Readmore]