Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (September 26, 2019)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

CWPRS to submit report on flood in Ghaggar basin

The Supreme Court (SC) on September 23, 2019 directed Haryana and Punjab to provide information required by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune that would help in expediting the enquiry pertaining to the mitigation of the flood problem in the Ghaggar basin.

The inquiry was supposed to be completed and subsequent report filed by the first week of July 2019.

The apex court directed that the investigation should be completed by December 31, 2019, so that a report could be submitted immediately thereafter.

Fish drying pollutes Madh Island

An application alleging use of foreshore land for drying fish in Erangal village of Madh Island, Mumbai came up before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).[Readmore]

GRMB seeks DPRs from AP, Telangana by June 10

Hyderabad: The chairman of Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) J Chandrashekhar Iyer on Friday directed both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to submit Detailed Project Reports (DPR) of all the projects they have taken up on River Godavari by June 10. The Board sought the reports of nine projects taken up by Telangana including enhancement of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) as alleged by the AP government.

The Board also wanted the sibling States to submit agenda points for the forthcoming Apex Council meeting to be chaired by Jal Shakthi Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in which the Chief Ministers of the two States will also participate. [Readmore]

₹176-crore plan on the anvil to check coastal erosion

Research station in Pune offers geo solution to problem

The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, has offered a geo solution of raising a six-meter seawall along the five km of Uppada coast.

The Department of Transport, Roads and Buildings has submitted ₹176-crore proposal to the State government to build a seawall with a five-layer geo material for the protection of the Uppada coast from erosion.

A plan has been chalked out to prevent the coastal erosion, after the 1,463-meter length of geo-tube installed in 2010 was completely broken due to tidal waves and erosion during the two cyclones - Vardah (2016) and Fani (2019).

P. D. Vijaya Kumar, Superintendent Engineer, Department of Transport, Roads and Buildings (DTRB-East Godavari district), told The Hindu that the CWPRS experts have recommended use of the geo equipment that costs ₹176 crore to build a wall along the coastline at Uppada to prevent soil erosion. In early June, the proposal was submitted to the State government.[Readmore]

Maharashtra: Earthquake of 3.1 magnitude recorded near Koyna dam

An earthquake of 3.1 magnitude with epicentre near Koyna dam in Maharashtra's Satara district was recorded on Saturday morning, officials said. 

An earthquake of 3.1 magnitude with epicentre near Koyna dam in Maharashtra's Satara district was recorded on Saturday morning, officials said. No loss of life or property was reported, they said.

The earthquake was recorded at 10.22 am. Its epicentre was 13.60 kms from the Koyna dam, officials of Satara district administration said. [Readmore]

India’s reservoirs now have 155% more water than last yr

Live storage in 123 reservoirs is at 66.372 billion cubic metres (BCM) or 39 per cent of total live storage capacity

Storage in several of the country’s reservoirs has steadily increased. There is 155 per cent more water than in 2019 and 119 per cent more than average storage in the dams in the past 10 years, as rains continue to lashparts of the country.

Data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) July 23, 2020 — which monitored from 123 reservoirs — said live storage available in the reservoirs was at 66.372 billion cubic metres (BCM) or 39 per cent of total live storage capacity.

This increased from 32 per cent recorded on July 2, 34 per cent recorded on July 9 and 36 per cent recorded on July 16. Live storage in reservoirs was 42.826 BCM in the corresponding period last year.

Of the 123 reservoirs, 92 reported more than 80 per cent normal storage. [Readmore]

Nod for ₹240-crore works for improvement of dams

Works to be carried out on 16 dams, barrages and regulators under DRIP phase-II

The State government has given in-principle approval for carrying out works to the tune of ₹240 crore in Phase II of the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) on dams under the Irrigation Department.

The WB-aided project is aimed at enhancing the safety and operational performance of selected dams. Last year, the department had listed 16 dams, barrages and regulators managed by it for DRIP Phase II.

According to a proposal submitted by the department, ₹181 crore will be spent on rehabilitation and management planning for dams and associated appurtenances. A sum of ₹42 crore will cover institutional strengthening activities. A sum of ₹2 crore will cover project management activities.

DRIP II will cover 14 dams on which work had been started under the ongoing DRIP Phase I, besides the Pothundi and Maniyar dams.[Readmore]

Pakistan: China-backed hydropower projects irk locals, environmentalists

The public's growing dissatisfaction has triggered mass protests and destruction of public property time and again. Still, the problem is expected to worsen in the coming years as the mismatch between energy supply and demand in the country is projected to widen.

Prime Minister Imran Khan last week vowed to build the “biggest dam in Pakistan’s history” after he inaugurated the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. He said the project will benefit the people living in the area. “The decision to build this dam was taken 50 years ago. There can be no better site for constructing a dam; it is a natural dam,” the premier said. [Readmore]