Tehri dam nears danger mark

News this week - Tehri dam nears danger mark, Supreme Court stops dams in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra allows coal mining near rivers

Tehri dam in lean season

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Updated on:

18 Aug 2013, 9:03 pm

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Water level in Tehri dam near danger mark

The water level in the Tehri dam has been constantly rising this month, putting downstream cities like Haridwar and Rishikesh at a risk of flooding. This flails the Uttarakhand government's claims that the dam saved downstream cities from flooding in June when floods ravaged the state. 50 villages above Tehri dam have been completely cut off and a high alert has been issued in villages along the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar, Pauri and Tehri districts. The last time the dam reached its full capacity level was in 2010.

No more dams in Uttarakhand: SC

The Supreme Court has told the Ministry of Environment and Forests not to approve any more hydropower projects in Uttarakhand. The apex court has also asked the Ministry to set up a committee to examine if the existing or under-construction hydropower projects have contributed to environment degradation in the Himalayan state. It has also asked if there was a link between these projects and the damage caused by the recent floods in which hundreds of people died. Civil Society groups working against dams in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other states have hailed the SC order.

Maharashtra allows coal mining near rivers

The Maharashtra River Regulatory Zone Committee has relaxed the minimum distance of a coal mine from a river. As per the regulations of 2009, coal could be mined only two kilometres away from the river bank while the distance had to be as much as eight kilometres in case of some rivers. But now, mining can take place even at a distance of 250 metres from the river which will not just pollute the river, but also put mines at a risk of flooding in monsoon.

Sand miners flood the river bank to hide crime

The banks of the Yamuna were found flooded with water when a committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests visited Greater Noida in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. They were there to inspect the status of mining along the river following an uproar over the suspension of an IAS officer for taking action against sand mining mafia. A report submitted by the panel states that miners had just stopped extracting sand when the team visited the area.

Drought in Bihar

Bihar had a rainfall deficit of 27 per cent this year as compared to normal though the state government has not declared it drought hit yet. Seven districts showed a 60 to 81 per cent deficit and 24 districts had 20-59 per cent less rainfall. The government has doled out relief measures like diesel subsidy and water efficient seeds. Rs 784.50 crores have been sanctioned for relief measures.

This is a roundup of important news from August 12-18, 2013

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