CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has taken up a project under the Economic Stimulus Package to provide 100 per cent coverage of water supply and sewerage facilities in 14 towns, an official spokesman said here on Monday.
The towns are Ambala City, Assandh, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Hansi, Kalayat, Kaithal, Mahendergarh, Narnaul, Sirsa, Ellenabad, Tohana and Uchana. He further disclosed that Rs. 250 crore had been provided for implementation of the project during the current financial year and efforts are on to provide an adequate supply of safe drinking water in the problem area of Mewat.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Ensure adequate drinking water for Delhi: Court (Hindu 12 August 2010)
New Delhi: Reminding the obligations of a welfare state, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of the various agencies concerned to chalk out a plan to ensure adequate and safe drinking water supply in the Capital.
A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan passed the direction on a public interest litigation by an advocate submitting that the Delhi Jal Board had failed to supply adequate drinking water in the Shahdara area of East Delhi. The Bench directed the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting within a fortnight of the officials of the Delhi Jal Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Development Authority and Delhi Cantonment Board to chalk out a comprehensive plan to resolve the problem.
The Bench also pulled up the Jal Board for not co-ordinating with the MCD to deal with erratic supply of drinking water.
A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan passed the direction on a public interest litigation by an advocate submitting that the Delhi Jal Board had failed to supply adequate drinking water in the Shahdara area of East Delhi. The Bench directed the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting within a fortnight of the officials of the Delhi Jal Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Development Authority and Delhi Cantonment Board to chalk out a comprehensive plan to resolve the problem.
The Bench also pulled up the Jal Board for not co-ordinating with the MCD to deal with erratic supply of drinking water.
Where water is polluted and the people are sick (Hindustan Times 13 August 2010)
A resident of Nevada village shouw the stagnant water near their village. The water is full of affluent discharged from industrial units in Baghpat.
A villager shows his palms which have visible signs of skin disease. He said the contaminated underground water is the reason.
During our previous surveys in the area there were some problems reported about the quality of water here (Ghaziabad CMO)
We have no option. Either we consume this water or purchase packaged water, which is beyond our means. (Rajbir Singh)
Ghaziabad: "Mujhe Zeher de do (Give me poison)," cried 70-year-old Sita Devi, a resident of Loni's Lutfullapur Navada village, 30 km from Ghaziabad.
She said she can't bear to look at her skin, which has developed rashes and itches all the time. She also complained about discolouration of her skin.
Navada village, with over 250 households, lies adjacent to a huge drain that carries water from industrial and dying units at Khekra area of Baghpat district in Western Uttar Pradesh.
Residents claimed the contaminated water from the drain gets mixed in the ground water in the area and has, over the years, caused various skin diseases.
The villagers, whose only source of consumable water is hand pumps, said the water in the drain adjoining their village has been stagnant for many years, claiming that this polluted water is contaminating their groundwater.
Regional Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) in-charge T.U. Khan said a survey was conducted in the area some time ago and four deep bored hand pumps were installed for the residents.
"The shallow hand pumps used by the residents had traces of colours during the sampling surveys. So the authorities have installed four deep bored hand pumps," Khan said.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Ghaziabad CMO A.K. Dhawan said, "During our previous surveys, there were some problems reported about the quality of water.
" Another resident, Kuldeep Tyagi, said, "This water emits foul smell, is different in colour and is unfit for drinking. Even after many representations to the administration officials, there has been no permanent solution to this problem."
"We have no option. Either we consume this water or purchase packaged water, which is beyond our means. Safe drinking water is a distant reality for us," said Rajbir Singh, who has developed skin disease along with his eight-year-old son Sonu.
Not just people, animals have also not been spared. Bima Jeet said he purchased seven buffaloes some months ago and they were fed the same water which the humans consume.
"None of the buffaloes have borne any calves and some even got aborted," he claimed.
UPPCB officials and Ghaziabad Additional District Magistrate (ADM-City) S.K. Srivastava said they were unable to control the inflow of water as the matter relates to a different district and the development agency, UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), should work out a plan to dispose of the stagnated water.
UPSIDC Regional Manager R.K. Chauhan said their officials were concerned with the stagnant water in the area and pursued their seniors at Kanpur who have now sanctioned Rs 12 crore to dispose off the water from the area.
"It is a heavy investment which we have to bear just because Baghpat authorities could not make proper arrangements for industrial water disposal," Chauhan told Hindustan Times.
As part of the safe disposal of the stagnant water from Navada, UPSIDC now intends to construct 5.5 km pipeline network, which would take the drain water to an effluent treatment plant near April Park area adjacent to Delhi-Saharanpur road.
The project would take another 3-4 months to get completed, Chauhan added.
Till then the residents of Nevada will have to wait in hope that one day they would be able to have safe and contamination-free water.
A villager shows his palms which have visible signs of skin disease. He said the contaminated underground water is the reason.
During our previous surveys in the area there were some problems reported about the quality of water here (Ghaziabad CMO)
We have no option. Either we consume this water or purchase packaged water, which is beyond our means. (Rajbir Singh)
Ghaziabad: "Mujhe Zeher de do (Give me poison)," cried 70-year-old Sita Devi, a resident of Loni's Lutfullapur Navada village, 30 km from Ghaziabad.
She said she can't bear to look at her skin, which has developed rashes and itches all the time. She also complained about discolouration of her skin.
Navada village, with over 250 households, lies adjacent to a huge drain that carries water from industrial and dying units at Khekra area of Baghpat district in Western Uttar Pradesh.
Residents claimed the contaminated water from the drain gets mixed in the ground water in the area and has, over the years, caused various skin diseases.
The villagers, whose only source of consumable water is hand pumps, said the water in the drain adjoining their village has been stagnant for many years, claiming that this polluted water is contaminating their groundwater.
Regional Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) in-charge T.U. Khan said a survey was conducted in the area some time ago and four deep bored hand pumps were installed for the residents.
"The shallow hand pumps used by the residents had traces of colours during the sampling surveys. So the authorities have installed four deep bored hand pumps," Khan said.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Ghaziabad CMO A.K. Dhawan said, "During our previous surveys, there were some problems reported about the quality of water.
" Another resident, Kuldeep Tyagi, said, "This water emits foul smell, is different in colour and is unfit for drinking. Even after many representations to the administration officials, there has been no permanent solution to this problem."
"We have no option. Either we consume this water or purchase packaged water, which is beyond our means. Safe drinking water is a distant reality for us," said Rajbir Singh, who has developed skin disease along with his eight-year-old son Sonu.
Not just people, animals have also not been spared. Bima Jeet said he purchased seven buffaloes some months ago and they were fed the same water which the humans consume.
"None of the buffaloes have borne any calves and some even got aborted," he claimed.
UPPCB officials and Ghaziabad Additional District Magistrate (ADM-City) S.K. Srivastava said they were unable to control the inflow of water as the matter relates to a different district and the development agency, UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), should work out a plan to dispose of the stagnated water.
UPSIDC Regional Manager R.K. Chauhan said their officials were concerned with the stagnant water in the area and pursued their seniors at Kanpur who have now sanctioned Rs 12 crore to dispose off the water from the area.
"It is a heavy investment which we have to bear just because Baghpat authorities could not make proper arrangements for industrial water disposal," Chauhan told Hindustan Times.
As part of the safe disposal of the stagnant water from Navada, UPSIDC now intends to construct 5.5 km pipeline network, which would take the drain water to an effluent treatment plant near April Park area adjacent to Delhi-Saharanpur road.
The project would take another 3-4 months to get completed, Chauhan added.
Till then the residents of Nevada will have to wait in hope that one day they would be able to have safe and contamination-free water.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Water through Pakistani eyes (Hindu 6 August 2010)
“India is stealing Pakistan's water” has become a familiar cry at the popular level, echoed in the media, picked up by the jihadists, and acquiesced in at the official and expert levels through silence in Pakistan.
Writing in these pages some time ago (March 3, 2010), this writer had expressed the apprehension that perceptions of Indian wrongdoing on water might become widespread in Pakistan and might affect India–Pakistan relations even at the people-to-people level. That is no longer an apprehension; it is a reality. This is a very disturbing development that needs to be understood in India and responded to appropriately. This article will try to set forth the Pakistani perceptions for the information of the general public in this country.
The first point to note is that in Pakistan, as in India, there is a sense of an imminent (or already present) water crisis. The per capita availability of water is said to have declined; groundwater is said to be under stress through over-exploitation; river flows are reported to be diminishing, and some rivers to be so polluted as to be no more than sewers; and water supply in cities is reportedly intermittent and unreliable. All this is very familiar to us in India. Whether the crisis in Pakistan can be averted or minimised through better management is an internal matter for the people of Pakistan to consider. However, the perception of a crisis tends to lead to the attribution of that crisis to Indian wrongdoing. “India is stealing Pakistan's water” has become a familiar cry at the popular level, echoed in the media, picked up by the jihadists, and acquiesced in at the official and expert levels through silence (or even aggravated by official statements). This is a new development. Until recently, there were criticisms of particular Indian projects on the western rivers as not compliant with the Treaty, but no accusations of ‘water theft' by India.
Accepting that Pakistan faces a water crisis, how is the connection to India established? The answer is that some studies reportedly indicate a reduction in the flows in the western rivers, and it seems to be readily assumed that if the flows show a reduction, the upper riparian must have reduced them. India would say that this is a non sequitur, and that if there are reductions in flows, they cannot forthwith be attributed to Indian action. It is clear that both the fact (and extent) of reduced flows and the factors responsible need to be studied.
The second point to note is that Pakistan continues to be uneasy about Indian projects on the western rivers despite the many stringent safeguards provided by the Treaty to protect Pakistan against certain perceived dangers. What answer can India give to that continuing uneasiness, except a request to look at the provisions of the Treaty? Pakistan could have been totally free of anxiety if the Treaty had given it the exclusive use of the western rivers with no provision whatever for even limited use by India; but such a Treaty might not have been signed by India. What both sides agreed to and signed was the Treaty in its present form; and what both sides can do now is to abide scrupulously by the provisions of the Treaty. Unfortunately, the combination of permissive and restrictive provisions in the Treaty, and the density of technical detail in it, make for an adversarial situation in the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), leading to a constant tug of war, instead of what is desirable, namely, a spirit of constructive cooperation. As for members of civil society, the media and academia in either country, they tend to be guided by whatever officialdom says, because they have no other sources of information.
The third important component in Pakistan's anxiety, whether at the official level or at the level of civil society, is the worry caused by the number of projects that India is planning on the western rivers. Pakistan is apprehensive that even with strict compliance with the provisions of the Treaty in each case, India might, taking all the projects together, acquire a measure of control over the waters of the western rivers and might potentially be able to inflict harm on Pakistan. (A military variant of this view is that with the assistance of such structures India will be able to use water as a weapon of war.)
Two questions arise here: the number of projects that India is planning, and their cumulative potential for harm to the lower riparian. Some Pakistani writings talk about a hundred projects. There seems to be no basis for that number. It appears that India might have in mind some thirty projects or so. It is not clear whether all those projects will in fact be undertaken, but assuming that they are, it is necessary to consider whether all of them will together give India a greater degree of control; enable large storage; make it possible for India to withhold water from Pakistan, or release stored waters and flood Pakistan. The Indian answer would be that most of these will be small projects; that all these are run-of-the-river projects; that given the restrictive provisions of the Treaty, there is hardly any scope either for the retention of waters to the detriment of the lower riparian or for flooding the lower riparian; and that assuming that India wants to harm Pakistan it can do so only by openly violating the Treaty and by first harming itself, its own people, and its own projects (built at great cost).
Having taken note of both Pakistani and Indian views on this question, one would still suggest that the hypothetical fear of ‘cumulative impact' needs to be looked at. Quite apart from Pakistan's worries (real or imaginary), there is room for some concern even from the Indian point of view: by building such a large number of projects on these rivers what are we doing to the river system as a whole and to the ecological system of which they are a part? Perhaps this too is an imaginary fear, but it seems desirable to look at this carefully before dismissing it.
As evidence of possible harm, Pakistan might mention two cases: the initial filling of the Baglihar reservoir, and the planned diversion of Kishenganga waters. The first was a very minor and relatively innocuous matter which was blown up into a huge controversy. One has written about this elsewhere. In any case, the issue has been closed at the last meeting of the PIC. The Kishenganga diversion, which Pakistan considers to be a violation of the Treaty and India holds to be specifically permitted by the Treaty, is going to the Court of Arbitration, and need not be discussed here.
In the light of the foregoing, what needs to be done? This writer has some suggestions: (i) a joint study needs to be made of the fact and extent of reductions in flows in the western rivers and the factors responsible; (ii) whenever the Treaty prescribes an operational condition (as in relation to the initial filling of Baglihar), there should be institutional arrangements for the joint monitoring of compliance at the relevant point (there are none in the Baglihar case); (iii) the working of the Permanent Indus Commission should change from a spirit of tug of war to one of constructive cooperation (but unfortunately this is a function of the political relations between the two countries); (iv) there should be a review of the totality of the planned projects on the western rivers from the ecological perspective as well as from that of Pakistani apprehensions; (v) in both countries, the media, academia and civil society should refrain from echoing official positions and should examine matters independently; and (vi) to facilitate this, all data and information regarding the working of the Treaty should be in the public domain. Going beyond those specifics, it is necessary to take note of and allay what has been called the “visceral lower riparian anxiety,” but is that feasible in an ambience of distrust and hostility (again visceral) often sedulously fostered by official disinformation?
(The writer is a former Union Secretary for Water Resources.)
Writing in these pages some time ago (March 3, 2010), this writer had expressed the apprehension that perceptions of Indian wrongdoing on water might become widespread in Pakistan and might affect India–Pakistan relations even at the people-to-people level. That is no longer an apprehension; it is a reality. This is a very disturbing development that needs to be understood in India and responded to appropriately. This article will try to set forth the Pakistani perceptions for the information of the general public in this country.
The first point to note is that in Pakistan, as in India, there is a sense of an imminent (or already present) water crisis. The per capita availability of water is said to have declined; groundwater is said to be under stress through over-exploitation; river flows are reported to be diminishing, and some rivers to be so polluted as to be no more than sewers; and water supply in cities is reportedly intermittent and unreliable. All this is very familiar to us in India. Whether the crisis in Pakistan can be averted or minimised through better management is an internal matter for the people of Pakistan to consider. However, the perception of a crisis tends to lead to the attribution of that crisis to Indian wrongdoing. “India is stealing Pakistan's water” has become a familiar cry at the popular level, echoed in the media, picked up by the jihadists, and acquiesced in at the official and expert levels through silence (or even aggravated by official statements). This is a new development. Until recently, there were criticisms of particular Indian projects on the western rivers as not compliant with the Treaty, but no accusations of ‘water theft' by India.
Accepting that Pakistan faces a water crisis, how is the connection to India established? The answer is that some studies reportedly indicate a reduction in the flows in the western rivers, and it seems to be readily assumed that if the flows show a reduction, the upper riparian must have reduced them. India would say that this is a non sequitur, and that if there are reductions in flows, they cannot forthwith be attributed to Indian action. It is clear that both the fact (and extent) of reduced flows and the factors responsible need to be studied.
The second point to note is that Pakistan continues to be uneasy about Indian projects on the western rivers despite the many stringent safeguards provided by the Treaty to protect Pakistan against certain perceived dangers. What answer can India give to that continuing uneasiness, except a request to look at the provisions of the Treaty? Pakistan could have been totally free of anxiety if the Treaty had given it the exclusive use of the western rivers with no provision whatever for even limited use by India; but such a Treaty might not have been signed by India. What both sides agreed to and signed was the Treaty in its present form; and what both sides can do now is to abide scrupulously by the provisions of the Treaty. Unfortunately, the combination of permissive and restrictive provisions in the Treaty, and the density of technical detail in it, make for an adversarial situation in the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), leading to a constant tug of war, instead of what is desirable, namely, a spirit of constructive cooperation. As for members of civil society, the media and academia in either country, they tend to be guided by whatever officialdom says, because they have no other sources of information.
The third important component in Pakistan's anxiety, whether at the official level or at the level of civil society, is the worry caused by the number of projects that India is planning on the western rivers. Pakistan is apprehensive that even with strict compliance with the provisions of the Treaty in each case, India might, taking all the projects together, acquire a measure of control over the waters of the western rivers and might potentially be able to inflict harm on Pakistan. (A military variant of this view is that with the assistance of such structures India will be able to use water as a weapon of war.)
Two questions arise here: the number of projects that India is planning, and their cumulative potential for harm to the lower riparian. Some Pakistani writings talk about a hundred projects. There seems to be no basis for that number. It appears that India might have in mind some thirty projects or so. It is not clear whether all those projects will in fact be undertaken, but assuming that they are, it is necessary to consider whether all of them will together give India a greater degree of control; enable large storage; make it possible for India to withhold water from Pakistan, or release stored waters and flood Pakistan. The Indian answer would be that most of these will be small projects; that all these are run-of-the-river projects; that given the restrictive provisions of the Treaty, there is hardly any scope either for the retention of waters to the detriment of the lower riparian or for flooding the lower riparian; and that assuming that India wants to harm Pakistan it can do so only by openly violating the Treaty and by first harming itself, its own people, and its own projects (built at great cost).
Having taken note of both Pakistani and Indian views on this question, one would still suggest that the hypothetical fear of ‘cumulative impact' needs to be looked at. Quite apart from Pakistan's worries (real or imaginary), there is room for some concern even from the Indian point of view: by building such a large number of projects on these rivers what are we doing to the river system as a whole and to the ecological system of which they are a part? Perhaps this too is an imaginary fear, but it seems desirable to look at this carefully before dismissing it.
As evidence of possible harm, Pakistan might mention two cases: the initial filling of the Baglihar reservoir, and the planned diversion of Kishenganga waters. The first was a very minor and relatively innocuous matter which was blown up into a huge controversy. One has written about this elsewhere. In any case, the issue has been closed at the last meeting of the PIC. The Kishenganga diversion, which Pakistan considers to be a violation of the Treaty and India holds to be specifically permitted by the Treaty, is going to the Court of Arbitration, and need not be discussed here.
In the light of the foregoing, what needs to be done? This writer has some suggestions: (i) a joint study needs to be made of the fact and extent of reductions in flows in the western rivers and the factors responsible; (ii) whenever the Treaty prescribes an operational condition (as in relation to the initial filling of Baglihar), there should be institutional arrangements for the joint monitoring of compliance at the relevant point (there are none in the Baglihar case); (iii) the working of the Permanent Indus Commission should change from a spirit of tug of war to one of constructive cooperation (but unfortunately this is a function of the political relations between the two countries); (iv) there should be a review of the totality of the planned projects on the western rivers from the ecological perspective as well as from that of Pakistani apprehensions; (v) in both countries, the media, academia and civil society should refrain from echoing official positions and should examine matters independently; and (vi) to facilitate this, all data and information regarding the working of the Treaty should be in the public domain. Going beyond those specifics, it is necessary to take note of and allay what has been called the “visceral lower riparian anxiety,” but is that feasible in an ambience of distrust and hostility (again visceral) often sedulously fostered by official disinformation?
(The writer is a former Union Secretary for Water Resources.)
Protest against go-ahead to dam on the Ganga (Hindu 03 August 2010)
‘ Satyagrahis' demand a public audit of the Loharinag-Pala project
‘No dam on the Ganga':Manushi Sangathan founder Madhu Kishwar (centre) and noted Supreme Court lawyer Major-General (Retd.) Lakhwinder Singh (right) with members of Ganga Jalbiradari during a protest in New Delhi on Monday.
NEW DELHI: Protesting against the Central Group of Ministers' decision to give the go-ahead for the Loharinag-Pala dam on the Ganga, the Ganga Jalbiradari and the Manushi Sangathan organised a daylong fast and ‘ satyagraha' at Samata Sthal opposite the Gandhi Samadhi here on Monday in solidarity with former IIT-Kanpur professor and Central Pollution Control Board ex-member secretary G. D. Aggarwal's indefinite fast on the issue.
The ‘ satyagraha' participants alleged that the Prime Minister's decision to assign the job to a hand-picked Group of Ministers was “overriding and undermining” the power of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
The “Ganga Satyagrahis” vowed to mobilise Ganga devotees all over the country and demanded a public audit of the Loharinag-Pala project. The protestors said the sanction to the dam project was illegal and in bad faith as the Union Environment Ministry had earlier admitted that the dam did not merit environmental clearance.
A three-member team of experts authorised by the NGRBA had recently submitted an adverse report and recommended decommissioning of the dam, the Ganga Jalbiradari members said.
The protestors further claimed that a team of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in March had submitted a negative report on the cost-benefit ratio, violation of environmental laws, ecological impact of the power project besides gross corruption and mismanagement.
The Ganga Jalbiradari members also alleged that the GoM was appointed by the Prime Minister without the knowledge of nine expert members of the NGRBA. The protestors alleged that the Central Government had violated written and public assurances given earlier that the natural flow of the Ganga would not be interrupted.
The protestors said they would appeal to the MPs to raise the issue with the Government and called on the public to support the indefinite fast undertaken by Prof. Aggarwal.
‘No dam on the Ganga':Manushi Sangathan founder Madhu Kishwar (centre) and noted Supreme Court lawyer Major-General (Retd.) Lakhwinder Singh (right) with members of Ganga Jalbiradari during a protest in New Delhi on Monday.
NEW DELHI: Protesting against the Central Group of Ministers' decision to give the go-ahead for the Loharinag-Pala dam on the Ganga, the Ganga Jalbiradari and the Manushi Sangathan organised a daylong fast and ‘ satyagraha' at Samata Sthal opposite the Gandhi Samadhi here on Monday in solidarity with former IIT-Kanpur professor and Central Pollution Control Board ex-member secretary G. D. Aggarwal's indefinite fast on the issue.
The ‘ satyagraha' participants alleged that the Prime Minister's decision to assign the job to a hand-picked Group of Ministers was “overriding and undermining” the power of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
The “Ganga Satyagrahis” vowed to mobilise Ganga devotees all over the country and demanded a public audit of the Loharinag-Pala project. The protestors said the sanction to the dam project was illegal and in bad faith as the Union Environment Ministry had earlier admitted that the dam did not merit environmental clearance.
A three-member team of experts authorised by the NGRBA had recently submitted an adverse report and recommended decommissioning of the dam, the Ganga Jalbiradari members said.
The protestors further claimed that a team of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in March had submitted a negative report on the cost-benefit ratio, violation of environmental laws, ecological impact of the power project besides gross corruption and mismanagement.
The Ganga Jalbiradari members also alleged that the GoM was appointed by the Prime Minister without the knowledge of nine expert members of the NGRBA. The protestors alleged that the Central Government had violated written and public assurances given earlier that the natural flow of the Ganga would not be interrupted.
The protestors said they would appeal to the MPs to raise the issue with the Government and called on the public to support the indefinite fast undertaken by Prof. Aggarwal.
Haryana ‘blackmailing' Delhi over Munak Canal (Hindu 07 August 2010)
NEW DELHI: The Munak Canal has missed yet another deadline. Delhi's hopes of getting water from the canal before the Commonwealth Game seem bleak as Haryana has thwarted the plans by refusing to complete the construction of the canal and seeking more money. Haryana, which is responsible for the construction of the canal that has so far cost Delhi Rs. 350 crore, has upped its demand for money and asked for an additional Rs.160 crore on account of overruns.
According to Delhi Government sources, only half a kilometre of the canal remains to be completed but Haryana has pulled back from the work demanding immediate release of Rs. 160 crore. The canal was expected to be ready for use by the end of June. “The Delhi Government and the departments concerned have already assured Haryana that whatever money is due to them on account of overruns will be paid. The memorandum of understanding that has been signed between the two States over the construction of the canal clearly mentions that costs escalations will have to be borne. But what they have come up with is a hefty amount and there are concerns that Delhi has conveyed already,” said sources.
With Haryana digging its heels in and refusing to complete the construction work, Delhi has been left in a quandary.
“Delhi wants Haryana to complete the work first and money issues can be solved subsequently. Of the 102 km only 500 metres is left and the work has been dragging on for years. Delhi was banking on the completion of the project ahead of the Commonwealth Games,” the sources said.
Only 20 km of the total of 102 km of the canal fall in Delhi's area, and the portion of the canal that falls in Haryana has already been in use for the past couple of years. “The canal was initially supposed to be ready in 2009, then it got deferred to June 2010. If Haryana were to comply, the canal can get ready before the Games,” the sources said.
Delhi is already engaged in hectic parleying with Haryana over release of an additional 80 MGD of water through the canal. While Haryana has agreed to release the additional quantum for the tenure of the Games, Delhi wants it to continue releasing the additional amount as was decided earlier.
“After there was no headway following several meetings between the Chief Secretaries of both the States, the issue has been raised with the Prime Minister's Office and the Union Ministry of Water Resources as well. A decision on the stalemate is expected soon,” the sources said.
According to Delhi Government sources, only half a kilometre of the canal remains to be completed but Haryana has pulled back from the work demanding immediate release of Rs. 160 crore. The canal was expected to be ready for use by the end of June. “The Delhi Government and the departments concerned have already assured Haryana that whatever money is due to them on account of overruns will be paid. The memorandum of understanding that has been signed between the two States over the construction of the canal clearly mentions that costs escalations will have to be borne. But what they have come up with is a hefty amount and there are concerns that Delhi has conveyed already,” said sources.
With Haryana digging its heels in and refusing to complete the construction work, Delhi has been left in a quandary.
“Delhi wants Haryana to complete the work first and money issues can be solved subsequently. Of the 102 km only 500 metres is left and the work has been dragging on for years. Delhi was banking on the completion of the project ahead of the Commonwealth Games,” the sources said.
Only 20 km of the total of 102 km of the canal fall in Delhi's area, and the portion of the canal that falls in Haryana has already been in use for the past couple of years. “The canal was initially supposed to be ready in 2009, then it got deferred to June 2010. If Haryana were to comply, the canal can get ready before the Games,” the sources said.
Delhi is already engaged in hectic parleying with Haryana over release of an additional 80 MGD of water through the canal. While Haryana has agreed to release the additional quantum for the tenure of the Games, Delhi wants it to continue releasing the additional amount as was decided earlier.
“After there was no headway following several meetings between the Chief Secretaries of both the States, the issue has been raised with the Prime Minister's Office and the Union Ministry of Water Resources as well. A decision on the stalemate is expected soon,” the sources said.
Final draft of technical report on Yamuna approved (Hindu 02 August 2010)
The report would now be sent to the Cabinet Secretary
NEW DELHI: The final draft of the report drawn by the Technical Advisory Committee on the Yamuna river development was approved at a meeting of the high-power committee chaired by Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna this past week.
Besides Mr. Khanna, the meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and various head of departments of the State and Union governments.
The final draft of the report was tabled at the meeting and approved therein. The report would now be sent to the Cabinet Secretary.
The Prime Minister had constituted the high-power committee under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant-Governor in August 2007 to commission studies on different aspects of the development of the river.
The committee had been mandated to study the Yamuna in Delhi from the point of view of hydrology, ecology, environmental pollution and sustainable use of the river front.
The committee had in its first meeting in October constituted the Technical Advisory Group which held several meetings including interactions with non-government organisations, scientists and experts to prepare an integrated plan for addressing issues of the Yamuna river.
NEW DELHI: The final draft of the report drawn by the Technical Advisory Committee on the Yamuna river development was approved at a meeting of the high-power committee chaired by Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna this past week.
Besides Mr. Khanna, the meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and various head of departments of the State and Union governments.
The final draft of the report was tabled at the meeting and approved therein. The report would now be sent to the Cabinet Secretary.
The Prime Minister had constituted the high-power committee under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant-Governor in August 2007 to commission studies on different aspects of the development of the river.
The committee had been mandated to study the Yamuna in Delhi from the point of view of hydrology, ecology, environmental pollution and sustainable use of the river front.
The committee had in its first meeting in October constituted the Technical Advisory Group which held several meetings including interactions with non-government organisations, scientists and experts to prepare an integrated plan for addressing issues of the Yamuna river.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nod for project to cut waste flow into Yamuna (Hindu 22 July 2010)
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Cabinet has given its approval for the Rs.1,358-crore Yamuna interceptor sewer project that seeks to cut pollution in the river.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit explained after the Cabinet meeting that under the project 59 km of interceptor sewers would be constructed along three major drains and seven pumping stations will be set up to intercept and carry the waste water to the sewage treatment plants so that treated effluent is discharged into the Yamuna.
The project has received all clearances. An agreement has been signed between the Delhi Jal Board and Engineers India Limited. The interceptor will be laid along three major drains -- Najafgarh, supplementary and Shahdara -- which together account for about 70 per cent of the discharge into the Yamuna.
Field investigations, feasibility report, project report and land allotment work have been completed by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and the Delhi Development Authority.
As for finances, it was stated that of the total cost of Rs.1357.71 crore, 35 per cent of the capital expenditure or Rs.475.20 crore would be released by the Union Urban Development Ministry under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission while 65 per cent will be contributed by the Delhi Government. Besides, HUDCO has in principle sanctioned a loan of Rs.800 crore for the project.
The project assumes significance as waste from Delhi is responsible for polluting the Yamuna in a big way. The river enters Delhi near Palla, traverses about 48 km and leaves the Capital at Okhla. The 22-km stretch from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla is the most polluted stretch due to discharge of sewage from 18 main drains in this section.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit explained after the Cabinet meeting that under the project 59 km of interceptor sewers would be constructed along three major drains and seven pumping stations will be set up to intercept and carry the waste water to the sewage treatment plants so that treated effluent is discharged into the Yamuna.
The project has received all clearances. An agreement has been signed between the Delhi Jal Board and Engineers India Limited. The interceptor will be laid along three major drains -- Najafgarh, supplementary and Shahdara -- which together account for about 70 per cent of the discharge into the Yamuna.
Field investigations, feasibility report, project report and land allotment work have been completed by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and the Delhi Development Authority.
As for finances, it was stated that of the total cost of Rs.1357.71 crore, 35 per cent of the capital expenditure or Rs.475.20 crore would be released by the Union Urban Development Ministry under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission while 65 per cent will be contributed by the Delhi Government. Besides, HUDCO has in principle sanctioned a loan of Rs.800 crore for the project.
The project assumes significance as waste from Delhi is responsible for polluting the Yamuna in a big way. The river enters Delhi near Palla, traverses about 48 km and leaves the Capital at Okhla. The 22-km stretch from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla is the most polluted stretch due to discharge of sewage from 18 main drains in this section.
Activists to oppose Loharinag Pala hydel project (Hindu 19 July 2010)
“It will affect flow of the Bhagirathi, a tributary of Ganga”
NEW DELHI: With the government refusing to scrap the 600-MW Loharinag Pala hydel project on the Bhagirathi river, a motley group of activists — including local villagers, lawyers, NGOs, Hindu religious leaders and a member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority — has started plotting out a protest campaign. Their plans include an indefinite fast in Haridwar, a meeting with the Prime Minister and the demand for a public audit on the decision. The crux of their argument is that the project will affect the flow of the Bhagirathi, which is a tributary of the Ganga, and that the project promoter NTPC has violated environmental guidelines. They also feel that the Group of Ministers which made the recommendation to retain the project based on fiscal issues — Rs. 600 crore has already been spent on the project — had not taken into account these issues.
Speaking at a “Save Ganga” protest meeting convened by the NGO Manushi over the weekend, Ravi Chopra, founder of the People's Science Institute and a member of NGRBA, said members of the Authority were not even informed of the constitution of the GoM.
“So who has the final power, this GoM or the NGRBA,” asked environmental lawyer M.C. Mehta. Since the Prime Minister is the Chairman of the NGRBA, a delegation led by Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya-designate of Jyotirmath and Dwarka, plans to meet him to ask “why he has stamped his approval on this illegal decision.”
Public audit
“We demand a public audit. Such vital decisions cannot be taken by these secret meetings of a small group of Ministers based on fraudulent facts,” said Manushi's Madhu Kishwar. “The government should place all facts for open public discussion.”
The NGRBA team found that the NTPC has violated environmental norms with regard to blasting materials, dumping of waste and drying up of pools, according to Mallika Bhanot, an activist with Ganga Ahvaan. “If there are violations, you are legally bound to revoke the environmental clearance,” she told Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh.
In fact, the activists expressed their strong disgruntlement with the Minister, leading to some heated exchanges. “In front of us, you behave like a Ram, why do you show another face in front of the Ministers,” asked the Swami, referring to Mr. Ramesh's earlier assurances that dams would not be allowed to damage the ecological flow of the river. He reiterated the offer that Hindu devotees would raise the money needed to compensate the government's investment if it scrapped the project.
The Minister pointed out that it was not his decision alone. While he had placed the arguments against the project in front of the GoM, the decision had gone the other way, due to the investment made in the project, the Rs. 2,000 crore worth of construction orders placed, and the power it will generate.
“Don't live in an ideal fantasy world,” he told the activists. “Live in an India which has 1.4 billion people and where the government has to meet their energy needs … Solar energy, wind energy, these are all romantic things. We have to depend on hydel power, thermal power.”
“I am not an NGO”
Mr. Ramesh indicated that he could not be expected to protest the government's decision despite that “in my heart, I still believe it should be stopped … I am not an activist, I am not an NGO, I am a Minister of the government,” he added, putting the ball in the court of the NGOs.
NEW DELHI: With the government refusing to scrap the 600-MW Loharinag Pala hydel project on the Bhagirathi river, a motley group of activists — including local villagers, lawyers, NGOs, Hindu religious leaders and a member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority — has started plotting out a protest campaign. Their plans include an indefinite fast in Haridwar, a meeting with the Prime Minister and the demand for a public audit on the decision. The crux of their argument is that the project will affect the flow of the Bhagirathi, which is a tributary of the Ganga, and that the project promoter NTPC has violated environmental guidelines. They also feel that the Group of Ministers which made the recommendation to retain the project based on fiscal issues — Rs. 600 crore has already been spent on the project — had not taken into account these issues.
Speaking at a “Save Ganga” protest meeting convened by the NGO Manushi over the weekend, Ravi Chopra, founder of the People's Science Institute and a member of NGRBA, said members of the Authority were not even informed of the constitution of the GoM.
“So who has the final power, this GoM or the NGRBA,” asked environmental lawyer M.C. Mehta. Since the Prime Minister is the Chairman of the NGRBA, a delegation led by Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya-designate of Jyotirmath and Dwarka, plans to meet him to ask “why he has stamped his approval on this illegal decision.”
Public audit
“We demand a public audit. Such vital decisions cannot be taken by these secret meetings of a small group of Ministers based on fraudulent facts,” said Manushi's Madhu Kishwar. “The government should place all facts for open public discussion.”
The NGRBA team found that the NTPC has violated environmental norms with regard to blasting materials, dumping of waste and drying up of pools, according to Mallika Bhanot, an activist with Ganga Ahvaan. “If there are violations, you are legally bound to revoke the environmental clearance,” she told Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh.
In fact, the activists expressed their strong disgruntlement with the Minister, leading to some heated exchanges. “In front of us, you behave like a Ram, why do you show another face in front of the Ministers,” asked the Swami, referring to Mr. Ramesh's earlier assurances that dams would not be allowed to damage the ecological flow of the river. He reiterated the offer that Hindu devotees would raise the money needed to compensate the government's investment if it scrapped the project.
The Minister pointed out that it was not his decision alone. While he had placed the arguments against the project in front of the GoM, the decision had gone the other way, due to the investment made in the project, the Rs. 2,000 crore worth of construction orders placed, and the power it will generate.
“Don't live in an ideal fantasy world,” he told the activists. “Live in an India which has 1.4 billion people and where the government has to meet their energy needs … Solar energy, wind energy, these are all romantic things. We have to depend on hydel power, thermal power.”
“I am not an NGO”
Mr. Ramesh indicated that he could not be expected to protest the government's decision despite that “in my heart, I still believe it should be stopped … I am not an activist, I am not an NGO, I am a Minister of the government,” he added, putting the ball in the court of the NGOs.
Water purifiers lack purity: Study (Hindu 22 July 2010)
NEW DELHI: A study of leading storage water purifier brands available in the Capital has revealed that none of them adheres to international standards of providing clean drinking water.
Releasing the study, “Safety issues concerning storage water purifiers”, conducted by a non-government organisation, Healthy You Foundation, its founder trustee Bejon Misra said on Wednesday: “Though several tall claims are made by manufacturers on the purity and safety of water, we found that none of the leading brands of storage water purifiers has adopted international standards and they thus provide sub-standard drinking water to its consumers.''
The study highlighted the fact that the labels on the products do not mention the certified chemicals used to treat the water and how the levels of its presence can be monitored by users.
It noted that the literature distributed to the consumers at the time of sale doesn't carry the relevant information required for the consumers on health and safety related issues. “All the brands fall short of adequate disclosure requirements to enable consumers to make an informed choice and lack of stringent standards and regulations in the country to monitor public health and safety issues allows these companies to sell their products without checks,'' said Mr. Misra.
The study notes that the use of chemicals including chlorine in these purifiers should be carefully governed and regularly monitored to ensure that the dosage is administered under safe level. Also some other chemicals used in the cleaning process by these purifiers decompose themselves during the filtration and treatment of water and produce products which when combined with other routinely used material can be harmful to health.
Healthy You Foundation chairman S. Krishnan said: “The service providers are responsible to ensure that safe portable water is provided to the consumer. Also we recommend that a comprehensive mandatory labelling standard should be adopted by various water purifiers in India as health and safety of consumers cannot be compromised for commercial gains.''
Releasing the study, “Safety issues concerning storage water purifiers”, conducted by a non-government organisation, Healthy You Foundation, its founder trustee Bejon Misra said on Wednesday: “Though several tall claims are made by manufacturers on the purity and safety of water, we found that none of the leading brands of storage water purifiers has adopted international standards and they thus provide sub-standard drinking water to its consumers.''
The study highlighted the fact that the labels on the products do not mention the certified chemicals used to treat the water and how the levels of its presence can be monitored by users.
It noted that the literature distributed to the consumers at the time of sale doesn't carry the relevant information required for the consumers on health and safety related issues. “All the brands fall short of adequate disclosure requirements to enable consumers to make an informed choice and lack of stringent standards and regulations in the country to monitor public health and safety issues allows these companies to sell their products without checks,'' said Mr. Misra.
The study notes that the use of chemicals including chlorine in these purifiers should be carefully governed and regularly monitored to ensure that the dosage is administered under safe level. Also some other chemicals used in the cleaning process by these purifiers decompose themselves during the filtration and treatment of water and produce products which when combined with other routinely used material can be harmful to health.
Healthy You Foundation chairman S. Krishnan said: “The service providers are responsible to ensure that safe portable water is provided to the consumer. Also we recommend that a comprehensive mandatory labelling standard should be adopted by various water purifiers in India as health and safety of consumers cannot be compromised for commercial gains.''
Warming waters spell trouble for Gangetic species (Indian Express 25 July 2010)
As global warming takes its toll, the fish biodiversity in the Ganges is not left untouched. The effect of the change in climatic conditions on the Gangetic fish surfaced significantly in a recent study undertaken by the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Research (NBFGR), Lucknow. The study was aimed at evaluating and mapping the fish biodiversity of the Ganga.
A first of its kind project for documenting the species and estimated fish population in the Ganga, the study was done over three years between April 2007 and March 2010 throughout the length of the river. The results of the project reflect the shift in the bio-geographical distribution of the fish in the river bed. “Fish, being cold blooded animals, have to change their habits with the change in temperature. We found many interesting changes in the distribution of fish. For example, we found that the eel, which is generally a warm water fish, had found a habitat in the cold water zone of the Ganga between Haridwar and Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand,” said UK Sarkar of NBFGR. The research was led by WS Lakra, Director of NBFGR, and six other scientists including Sarkar, Ajay Pandey, AK Pathak and AK Pandian of NBFGR were involved. “Similarly, the Common Carp, which is an exotic variety, and the native Tank Goby, both of which are known to be warm water fish, were found thriving in cold water zones,” added Sarkar.
The 1,000-km length of the river has been divided by scientists into the upper zone, which is the cold water zone, from Gangotri till Haridwar, the middle or the northern plane zone, from Haridwar to Ballia, and the lower zone, from Patna to Hooghly in Kolkata where it meets the Bay of Bengal.
“Mahseer, or the Tor species, a cold water fish, is now amongst the endangered species of the area, with a population of less than one per cent of the total fish population in the area. The ray finned fish of the Himalayas, called the Snow Trout, is also endangered,” Sarkar said.
“Strangely, not only are the warm water fish shifting to cold water, one species of catfish, Glyptothorax brevipinnis, commonly called Nau, usually found in the upper zone of the river, was found in the warm water zone in the river Ken in Madhya Pradesh, which is a tributary of the Yamuna,” Sarkar said. “Also, marine water species like the Panna microdon croaker were found thriving in the Ganga in Patna, Munger and Rajmahal in Bihar.”
The study also noted that a number of species matured much earlier than their usual cycle. Amongst the fish with altered biological cycles were Nandus and Tengara from Allahabad, fresh water murrel of Kanpur, and Pirohia or Aspidoparia and Vachwa or Vacha in the Patna region. Scientists fear that early maturity might lead to loss of progeny of these fish.
Another warning bell is the replacement of indigenous species of fish in the Ganga by exotic species. The reason, say experts, is the lack of a quarantine law which allows the entry of foreign species in the river bed the consequences of which can be grave. Talking to The Sunday Express on phone, RK Sinha, an ichthyologist at Patna University, with whose help the project was completed, said, “In 1993-94, when I surveyed the river in Patna, there were hardly any exotic species. Today, more than 15 per cent of the total fish catch is of the exotic variety. Also in 1993, the total species in the Ganges at Patna was 106 ; today it is only 99. About 15 species out of the earlier 106 have disappeared completely, replaced by seven or eight new species.” Similar conditions prevail in Allahabad where 50 per cent of the catch was found to be of exotic variety, said Sinha. “Species of major Indian carp like Rohu, Catla and Mrigal, are only 8 per cent of the total fish population now and are fast being replaced by exotic varieties like the Silver Carp, the Common Carp and the Grass Carp, which together form 60 per cent of the fish catch today. Thai Mangur and Tilapia are other major species which are fast outnumbering any other species as they do not allow others to survive in the water,” he said.
The study traced a total of 143 species in the Ganga. Of this, 10 are exotic species and at least 29 are threatened. The most common fish in the Ganga belong to the Cyprinids family, including the carps, constituting more than 50 per cent of the fish population. Catfish were the next most common fish with more than 15 per cent of the population. “For the first time, we reported Southern Sailfin Catfish in Indian waters in Patna during the study. This variety is common in aquariums but is not healthy for fresh water habitation as it threatens indigenous species,” Sinha said. In the northern plains, the Devil Catfish or Gonch, Butterfish, Chital and Catla are on the brink of being classified as endangered while the Gangetic Shark have become extinct, said Sarkar.
A first of its kind project for documenting the species and estimated fish population in the Ganga, the study was done over three years between April 2007 and March 2010 throughout the length of the river. The results of the project reflect the shift in the bio-geographical distribution of the fish in the river bed. “Fish, being cold blooded animals, have to change their habits with the change in temperature. We found many interesting changes in the distribution of fish. For example, we found that the eel, which is generally a warm water fish, had found a habitat in the cold water zone of the Ganga between Haridwar and Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand,” said UK Sarkar of NBFGR. The research was led by WS Lakra, Director of NBFGR, and six other scientists including Sarkar, Ajay Pandey, AK Pathak and AK Pandian of NBFGR were involved. “Similarly, the Common Carp, which is an exotic variety, and the native Tank Goby, both of which are known to be warm water fish, were found thriving in cold water zones,” added Sarkar.
The 1,000-km length of the river has been divided by scientists into the upper zone, which is the cold water zone, from Gangotri till Haridwar, the middle or the northern plane zone, from Haridwar to Ballia, and the lower zone, from Patna to Hooghly in Kolkata where it meets the Bay of Bengal.
“Mahseer, or the Tor species, a cold water fish, is now amongst the endangered species of the area, with a population of less than one per cent of the total fish population in the area. The ray finned fish of the Himalayas, called the Snow Trout, is also endangered,” Sarkar said.
“Strangely, not only are the warm water fish shifting to cold water, one species of catfish, Glyptothorax brevipinnis, commonly called Nau, usually found in the upper zone of the river, was found in the warm water zone in the river Ken in Madhya Pradesh, which is a tributary of the Yamuna,” Sarkar said. “Also, marine water species like the Panna microdon croaker were found thriving in the Ganga in Patna, Munger and Rajmahal in Bihar.”
The study also noted that a number of species matured much earlier than their usual cycle. Amongst the fish with altered biological cycles were Nandus and Tengara from Allahabad, fresh water murrel of Kanpur, and Pirohia or Aspidoparia and Vachwa or Vacha in the Patna region. Scientists fear that early maturity might lead to loss of progeny of these fish.
Another warning bell is the replacement of indigenous species of fish in the Ganga by exotic species. The reason, say experts, is the lack of a quarantine law which allows the entry of foreign species in the river bed the consequences of which can be grave. Talking to The Sunday Express on phone, RK Sinha, an ichthyologist at Patna University, with whose help the project was completed, said, “In 1993-94, when I surveyed the river in Patna, there were hardly any exotic species. Today, more than 15 per cent of the total fish catch is of the exotic variety. Also in 1993, the total species in the Ganges at Patna was 106 ; today it is only 99. About 15 species out of the earlier 106 have disappeared completely, replaced by seven or eight new species.” Similar conditions prevail in Allahabad where 50 per cent of the catch was found to be of exotic variety, said Sinha. “Species of major Indian carp like Rohu, Catla and Mrigal, are only 8 per cent of the total fish population now and are fast being replaced by exotic varieties like the Silver Carp, the Common Carp and the Grass Carp, which together form 60 per cent of the fish catch today. Thai Mangur and Tilapia are other major species which are fast outnumbering any other species as they do not allow others to survive in the water,” he said.
The study traced a total of 143 species in the Ganga. Of this, 10 are exotic species and at least 29 are threatened. The most common fish in the Ganga belong to the Cyprinids family, including the carps, constituting more than 50 per cent of the fish population. Catfish were the next most common fish with more than 15 per cent of the population. “For the first time, we reported Southern Sailfin Catfish in Indian waters in Patna during the study. This variety is common in aquariums but is not healthy for fresh water habitation as it threatens indigenous species,” Sinha said. In the northern plains, the Devil Catfish or Gonch, Butterfish, Chital and Catla are on the brink of being classified as endangered while the Gangetic Shark have become extinct, said Sarkar.
Warming waters spell trouble for Gangetic species (Indian Express 25 July 2010)
As global warming takes its toll, the fish biodiversity in the Ganges is not left untouched. The effect of the change in climatic conditions on the Gangetic fish surfaced significantly in a recent study undertaken by the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Research (NBFGR), Lucknow. The study was aimed at evaluating and mapping the fish biodiversity of the Ganga.
A first of its kind project for documenting the species and estimated fish population in the Ganga, the study was done over three years between April 2007 and March 2010 throughout the length of the river. The results of the project reflect the shift in the bio-geographical distribution of the fish in the river bed. “Fish, being cold blooded animals, have to change their habits with the change in temperature. We found many interesting changes in the distribution of fish. For example, we found that the eel, which is generally a warm water fish, had found a habitat in the cold water zone of the Ganga between Haridwar and Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand,” said UK Sarkar of NBFGR. The research was led by WS Lakra, Director of NBFGR, and six other scientists including Sarkar, Ajay Pandey, AK Pathak and AK Pandian of NBFGR were involved. “Similarly, the Common Carp, which is an exotic variety, and the native Tank Goby, both of which are known to be warm water fish, were found thriving in cold water zones,” added Sarkar.
The 1,000-km length of the river has been divided by scientists into the upper zone, which is the cold water zone, from Gangotri till Haridwar, the middle or the northern plane zone, from Haridwar to Ballia, and the lower zone, from Patna to Hooghly in Kolkata where it meets the Bay of Bengal.
“Mahseer, or the Tor species, a cold water fish, is now amongst the endangered species of the area, with a population of less than one per cent of the total fish population in the area. The ray finned fish of the Himalayas, called the Snow Trout, is also endangered,” Sarkar said.
“Strangely, not only are the warm water fish shifting to cold water, one species of catfish, Glyptothorax brevipinnis, commonly called Nau, usually found in the upper zone of the river, was found in the warm water zone in the river Ken in Madhya Pradesh, which is a tributary of the Yamuna,” Sarkar said. “Also, marine water species like the Panna microdon croaker were found thriving in the Ganga in Patna, Munger and Rajmahal in Bihar.”
The study also noted that a number of species matured much earlier than their usual cycle. Amongst the fish with altered biological cycles were Nandus and Tengara from Allahabad, fresh water murrel of Kanpur, and Pirohia or Aspidoparia and Vachwa or Vacha in the Patna region. Scientists fear that early maturity might lead to loss of progeny of these fish.
Another warning bell is the replacement of indigenous species of fish in the Ganga by exotic species. The reason, say experts, is the lack of a quarantine law which allows the entry of foreign species in the river bed the consequences of which can be grave. Talking to The Sunday Express on phone, RK Sinha, an ichthyologist at Patna University, with whose help the project was completed, said, “In 1993-94, when I surveyed the river in Patna, there were hardly any exotic species. Today, more than 15 per cent of the total fish catch is of the exotic variety. Also in 1993, the total species in the Ganges at Patna was 106 ; today it is only 99. About 15 species out of the earlier 106 have disappeared completely, replaced by seven or eight new species.” Similar conditions prevail in Allahabad where 50 per cent of the catch was found to be of exotic variety, said Sinha. “Species of major Indian carp like Rohu, Catla and Mrigal, are only 8 per cent of the total fish population now and are fast being replaced by exotic varieties like the Silver Carp, the Common Carp and the Grass Carp, which together form 60 per cent of the fish catch today. Thai Mangur and Tilapia are other major species which are fast outnumbering any other species as they do not allow others to survive in the water,” he said.
The study traced a total of 143 species in the Ganga. Of this, 10 are exotic species and at least 29 are threatened. The most common fish in the Ganga belong to the Cyprinids family, including the carps, constituting more than 50 per cent of the fish population. Catfish were the next most common fish with more than 15 per cent of the population. “For the first time, we reported Southern Sailfin Catfish in Indian waters in Patna during the study. This variety is common in aquariums but is not healthy for fresh water habitation as it threatens indigenous species,” Sinha said. In the northern plains, the Devil Catfish or Gonch, Butterfish, Chital and Catla are on the brink of being classified as endangered while the Gangetic Shark have become extinct, said Sarkar.
A first of its kind project for documenting the species and estimated fish population in the Ganga, the study was done over three years between April 2007 and March 2010 throughout the length of the river. The results of the project reflect the shift in the bio-geographical distribution of the fish in the river bed. “Fish, being cold blooded animals, have to change their habits with the change in temperature. We found many interesting changes in the distribution of fish. For example, we found that the eel, which is generally a warm water fish, had found a habitat in the cold water zone of the Ganga between Haridwar and Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand,” said UK Sarkar of NBFGR. The research was led by WS Lakra, Director of NBFGR, and six other scientists including Sarkar, Ajay Pandey, AK Pathak and AK Pandian of NBFGR were involved. “Similarly, the Common Carp, which is an exotic variety, and the native Tank Goby, both of which are known to be warm water fish, were found thriving in cold water zones,” added Sarkar.
The 1,000-km length of the river has been divided by scientists into the upper zone, which is the cold water zone, from Gangotri till Haridwar, the middle or the northern plane zone, from Haridwar to Ballia, and the lower zone, from Patna to Hooghly in Kolkata where it meets the Bay of Bengal.
“Mahseer, or the Tor species, a cold water fish, is now amongst the endangered species of the area, with a population of less than one per cent of the total fish population in the area. The ray finned fish of the Himalayas, called the Snow Trout, is also endangered,” Sarkar said.
“Strangely, not only are the warm water fish shifting to cold water, one species of catfish, Glyptothorax brevipinnis, commonly called Nau, usually found in the upper zone of the river, was found in the warm water zone in the river Ken in Madhya Pradesh, which is a tributary of the Yamuna,” Sarkar said. “Also, marine water species like the Panna microdon croaker were found thriving in the Ganga in Patna, Munger and Rajmahal in Bihar.”
The study also noted that a number of species matured much earlier than their usual cycle. Amongst the fish with altered biological cycles were Nandus and Tengara from Allahabad, fresh water murrel of Kanpur, and Pirohia or Aspidoparia and Vachwa or Vacha in the Patna region. Scientists fear that early maturity might lead to loss of progeny of these fish.
Another warning bell is the replacement of indigenous species of fish in the Ganga by exotic species. The reason, say experts, is the lack of a quarantine law which allows the entry of foreign species in the river bed the consequences of which can be grave. Talking to The Sunday Express on phone, RK Sinha, an ichthyologist at Patna University, with whose help the project was completed, said, “In 1993-94, when I surveyed the river in Patna, there were hardly any exotic species. Today, more than 15 per cent of the total fish catch is of the exotic variety. Also in 1993, the total species in the Ganges at Patna was 106 ; today it is only 99. About 15 species out of the earlier 106 have disappeared completely, replaced by seven or eight new species.” Similar conditions prevail in Allahabad where 50 per cent of the catch was found to be of exotic variety, said Sinha. “Species of major Indian carp like Rohu, Catla and Mrigal, are only 8 per cent of the total fish population now and are fast being replaced by exotic varieties like the Silver Carp, the Common Carp and the Grass Carp, which together form 60 per cent of the fish catch today. Thai Mangur and Tilapia are other major species which are fast outnumbering any other species as they do not allow others to survive in the water,” he said.
The study traced a total of 143 species in the Ganga. Of this, 10 are exotic species and at least 29 are threatened. The most common fish in the Ganga belong to the Cyprinids family, including the carps, constituting more than 50 per cent of the fish population. Catfish were the next most common fish with more than 15 per cent of the population. “For the first time, we reported Southern Sailfin Catfish in Indian waters in Patna during the study. This variety is common in aquariums but is not healthy for fresh water habitation as it threatens indigenous species,” Sinha said. In the northern plains, the Devil Catfish or Gonch, Butterfish, Chital and Catla are on the brink of being classified as endangered while the Gangetic Shark have become extinct, said Sarkar.
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