Posted by
Susan Sharma
on
September 08, 2005
The south-north transfer project in China includes three different routes that are to interlink the Yangtze river ( which has relative "surplus" water) and the yellow river ( which is severely overcommitted). The North China plain is home to a population
of over 300 million and is undergoing critical water scarcity, with the common patterns of declining acquifiers, reduced allocation to agriculture, shortages in supply to cities and severe environmental problems of pollution and siltation. The first phase
aiming at the diversion of 20 Bm2 has started with an estimated cost of $ 17 billion and the likely displacement of 3,00,000 people.
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Posted by
Susan Sharma
on
September 08, 2005
Pilot Projects worth US $ 1 million are expected to be kickstarted soon. This will consist of a diversion of Mae Klong water to Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. According to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, "whatever the outcome of
the pilot project" the government will finish all 13 schemes within five years.
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Posted by
Susan Sharma
on
September 08, 2005
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has sought the cooperation of all the political parties, non-Governmental Organisations and people of the State to fully harness the potential of Godavari and Krishna river basins by completing the
irrigation projects. The Chief Minister said that the significance of the gigantic task taken up by the Government should be understood from the fact that 700 tmcft of Godavari water was already let into the sea and 500 tmcft of Krishna water would also join
the sea. The only strategy for over all development of agrarian economy was to fully tap Godavari floodwater and divert a part of it to the Krishna basin, he added.
Dr. Reddy said tenders to the tune of Rs. 30,000 crores had been finalised and 33 major irrigation projects had been prioritised for completion at a whopping cost of Rs. 50,000 crores.
In accordance with the Cabinet decision, the Chief Minister deputed Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah and Home Minister K. Jana Reddy to perform Gangamma puja at Nagarjunasagar project on Thursday. The Major Irrigation Minister, Ponnala Laxmaiah, would perform
a similar puja at Srisailam reservoir, while the Sports Minister, M. Satyanarayan Rao, would visit the Sriramsagar project. The Higher Education Minister P. Venkateswara Rao and Panchayat Raj Minister J. C. Diwakar Reddy would perform puja at the Prakasam
barrage.
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Posted by
Susan Sharma
on
September 06, 2005
Dams in 11 States being pulled out in 2005 ( Source: Environment News Service 1 Sep 2005)
56 Dams in 11 States in the U.S are being removed in 2005 according to the latest survey conducted by the Conservation Group "American Rivers".
This trend is the result of renewed appreciation for free flowing, healthy streams and ageing of much of the nation's dams infrastructure. 185 dams have been removed since 1999. Only about 3% of the dams in the U.S have hydroelectric turbines. Most were
built for purposes such as running mills, controlling floods and creating water supplies or recreational parks.
"While dams can provide valuable services, the ecological price is high", American Rivers said. "Dams drown valuable habitat under reservoirs, block the annual migration of fish and can create downstream conditions inhospitable for fish and wildlife. Dams
also create several safety hazards, some of which increase with age".
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Posted by
Susan Sharma
on
September 05, 2005
The East Rapti River basin includes the Royal Chitwan National Park of Nepal.
Two researchers from the International Water Management Institute ( Srilanka) have suggested that linking social preferences -read rural livelihood-to eco-hydrological science -read planning for water allocation- is the challenge of the future. Their research
has come to the conclusion that arriving at acceptable limits for water resources exploitation must consider the relationship between river flow and eco-system, in order to be viable.
The research report is available online at the website
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org
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Posted by
Susan Sharma
on
September 03, 2005
The delta of the Colorado river basin has shrunk to 5% of its historic size thanks to intensive river diversions that have spelt a death knell to the people, flora and fauna of the region.
Since 1960, the river has reached the sea only during rare flood years, more usually ending just south of the US border in a few stagnant pools of pesticide and salt- laced agricultural runoff. Due to intensive irrigation in desert lands, waters have become
extremely saline.
A $256 million desalination plant was set up at Yuma, Arizona to desalinate the water in 1992. It was shut down in 1993 after floods destroyed drains and brought in saline water. The Bureau of Reclamation’s ‘salinity control program’ had cost tax-payers
$660 million by 1993.
An $8 billion plan has been passed in California to revive some of its rivers. ( source: The Environmental Magazine)
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Posted by
Susan Sharma
on
September 03, 2005
The Aral Sea of Russia is a large inland sea. Already, the Amudarya and Syrdarya, which once had combined flows greater than that of the Nile, have been largely emptied by massive irrigation projects to grow the cotton. As the rivers died, so has the Aral
Sea into which they drain. It has lost three-quarters of its water since 1960, leaving former ports up to 150 kilometres from the receding shoreline, and a salty wilderness where the sea used to be. Russian scientists are reviving an old Soviet plan to divert
some of Siberia's mightiest rivers to the parched former Soviet republics of central Asia.
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