Water

Reservoirs storage capacity at 82%, significant rise from last year: CWC

The Central Water Commission (CWC) reported that the live storage in 155 major reservoirs across India stood at 147.943 billion cubic metres (BCM) as of Thursday which represents 82% of the total live storage capacity. This reflects a significant increase compared to last year's 117.4 BCM during the same period. The current levels are also 117 per cent of the average storage over the past decade. According to the weekly bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission, the reservoirs, critical for irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower, displayed varying trends across regions. The northern states, including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan, recorded storage at 57 per cent of capacitylower than the 70 per cent recorded last year. In contrast, the southern region, comprising Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, reported a robust 84 per cent of live capacity, showing substantial improvement from 43 per cent during the same period in 2023. In Eastern region,

No reason to scale back our domestic targets, says CEEW's Arunabha Ghosh

Expectations from this year's COP are clear on issues, whether we have a ministerial presence or not, Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of Council for Energy Environment and Water, said in his interview

India's reservoir levels rise from last year, northern region lags: CWC

India's water reservoirs are experiencing a significant boost in live storage with 155 of them across the country currently at 88 per cent of their total capacity, a 14 per cent rise from the normal storage. This is a marked improvement compared to last year's storage levels for the same period, which stood at 134.056 BCM, as well as the normal 10-year average storage of 139.114 BCM. The bulletin further said that 86 reservoirs across the country are reporting higher storage levels than last year and 123 reservoirs were exceeding their normal capacity. The 2024 figures reflect an 18 per cent increase over last year's levels and a 14 per cent rise compared to the normal storage. While the overall storage levels across the country are higher, regional variations exist. The Western region, comprising Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa, has witnessed the most robust storage figures, with 97 per cent of its total live storage capacity already filled. This is a substantial improvement compa

New study finds ocean's worth of water hiding beneath the surface of Mars

Nasa's robotic InSight lander collected data that revealed that enough water is hiding deep under the surface of Mars to form an ocean covering the planet

India's new Parliament building leaks: Congress MP files adjournment motion

Rainwater leakage in new Parliament building: Congress MP Manickam Tagore shared a video of water leaks inside the lobby caused by heavy rainfall in New Delhi on Wednesday

Bill on water dispute adjudication lapses following dissolution of 17th LS

Pending in Rajya Sabha since 2019 following its passage in the lower house, a bill which sought to address the adjudication of disputes concerning inter-state rivers and river valleys has lapsed following the dissolution of 17th Lok Sabha. Bills passed by Lok Sabha and pending in Rajya Sabha or those passed by Rajya Sabha and pending in Lok Sabha lapse after the lower house is dissolved. However, bills introduced and pending in Rajya Sabha do not lapse. A Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on Thursday said 'The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019', passed by Lok Sabha and pending in Rajya Sabha, has lapsed under clause (5) of Article 107 of the Constitution, following the dissolution of 17th Lok Sabha. The amendment bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 25, 2019, by then Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The bill sought to amend the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, which addresses the adjudication of disputes concerning inter-state rivers

Kerala CM to inaugurate four new terminals of Kochi Water Metro Limited

Kerala Chief Minister to launch four new terminals of Kochi Water Metro Limited on March 14, 2024. The project cost is Rs 1,136.83 crore

People have right to clean air, water: SC on Vedanta's TN plant closure

People have a right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and live a life free from disease and sickness, the Supreme Court has said, while upholding the principle of sustainable development and coming down hard on polluting industries. In a reasoned order on the closure of the Vedanta group firm Sterlite Copper in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said closure of industry is not a matter of first choice but the nature of violations by the unit and repeated and severe breaches of environmental norms would have left neither the statutory authorities nor the Madras High Court with the option to take any other view unless they were to be oblivious of their plain duty. The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had on February 29 dismissed an appeal of Vedanta Ltd. against the high court order upholding the closure of the copper smelting plant, closed since May 2018 over pollution concerns. "It is an undeniable and ...

Humans have driven Earth's freshwater cycle out of stable state: Study

Human activity has pushed the Earth's freshwater resources far beyond the stable conditions that prevailed before industrialisation, a study has found. The findings, published in the journal Nature Water, show that the updated planetary boundary for freshwater change was surpassed by the mid-twentieth century. This is the first time that global water cycle change has been assessed over such a long timescale with an appropriate reference baseline, the researchers said. Human pressures, such as dam construction, large-scale irrigation and global warming, have altered freshwater resources to such an extent that their capacity to regulate vital ecological and climatic processes is at risk, they said. The international team calculated monthly streamflow and soil moisture at a spatial resolution of roughly 50x50 kilometers using data from hydrological models that combine all major human impacts on the freshwater cycle. The researchers determined the conditions during the pre-industrial

TN announces policy to restore coastal resources, capitalise blue economy

Taking forward its pioneering initiatives in nature conservation, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced the 'TN-SHORE', a mission to restore coastal resources across 14 districts covering 1,076 km. Presenting the Budget Estimates for 2024-25 in the Assembly, Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu said about Rs 1,675 crore has been sanctioned to the mission, titled 'Neithal Meetchi Iyakkam' which would enhance biodiversity by protecting coasts, improve livelihoods of local communities, and contain pollution in those areas. "This initiative will capitalise on the potential of the Blue Economy and will primarily focus on the restoration of mangroves, coral reefs, and salt marshes," he said. It will take up the conservation of mangroves besides reviving coral reefs at Kariyachalli islands in the Gulf of Mannar. Additionally, works are underway to establish a sprawling botanical garden in Kadambur, Chengalpattu, spanning 137 acres, at a cost of Rs 345 crore, in collaboration with ..

Haryana, Raj sign MoU on Yamuna water sharing via underground pipelines

Haryana and Rajasthan have signed an agreement to jointly prepare a detailed project report for the transfer of Rajasthan's share of Yamuna water from Hathnikund in Haryana through underground pipelines and its subsequent utilisation in areas such as Jhunjhunu and Churu. The memorandum of understanding was signed after a meeting between Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat emphasized that the resolution of this long-standing issue would pave the way for the implementation of projects crucial for meeting the drinking water needs of Rajasthan, particularly Churu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts. After deliberations, a consensus was arrived for preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) jointly by the governments of Haryana and Rajasthan for transfer of water through underground pipelines. The state governments will prepare and

One-litre bottled water could contain about 240,000 plastic pieces: Study

A litre of bottled water could contain about 2.4 lakh plastic pieces on average, which is about 10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates that mainly concerned plastics of larger sizes, according to a new study. While microplastics range from a micrometre -- a millionth of a metre -- to 5 millimetres, nanoplastics are smaller than a micrometre and are measured in billionths of a metre. Researchers from Columbia University analysed three popular brands of bottled water sold in the US, measuring plastic particles down to 100 nanometres in size. They detected about 1.1-3.7 lakh plastic fragments in each litre -- 90 per cent nanoplastics and the rest microplastics. Their findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Previously this was just a dark area, uncharted. Toxicity studies were just guessing what's in there," said study co-author Beizhan Yan, an environmental chemist at Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth ...

Haryana approves waiver of outstanding water charges for rural households

In a decision aimed at providing relief to rural households, the Haryana cabinet on Wednesday approved to waiving off outstanding water charges, including surcharge and interest, amounting to Rs 372.13 crore. This decision will extend relief to a substantial 28.87 lakh water connection holders in rural areas across the state, an official statement said. The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. However, this waiver does not extend to institutional, commercial or industrial consumers falling under the Public Health Engineering Department, the statement said. The cabinet has approved the waiver of water charges amounting to Rs 336.35 crore, accumulated from April 1, 2015, to December 31, 2022, for all types of consumers in villages and rural areas. This encompasses the general category as well as the Scheduled Castes categories, it said. "In addition, the cabinet has accorded approval for the waiver of surcharge and interest totaling Rs 37.93 crore on wa

Water production curtailed 25-30% in Delhi's Wazirabad, Chandrawal plants

Due to the high level of pollutants in the Yamuna river at the Wazirabad pond, water production has been curtailed by 25-30 per cent in treatment plants at Wazirabad and Chandrawal, Delhi Jal Board officials said on Monday. Water supply will therefore be available at low pressure in several areas of Delhi from the evening of December 25 till the situation improves, they said. "Due to high level of pollutants (Ammonia more than 2.3 ppm) being received in River Yamuna at Wazirabad pond, water production has been curtailed 25-30 per cent from Water Treatment Plants of Wazirabad and Chandrawal," a DJB notice said. The areas likely to be affected are Civil lines, Hindu Rao Hospital and adjoining areas, Kamla Nagar, Shakti Nagar and adjoining areas, Karol Bagh, Pahar Ganj and NDMC areas, Old and New Rajinder Nagar, Patel Nagar (East and West), Baljeet Nagar, Prem Nagar, Inderpuri and adjoining areas, Kalkaji, Govindpuri, Tugalkabad, Sangam Vihar, and Ambedkar Nagar, it said. Other areas

New York sues PepsiCo for plastic pollution, alleging water contamination

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a lawsuit against PepsiCo Inc. on Wednesday, accusing the soda-and-snack food giant of polluting the environment and endangering public health after its single-use plastics were found along the Buffalo River. The lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court aims to require PepsiCo and its subsidiaries, Frito-Lay Inc. and Frito-Lay North America Inc., to clean up its mess, where its single-use plastic packaging including food wrappers and plastic bottles have found a way to the shores of the Buffalo River and watershed, contaminating drinking water supply for the city of Buffalo. No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health. All New Yorkers have a basic right to clean water, yet PepsiCo's irresponsible packaging and marketing endanger Buffalo's water supply, environment, and public health, James said in a statement. PepsiCo is the single largest identifiable contributor to the plastic was

Chandrayaan-1 data suggests electrons from Earth forming water on Moon

Scientists analysing the remote sensing data from India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission have found that high energy electrons from the Earth may be forming water on the Moon. The team led by researchers from the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Manoa in the US discovered that these electrons in Earth's plasma sheet are contributing to weathering processes -- breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals -- on the Moon's surface. The research, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, found that the electrons may have aided the formation of water on the lunar body. Knowing the concentrations and distributions of water on the Moon is critical to understanding its formation and evolution, and to providing water resources for future human exploration, the researchers said. The new finding may also help explain the origin of the water ice previously discovered in the permanently shaded regions of the Moon, they said. Chandrayaan-1 played a crucial role in the discovery of water molecul

Water recedes in flood-hit areas of Punjab, rescue operation still on

Water receded at many flood-hit areas in Punjab even as rescue and relief operations by teams of National Disaster Response Force, Army and Border Security Force continued on Saturday, officials. Around 150 villages in districts including Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Rupnagar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, were impacted following the release of excess water from the Pong and the Bhakra dams. After the release of surplus water from the two reservoirs on August 14, the water level in Beas and Sutlej rivers had risen, flooding the low lying areas and also which are located near the banks. In Ferozepur, several villages situated near the Sutlej river continued to remain inundated. The district administration with the help of NDRF, Army and BSF rescued more than 2,500 villagers belonging to Kamale Wala, Ali ke, Gatti Raji ke, New Gatti Rajo ke, Chandi Wala, Jhugge Hajara Singh Wala, Jallo ke, Bhane Wala, Bhakhra, Tendi Wala, Metab Singh, Sheene Wala, Churi Wala, Khunder Gatti, N

Water Wars: Conflict Between Iran and Afghanistan

44% of rural households in ST areas yet to get tap water connection: Govt

About 44 per cent of the rural households in the Scheduled Tribe areas in the country are yet to get tap water connection, according to government data. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel said 1.2 crore out of 2.17 crore (55.3 per cent) rural tribal households have tap water connection According to data, the states where more than half the rural tribal households are yet to get tap water connection are Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal, the minister said. To enable every rural household in the country to have potable tap water supply by 2024, including those in tribal areas and areas, the government is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Har Ghar Jal in partnership with the states. Responding to another question, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu said the Central Water Commission (CWC) monitors live storage status of 146 important reservoirs in the country on a weekly basis and ...

Paper firms cut water use by 80%, invest in sustainable processes: IPMA

The paper industry in the country has cut down water consumption by 80 per cent and looks to reduce it further as investments of Rs 25,000 crore have been made in sustainable production processes in the last few years, an industry body said on Monday. The Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) in a statement said that several industry players have taken environment-friendly measures to reduce their carbon and water footprint. The players have deployed modern technology solutions and captive power generation to achieve water and energy efficiency, it said in a statement. "Integrated paper mills have reduced water usage to 40 cubic meters to produce a tonne of paper from the earlier 200 cubic meters. There is a concerted effort to bring it down further," IPMA President Pawan Agarwal said. "Indian Paper Industry has invested to the tune of Rs 25000 crore in sustainable production processes and capacities in the last few years," Agarwal said. Agarwal said the paper industry has