SERI news Vol. 8, No5, January, 2014 Vol. 8, No.5, January, 2014 With you in Pursuit of Sustainable Management of Finite Water Resources Chief Editor Executive Editor, Design Sayali Joshi, CEO Susmit Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we Editorial Board Advisors do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. Dr. Pramod Salaskar Vidyavilas Pathak ~Chief Seattle, 1855 Pallavi Patil Dr. Jayant Mandlik Pradnyesh Agre Dr. Suresh Karkhanis We must limit our technological interventions into nature long before we have definitive scientific proof of harm. This is the principle of precautionary action, and if we don't adopt it, Dr. Bikash Aich nature will get along just fine without us. Contact: Executive Editor, Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, B-106, Devgiri, - Peter Montague in Rachels Environmental & Health Weekly Opp. P. L. Deshpande Garden, Near Ganesh Mala, Pune – 411 030. India. "We have overwhelmed the natural systems from which we emerged and created the Phone: 91-20-24253773 /Telefax: 91-20-66206539 dangerous illusion that we no longer depend on a healthy environment. As a result, humanity now faces a challenge that rivals any in its history: restoring balance with nature Website: www.seriecotech.com Email: [email protected] while expanding economic opportunities for the billions of people whose basic needs--for Point for discussion this month food and clean water, for example--are still not being met." World watch Institute, State of the World (1998) (For private circulation only) Pl. note that the ownership of views expressed by the The human race will be the cancer of the planet. author lies with him / her only. SERI’s management does not endorse or own them. ~Julian Huxley, attributed Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 1 SERI news Vol. 8, No5, January, 2014 Dear Readers, Condolence The cover photo is of Lake Victoria, a trans-boundary lake between Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, one of the largest lakes in the world as far as water volume is concerned. Its vast spread of freshwater is an abode of various floral and faunal species. The lake harbours many endangered species. From the north end of the lake the White Nile River originates. It is being trans- boundary Lake, there are some socio-geographic issues came to fore due to geopolitical boundaries which need to resolve for sustenance of life in the basin. There are many issues of such water bodies. At international level a firm policy for Trans boundary water bodies is yet to be formed which will be very much helpful in addressing issues like water distribution, pollution and minimum ecological flow to sustain the water body through all seasons of the year. One such case of Trans-boundary River between India and Pakistan is discussed in this issue. India’s Water Policy of 2012 has acknowledged and addressed the issues of trans-boundary Rivers and Lakes. The entire Himalayan region having boundaries of India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan share the bounty of highest water towers of the world and the Bangladesh is at the tail end of the Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins. Therefore, all the countries need to share the water at the same time Rest In Peace Mr. Probir Sinha maintaining the integrity, quality, sanctity and sustainability of the water bodies. India is enjoying winter. At some places it is very pleasant but in northern Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower part heavy snow is affecting daily routine, transport and overall livelihood. We will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind. In winter India is a favourite halt for many migratory birds. It’s a feast for birdwatchers and researchers. But one study shows that the number of these - William Wordsworth migratory birds is reducing. We are deeply sorry to inform that we have lost Mr. Probir Sinha, an ardent field worker of river restoration who was always in the front for installation of green bridges on the polluted rivers from last 10 years. This industrious devotee had his heartware in protecting the rivers from the curse of pollution. May God give strength to Sinha family in this period of grief! Our warmest condolences are with the family. Thank you, Chief Editor Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 2 SERI news Vol. 8, No5, January, 2014 Ecology: new weapon in stands of diplomacy volume. In short, Pakistan is wrapping entire scenario under envelope of ecology to - Pradnyesh Agre shield its hydropower desires. A hydro-hegemon prevents every water drop that flows to delta from being The court sought more evidences of possible impacts of Kishanganga project with wasteful hardly referrers the science of ecology. But when hegemon find itself under due respect to environmental sustainability. While developing 17 different flow stress of geographical disadvantages it calls upon science of ecology for keeping scenarios, Pakistan claimed that 4.25 cumecs figure by India is a non scientific aside a rigid approach. arbitrary value. India counters that the Pakistan is influencing to array a greater environmental flow than their actual necessary. The supportive submission by Pakistan is getting brainstormed by the international experts and team of lawyer to Pakistan is just a ‘constellation of environmental material’ and excessive than what pull out all the stops and get the settlement in its favour for Kishanganga water court’s demand for. According to India; use of complicated methodologies by dispute. Pakistan, are not justified when more simplistic minimum flow methodologies are Pakistan’s argument about violation of Indus water treaty from India, by building usually being used. 37 meter high dam on the Kishanganga River known as Neelum in Pakistan as a Pakistan had done more in-depth assessments than what is routinely done for part of 330-megawatt hydel project, was dismissed by court in February 2013, while domestic projects in India. Hence the Court is interpreting that an in-depth interim award gave India the go-ahead to divert water for power generation. assessment done by Pakistan is more appropriate tool for estimating potential To allow its final ruling by December court sought more information to work out changes in the downstream environment’. the dam operations to ensure a flow of water downstream of the dam due to In India the (Federal) ministry of environment and forests is of little concern insufficient data, specifying June as deadline. whether the stipulated thumb rule of three season flows, i.e. 20% of the lean season As per stipulated in final award of the court nine cumecs of water (or 9000 litres per flow in the lean months, 30% of the monsoon flow in the monsoon months, and 20- second) be released downstream of the dam at all times. That means half the 30% of the average seasonal flow in the other months, will trigger fish kills or not. average flow during the lean flow months of December through February at the The difference between environmental sensitivity that Pakistan urges in this dealing dam site should be released by India. Where India had desired to release less than and its historical practices where the environmental flow has often been set at a low half of the nine cumecs, Pakistan is claiming to release more on basis of enough minimum was raised by Indian representative and was acknowledged by the court. scientific information and inferences collected by them. The scheduled date of completion was set at seven years from the date of The Kishanganga, would suffer significantly reduced water flows which flows from sanctioning, or January 2016; which will most likely exceed. After the project is India into Pakistan and meets with the Jhelum River, one of the rivers covered by commissioned India and Pakistan are allowed to re-examine the final grant. the Indus Water Treaty, as Pakistan too has plans to use and divert water for Paradoxically, India urges that comprehensive impact assessments of large hydro- hydroelectricity generation once the river crosses the border, referred to as the line projects on the Yearlong Anglo (or Brahmaputra) should be performed by China, of control given the conflict between the two countries. where China is the leading upstream power. This mimics the Pakistan’s expectation Both Pakistan and India are accountable for two-sided pretensions. Court from India in case of Kishanganga River. appreciated, very detailed study using advanced methods such as Downstream Using such double standards as per convenience and distant use of ecology to Implications of Flow Transformation, or DRIFT methodology done by Pakistan. further selfish goals will only have disastrous consequences for our rivers, shared or This inter-disciplinary methodology examines a large number of indicators of water otherwise. The uniformity in guidelines of assessing impacts at downstream should quality, fish, macro-invertebrates, sediment loads, hydrology, etc., before arriving at be critically determined. We have to accept that nature is hegemony itself, so with a decision on acceptable environmental flows (e-flows) downstream of a dam. In the due respect to the ecology we should restrict dilation of baggy green from our lust name of ecological sustainability, Pakistan wants release of more water for its own for infrastructure development. The desire of protecting river ecology should be uses being the downstream area. Instead of using simplistic methodologies of non-negotiable. minimum flows — which is an arbitrary fixed percentage of average flow that they were using for domestic projects, Pakistan employed international e-flows experts to produce more comprehensive impact assessment to justify a larger release Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune 3 SERI news Vol. 8, No5, January, 2014 Changing pattern of Avian migrates in New Delhi migrate from Siberia are being seen this time.