DRP 280926: Early Warning System important, but not a magic bullet

September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Aerial image of the Wanlixi landslide and lake as of 30 July 2026. Credit: Forestry & Nature Conservation Agency, Taiwan, Source: EOS.Org)

While writing about the landslide dam breach in Taiwan last year leading to 24 deaths, Dave Petley remarked: As always, the focus should be on vulnerability and resilience rather than only early warning systems (EWS). This is indeed worth emphasizing, underlining, highlighting. While early warning systems can be important and must be used wherever possible, it is not a magic bullet. It is one of the many other instruments in disaster management.

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Sept. 2026: NHPC’s Parbati-II HEP Tunnel Leakage in Himachal Pradesh

September 23, 2026September 23, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: A damaged house in Palchara village by debris flood after a leak in the Parbati II HEP tunnel on Sept. 19, 2026 in Sainj Valley. Source: The Tribune)

The Sept. 2026 tunnel leakage at NHPC’s Parbati-II HEP in Kullu’s Sainj Valley triggered a sudden flow of water, muck and debris towards Palchara village. Although there was no loss of life, the incident has damaged houses, agricultural land and local infrastructure. It occurred amid a series of leakage and seepage incidents reported in and around the project in recent years, raising renewed concerns over tunnel safety, muck dumping and slope stability in the project area.

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Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 210926: Mismanagement at BBMB projects confirmed by CEA and Punjab

September 21, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The Tribune’s file photo of Pandoh dam)

The Central Electricity Authority has said in its report that there have been some serious operational and maintenance issues at BBMB’s Pandoh project, part of Beas Sutlej Link Project. In a separate development, Punjab government affidavit in the NGT has said that due to mismanagement at Bhakra-Pong dams, there has been avoidable flood disasters in Punjab in several years. Both developments confirm what we have said about role of BBMB projects in 2023 and 2025 floods in Punjab.

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Climate Change · Dams, Rivers & People · Disasters · GLOF · Himalayas

DRP 140926: How prepared are we to face Himalayan Disaster Risks?

September 14, 2026September 14, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Washed out Teesta III dam in Sikkim. Credit: Save the Hills)

The Himalayan disaster risks are increasing in several different ways, including through new types of disasters that are being added now as is evident from the recent Rasuwa floods in Nepal-Tibet, which originated in collapse of hanging glaciers due to melting of permafrost. The frequency, intensity and spread of the risks are also going up. Considering increasing pace of global warming that is inevitable in coming decades, the disaster risks are only going to go up.

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 0926: River Cities Failing to Protect, Sustain Water Resources

September 12, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: A tanker discharging untreated sewage in an open area near Yamuna river close to Mokshdham in Vrindavan. Source: Amar Ujala, Sept. 10, 2026)

Multiple reports over the past month again highlight serious failures in water governance in major cities in the Yamuna basin including Delhi, Gurugram, Greater Noida, Noida, Vrindavan and Bhopal. The problems range from poor rainwater harvesting and inadequate sewage networks to ineffective sewage treatment capacity, unregulated groundwater extraction and neglect of water bodies.

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Disasters · Nepal

Interview: Every disaster also presents an opportunity to learn

September 10, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

Q: “This incident has indicated that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing with climate change,” said Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah. Can we just blame it all on climate change and ignore the role aggressive development poses in an ecologically fragile zone? Or is climate change indeed the main villain?

ANS: Climate Change is a likely trigger for the Rasuwa flood disaster that Nepal and Tibet are facing, starting from the morning of Aug 26, 2026, though the scientists say this needs further studies. But the extent of the disaster depends on a number of factors including callous way in which major interventions have been taken up in the region, including large number of hydropower projects, knowing fully well the inherent vulnerabilities of the Himalayan region accentuated by climate change, by lack of early warning systems, absence of functioning disaster management system including emergency action plans.

Feature image above: Nepal Army rescues people trapped inside hydropower tunnels on Trishuli River Photo: PMO Office, Nepal video

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Highest Flood Level · Rivers

Rivers Crossing Highest Flood Levels in August 2026

September 9, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna river near ISBT, Delhi on Aug. 23, 2026. BS Rawat/SANDRP)

In the third month of the 2026 southwest monsoon season, we have been able to document rivers breaching their respective Highest Flood Levels (HFLs) at least at 10 Central Water Commission (CWC) flood monitoring sites. These sites are spread across five river basins and four states mainly in central and east India.

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Rainfall

June Aug 2026: District wise rainfall in India’s SW Monsoon

September 8, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

In Aug 2026, India received 213.9 mm (268.8 or 5.45% above normal in Aug 2025, 295.5 mm or 15.8% above normal in Aug 2024 [i], 162.7 mm or 36.2% below normal in Aug 2023 [ii], 263.8 mm in Aug 2022, 3.5% above the normal [iii]) or 16.1 % below normal rainfall of 254.9 mm as per India Meteorological department (IMD). In Aug 2021, the rainfall was 195.9 mm [iv], about 24.13% below normal and in Aug 2020, the rainfall was 327 mm [v], or about 26.6% above normal.

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Dams, Rivers & People

DRP 070926: Protect Himalayan Region from Cascading Disasters

September 7, 2026September 7, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Hunge Bazar in Nuwakot, damaged by the Bhotekoshi floods. Source: Angad Dhakal/TKP)

In the wake of the Aug. 26 Nepal disaster, civil society groups in India have demanded urgent measures to protect people, mountains and rivers from increasingly complex and cascading disasters across the Himalayan region. The statement issued under the umbrella of People for Himalaya rightly appeals for high-altitude and trans-Himalayan areas to be treated as no-go zones for high-risk mega infrastructure projects, including large hydropower projects.

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Dam floods · Fly Ash Bund Breach

Aug 2026: Failure to Manage Fly Ash Dams, Disposal in MP, UP & Chhattisgarh

September 5, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Collage showing in left Sasan UMPP’s damaged fly ash dyke, in centre NTPC’s Unchahar plant damaged fly ash pipeline and on right truck found dumping fly ash illegally in Korba. Source: Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar, ETV Bharat)

There have been at least three incidents of leakages from fly ash dykes at Reliance’s Sasan UMPP in MP & NTPC’s Unchahar Plant in Raebareli, UP in Aug. 2026. All the three incidents have considerably affected nearby village and farmer communities in both the states. Notably, both projects have also experienced ash dyke related leakages and failures in the recent past, raising serious concerns over safety of the structures and safe disposal of the toxic fly ash.

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