MBA for Mahanadi Commission

Formation of Mahanadi Commission demanded

Special Correspondent

Mahanadi Bachao Andolan submits memorandum to Governor listing its demands

The river is helping over two crore people in irrigating their land, they say

State's decision to allow companies to draw water opposed

BHUBANESWAR: The Mahanadi Bachao Andolan, a Cuttack-based people's organisation opposing diversion of water from river Mahanadi to various industries, on Saturday urged Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare to constitute a Mahanadi Commission to conduct a detailed survey on the existing condition of the river and the Hirakud Dam.

A delegation headed by Convener of the Andolan Gouranga Charan Hota met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan here and submitted a memorandum listing their demands.

The Commission, which should be an independent body with necessary powers, should be asked to come out with details on the method of water conservation, distribution, power generation, irrigation, drinking water and existing level of ground water including the steps to arrest the decay of the river and the dam, the Andolan said in its memorandum.

Pending the findings of the Commission, all the agreements signed by the State Government with various industrial houses to draw water from Mahanadi and Hirakud dam, and barrages at Jobra and Naraj should be cancelled with immediate effect, the Andolan demanded.

Apart from Mr. Hota, other members of the delegation include former Ministers Bijoy Mohapatra, Panchanan Kanungo and Sameer Dey, former Member of Parliament Narendra Pradhan, former legislator Umesh Swain and BJP leader Dillip Mallick.

They submitted that mindless exploitation and abuse of Mahanadi, the State's prime river, should be forthwith to save the State from a socio-economic disaster.

The river had an imposing presence in 15 of the State's 30 districts through its various tributaries and distributaries helping over two crore people in irrigating their land, they said.

Apart from maintaining a steady ground water level in the areas of her presence, the river also contributes to various other economic activities, they added.

They opposed the State Government's decisions to allow many companies to draw water from the river saying that there was no surplus water at a time when there was not much for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Mahanadi Banchao Andolan appeals the Governor

Governor''s intervention sought for setting up river panel
PTI

Bhubaneswar, Aug 1 (PTI) Intensifying the campaign against supply of river water to industries, a group of agitators have sought the Orissa Governor's intervention for formation of Mahanadi Commission to conduct a detailed survey on the river's health before diverting water.In a memorandum to Governor M C Bhandare, protesters under the banner of Mahanadi Banchao Andolan (MBA) said immediate steps must be taken for constitution of Mahanadi river commission to study the status of availability of water for various purposes as also the health of Hirakud dam.Describing Mahanadi as the chief source of water for agriculture and irrigation, the memorandum said the proposed commission should suggest steps to check decay of the river and Hirakud reservoir as well as efficient water management.Pending the findings of the panel, all agreements signed by Orissa government with various industries to draw water from Mahanadi, Hirakud reservoir, Jobra and Naraj barrages should be cancelled with immediate effect, it said.The memorandum, signed among others by MBA convenor Gouranga Charan Hota and former ministers Bijay Mohapatra, Samir Dey and Panchanan Kanungo, said the state should ensure water for irrigation to farmers in tail-end areas of Mahanadi river system and various canals before diverting water for industrial use.

AUSTRALIA: New funding announced for Mekong River Basin - 27/09/2007

The Australian Government has announced new funding for the Mekong River Basin, home to many of Asia's poorest people. An extra $US140 million is to go to new roads, rural electricity and water management programs.


SNOWDON: The Mekong region is a priority area for Australia's aid program.

The Government has announced a new five year strategy with funding of 140 million US dollars over four years to help promote economic development and cooperation.

The Mekong River - one of the world's largest, provides the livelihoods for 60 million people as it passes through six countries.

Four of those - Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Lao - are members of the donor funded Mekong River Commission. Five million dollars of the aid package will go to the commission.

The Commission aims to foster cooperation and sustainable, pro-poor and environmentally responsible

Delaware River plan to remain unchanged

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

By BRUCE A. SCRUTON

bscruton@njherald.com

WEST TRENTON — Faced with an end-of-the-month deadline, the Delaware River Basin Commission will likely vote to continue with a water management plan which everybody seems to agree isn't working, but which the parties apparently can't agree on how to change.

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Halve use of water to save Darling

Asa Wahlquist, Rural writer | September 08, 2007

THE extraction of water by irrigators on one of the Murray-Darling Basin's least developed tributaries would need to be halved by 2030 to ensure the Darling River received its minimum mandated flow.

The results of the CSIRO survey into the Warrego River, the first of a series on the basin, is alarming because it suggests that more developed river systems, like the Condamine-Balonne, will face serious problems.

By 2030, climate change and water use will see a 7 per cent reduction in the amount of water that flows out of the Warrego, in southwest Queensland, into the Darling.

Water extraction would have to be halved on the second-least developed river in the basin for the Warrego's water- sharing plan, which specifies 89 per cent of its flows should reach the Darling.

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission reports there is less than 12 gigalitres (billion litres) of private water storage built along the Warrego, compared with 1333GL on the Condamine-Balonne. In 2005-06, 25GL passed through Cunnamulla on the Warrego, while the total flow through St George, on the Balonne, was 123GL.

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Water over the dam:

Monday, August 20, 2007

BY VAL SIGSTEDT

The Delaware River Basin Commission was created to supply New York City with 50 percent of its water. Always be fore, the New York City dams were the elephant in the Delaware River Basin's living room. But global warming is not simply a water theory anymore.

For 50 percent of its municipal water, New York City chose to take a river that receives such a low average amount of precipitation that it needed to dam almost every inch of its tiny watershed just to get enough water. The dam's capacity is enormous, "enough to last about a year and a half, even without one single drop more rain or snow-melt flowing into them," according to The Intelligencer (May 7).

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Dent: DRBC flood warning system could get funding

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent tours the Flood Museum and Resource Center and makes an important announcement about flooding mitigation, along with representatives of the Delaware River Basin Commission and other officials. Robert Tudor, Deputy Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, right, listens as Dent speaks in background left.

The Morning Call 12:11 PM EDT, August 17, 2007
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The Delaware River Basin Commission could receive $250,000 to improve its flood warning system, U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent said this morning. Dent made the announcement at the future site of Easton's Flood Museum and Resource Center. The new system would include improved precipitation and stream gauge networks, and updated technology to improve flash flood warning capabilities for small watersheds.

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Demand grows for water from Red Deer River

Hanneke Brooymans, edmontonjournal.com

Published: Wednesday, August 15

EDMONTON - Two water commissions in east-central Alberta want the provincial government to allow an interbasin water transfer from the Red Deer River to secure a reliable supply for residents.

The request for up to 7.8 billion litres of water annually - almost a third of the amount allocated to the city of Red Deer - is another example of mounting demands faced by the river.

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Spitzer vetoes creation of Oswego River Basin group

Posted by Delen Goldberg August 16, 2007 9:22PM

Categories: Breaking News, Oswego County, Regional News

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has vetoed the creation of an Oswego River Basin Water Level Management Commission.

Spitzer said he supports flood control, but he questioned the ability of one group to manage a basin of that size -- 5,000 square miles across several counties -- and took issue with the proposed commissions' overlap in jurisdiction with agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Story last updated at 12:36 am on 8/15/2007

MRC Meets To Discuss Issues Affecting Missouri, Mississippi River Management

By: Tera Schmidt

The Mississippi River Commission (MRC) visited the Lewis & Clark Visitor's Center neat Yankton Tuesday to discuss issues that affect this stretch of the Missouri River and how they affect the Mississippi River and its management.

"Our goal (with this trip) is to get your interests heard," said Brigadier General Robert Crear, president of the MRC. "This is one huge river basin, and we want to get the entire basin's views on the basin so that we can develop solutions and programs that benefit the basin as a whole."

The MRC was established by Congress in 1879 with the mission to develop plans to improve the condition of the Mississippi River, foster navigation, promote commerce and prevent destructive floods.

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Mississippi River Commission visits Lake Sakakawea to evaluate water situation

By KIM FUNDINGSLAND, Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com

GARRISON — The Mississippi River Commission, which was established in 1879 to oversee the operation of the entire Mississippi River drainage, made its first-ever appearance in North Dakota Monday afternoon at Fort Stevenson State Park. The seven-member commission consists of three current generals, an admiral and civilian members from Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana. The president of the commission, Gen. Bob Crear, led the delegation

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