Industrial Water Demand and Extraction soars in Odisha : More Water Conflicts on Anvil!
Orissa inks MoUs with five IPPs
Saturday, 10 Apr, 2010
The Orissa Government on 9 April 2010 signed MoUs with five Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to set up thermal power projects in the state.
The projects with a combined capacity of 4,800 MW are likely to be set up at a total investment of Rs 23,201.69 crore. The total land requirement for these projects has been assessed at 4,360 acre. The state government is likely to procure 600 MW from these projects.
The five IPPs who have signed the MoUs included BGR Energy System, JR Power Gen, Adhunik Power & Natural Resources, Maa Durga Thermal Power Company and Vijaya Ferro and Power.
JR Powergen plans to set up a 1,980 MW thermal power plant at Kishorenagar in Angul district at an investment of Rs 7,988 crore. BGR Energy Systems is likely to set up a 1,320 MW power plant at Bhapur in Nayagarh district at an investment of Rs 6,287 crore.
Likewise, Adhunik Power and Natural Resources is planning to set up a 1,320 MW power plant at Birmaharajpur in Subarnapur district at an estimated cost of Rs 8,079.74 crore. Maa Durga Thermal Power intends to set up a 60 MW (2x30MW) power plant at Tangi in Khordha district, involving an investment of Rs 296.95 crore. Vijaya Ferro and Power will set up a 120 MW power plant at an investment of Rs 550 crore at Kesinga (Turla Khamar) in Kalahandi district.
While BGR Energy, JR Power Gen and Adhunik Power are likely to source water from the Mahanadi river system, Maa Durga Thermal Power will draw water from Birupa river and Vijaya Ferro from Tel river.
Link : http://www.projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?smid=24&nid=30579
Industrial units soak water bodies dry
NIE
10 Apr 2010
ROURKELA: In the mad rush for industrialisation Sundargarh district, once known for its bounty of nature, seems set to turn barren due to acute shortage of water.
The fast depleting surface and groundwater tables is quite noticeable but there looks to be no immediate plan to tide over the looming crisis.
Sources said to produce around 9,500 TPD (tonnes per day) 47 sponge iron plants are consuming 7.60 lakh cubic metre (one cubic metre is of 1,000 litres) of water and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) needs 1.60 lakh cubic metres of water a day for steel making. This is apart from the water consumption made by cement major OCL, nearly 90 induction furnaces and rolling mills, two explosive factories and a few hundred small industrial units and brick-kilns. Plundering of the natural water bodies and groundwater has assumed a drastic dimension! Depletion of water level in the Brahmani into which the river Sankh and Koel fall, should be an eye-opener!
Adhunik Metalliks Ltd (AML), the largest private sector integrated steel manufacturer in the district, along with a few others directly draws water from the river. AML consumes over 7,200 cubic metres daily to produce 700 TPD of sponge iron. Use of mechanised bore wells by more than 40 other sponge iron units has further added to the troubles of the common man. The groundwater level is at an all-time low. Industries having deep bore wells are armed with sanctions of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), but have not bothered to measure extractions. The worst victim of all these industrial developments is the farm sector. Scanty rainfall during the last kharif season dealt a body blow with crop loss of more than 50 per cent. The ongoing rabi season does not portray a rosy picture, considering the drying up of natural water bodies.
Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) regional officer Simanchal Dash felt the need to recharge the water resources, adding industrial units are being encouraged for that. After goading, a few sponge iron plants had dug up ponds or installed water harvesting structures. Others lack seriousness, he added.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Mineral conservation projects face water hurdle
A mainstream media interpretation
Mineral conservation projects face water hurdle
Bishnu Dash / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar April 02, 2010, 0:29 IST
The non-availability of enough water and consequent delay in obtaining water drawal clearance from the government is causing delay in the approval of projects in the state. Along with the greenfield power projects, other mineral extraction and value addition projects have become a casualty of this situation.
Two iron ore pelletisation projects with a combined investment of Rs 315 crore have been pushed into uncertainty as the water clearance for these projects is yet to come. Under ideal conditions, the permission was expected within 15 days of the application.
Similarly, the water resources department is yet to take action on construction of reservoirs to provide water to industrial projects even though the High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) chaired by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the department to initiate measures in this direction.
Official sources said, the proposal of Ardent Steels Ltd (ASL) to expand its present capacity of iron ore pelletisation from 0.6 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to 1.2 mtpa, along with setting up of a 1mtpa iron ore beneficiation plant, at Phuljhar in Keonjhar district couldn’t be approved by the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) due to this reason.
The proposal of Kashvi International Ltd (KIL) to set up 0.3 mtpa iron ore pellet plant at Champadihi (Barbil) in the district of Keonjhar at an investment of Rs 56.21 crore has also been hit.
Though the state nodal agency for promotion of industry, the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Ipicol) had written to water resources department to send its views on availability of the required amount of water from river Baitarani, it is yet to receive the views of the department on the matter.
It may be noted, both the projects were to source water from river Baitarani. These projects are facing problems despite the fact that their water requirement is nominal and iron ore beneficiation and pelletisation projects are considered as mineral conservation projects.
On the other hand, Rs 850 crore investment proposal of Emami Paper Mills Ltd (EPML) to set up a wood based pulp and paper mill with a capacity of 1 lakh tonne per annum near Balgopalpur in Balasore has been pushed to the cold storage essentially due to non-availability of water.
Though the project requires 60,000 cubic metre per day from river Subernarekha, the formal clearance of water resources department is awaited. “The non-availability of water has become a major issue for clearing new projects. Unless concerted effort is made to address the problem, this would a major irritant for soliciting new investment”, a senior official associated with the process said.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mineral-conservation-projects-face-water-hurdle/390489/
Mineral conservation projects face water hurdle
Bishnu Dash / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar April 02, 2010, 0:29 IST
The non-availability of enough water and consequent delay in obtaining water drawal clearance from the government is causing delay in the approval of projects in the state. Along with the greenfield power projects, other mineral extraction and value addition projects have become a casualty of this situation.
Two iron ore pelletisation projects with a combined investment of Rs 315 crore have been pushed into uncertainty as the water clearance for these projects is yet to come. Under ideal conditions, the permission was expected within 15 days of the application.
Similarly, the water resources department is yet to take action on construction of reservoirs to provide water to industrial projects even though the High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) chaired by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the department to initiate measures in this direction.
Official sources said, the proposal of Ardent Steels Ltd (ASL) to expand its present capacity of iron ore pelletisation from 0.6 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to 1.2 mtpa, along with setting up of a 1mtpa iron ore beneficiation plant, at Phuljhar in Keonjhar district couldn’t be approved by the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) due to this reason.
The proposal of Kashvi International Ltd (KIL) to set up 0.3 mtpa iron ore pellet plant at Champadihi (Barbil) in the district of Keonjhar at an investment of Rs 56.21 crore has also been hit.
Though the state nodal agency for promotion of industry, the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Ipicol) had written to water resources department to send its views on availability of the required amount of water from river Baitarani, it is yet to receive the views of the department on the matter.
It may be noted, both the projects were to source water from river Baitarani. These projects are facing problems despite the fact that their water requirement is nominal and iron ore beneficiation and pelletisation projects are considered as mineral conservation projects.
On the other hand, Rs 850 crore investment proposal of Emami Paper Mills Ltd (EPML) to set up a wood based pulp and paper mill with a capacity of 1 lakh tonne per annum near Balgopalpur in Balasore has been pushed to the cold storage essentially due to non-availability of water.
Though the project requires 60,000 cubic metre per day from river Subernarekha, the formal clearance of water resources department is awaited. “The non-availability of water has become a major issue for clearing new projects. Unless concerted effort is made to address the problem, this would a major irritant for soliciting new investment”, a senior official associated with the process said.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mineral-conservation-projects-face-water-hurdle/390489/
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Orissa Government approves flood control projects worth of Rs 2,850 crore
Friday, March 19, 2010
Report by Dipti Ranjan Kanungo;
Bhubaneswar: The meeting of 36th state flood Control Board held in the Orissa secretariat on Friday under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The board has approved several flood control projects worth Rs 2,850 crore.
The Board gave his nod for two major projects to be implemented over rivers Subernarekha and Baitarani besides 121 proposals for controlling flood in different river systems.
Subernarekha river, which emerges from Chhotnagpur area of Jharkhand, crossed 245 miles though Orissa's Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts, before merging with the Bay of Bengal. It does not have any reservoir to check flood water during monsoon.
During monsoon, flood water of Subarnarekha creates havoc in northern districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Keonjhar ( Salandi Renovation Project ) Rs 933.16 crore, Rs 62.67 Crore for Brahmani System ( Brahmani-Kelua – Birupa Island ) , Rs 1855 Crore for 121 different projects has been sanctioned.
The proposal has been submitted to the centre government to declaire National Project to the Rengali Project.
Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, Legislature Pratap Keshari Deb, Prasanta Kumar Muduli, Chief Secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra, Development Commissioner Satya Prakash Nanda, Member of Board of Revenue Smt Rajalaxmi, Agriculture Production Commissioner R.M.Senapaty were present.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Report by Dipti Ranjan Kanungo;
Bhubaneswar: The meeting of 36th state flood Control Board held in the Orissa secretariat on Friday under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The board has approved several flood control projects worth Rs 2,850 crore.
The Board gave his nod for two major projects to be implemented over rivers Subernarekha and Baitarani besides 121 proposals for controlling flood in different river systems.
Subernarekha river, which emerges from Chhotnagpur area of Jharkhand, crossed 245 miles though Orissa's Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts, before merging with the Bay of Bengal. It does not have any reservoir to check flood water during monsoon.
During monsoon, flood water of Subarnarekha creates havoc in northern districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Keonjhar ( Salandi Renovation Project ) Rs 933.16 crore, Rs 62.67 Crore for Brahmani System ( Brahmani-Kelua – Birupa Island ) , Rs 1855 Crore for 121 different projects has been sanctioned.
The proposal has been submitted to the centre government to declaire National Project to the Rengali Project.
Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, Legislature Pratap Keshari Deb, Prasanta Kumar Muduli, Chief Secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra, Development Commissioner Satya Prakash Nanda, Member of Board of Revenue Smt Rajalaxmi, Agriculture Production Commissioner R.M.Senapaty were present.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
As summer sets in, India says 33% of its groundwater undrinkable
New Delhi – As India braces for the torrid summer heat for the next 6-8 months, with daytime temperatures already touching 40 deg.C in parts of the eastern Indian state of Orissa, officials have admitted that the crucial groundwater situation in more than a third of the country is not fit for drinking.
The government has admitted in parliament that iron levels in groundwater are higher than those prescribed in 254 districts while fluoride levels have breached the safe level in 224 districts.
The alarming situation could bring trouble for the government, which has promised to provide drinking water to all habitations by 2012 under the United Nations millennium development goals.
While ground water is not the only source of drinking water that government utilises, it is one of the key supplies and the dependence on ground water has been increasing over years.
The government, in its reply, said salinity had risen beyond tolerance levels in 162 districts while arsenic levels were found higher than permissible limits in 34 districts. India has over 600 administrative districts.
States like Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat seemed to be worst affected. Twenty-one of the 26 districts of Gujarat were found to have dangerous salinity levels and 18 had breached safe fluoride levels.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) found 21 of 31 districts in the southern state of Karnataka to be contaminated with iron and 20 districts with higher levels of fluoride.
In the case of Rajasthan, ground water in 27 districts was found to be too saline, 30 districts had higher levels of fluoride and 28 suffered from iron contamination.
The national capital of New Delhi does not fare any better, with five of its nine districts showing fluoride contamination and two showing salinity. Pockets of all the nine districts had high iron content.
The government admission, comes soon after the World Bank said that if the current trends of acute groundwater use continue, 60% of all acquifers in India could run dry in 20 years or will be in a critical condition..
It has urged priority action through higher investment in management of groundwater resources to reduce over exploitation, especially in view of the fact that there is major dependence by several sectors on the resources countrywide.
Groundwater resources are being depleted at an alarming rate. Today, 29% of groundwater blocks are semi-critical, critical, or overexploited, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly.
By 2025, an estimated 60% of India's groundwater blocks will be in a critical condition. Climate change will further strain groundwater resources. Almost 54% of the groundwater blocks in Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu fall in these categories.
Today, out of total 5,723 groundwater blocks in the country, 1,615 are classified as semi-critical, critical or over-exploited, and regulatory directives have been issued by the Central Ground Water Authority for 108 blocks.
India is the largest user of groundwater in the world, with an estimated use of 230 cubic kilometres of groundwater every year—more than a quarter of the global total.
In fact, groundwater use has been steadily increasing in India over the last 4-5 decades. Today, groundwater supports approximately 60% of irrigated agriculture and more than 80% of rural and urban water supplies.
"Today, groundwater supports approximately 60 percent of irrigated agriculture and more than 80 percent of rural and urban water supplies (in India)," said the World Bank report.
Around 29 percent of groundwater blocks, are semi-critical, critical or overexploited, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly. Climate change will further strain groundwater resources, the statement quoted the report as having said.
While urban centres in the country deploy water treatment systems before supplying water to homes, the costs of cleaning up as well as chances of contamination remain
Read more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313727,as-summer-sets-in-india-says-33-of-its-groundwater-undrinkable.html#ixzz0i5H15Dsb
The government has admitted in parliament that iron levels in groundwater are higher than those prescribed in 254 districts while fluoride levels have breached the safe level in 224 districts.
The alarming situation could bring trouble for the government, which has promised to provide drinking water to all habitations by 2012 under the United Nations millennium development goals.
While ground water is not the only source of drinking water that government utilises, it is one of the key supplies and the dependence on ground water has been increasing over years.
The government, in its reply, said salinity had risen beyond tolerance levels in 162 districts while arsenic levels were found higher than permissible limits in 34 districts. India has over 600 administrative districts.
States like Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat seemed to be worst affected. Twenty-one of the 26 districts of Gujarat were found to have dangerous salinity levels and 18 had breached safe fluoride levels.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) found 21 of 31 districts in the southern state of Karnataka to be contaminated with iron and 20 districts with higher levels of fluoride.
In the case of Rajasthan, ground water in 27 districts was found to be too saline, 30 districts had higher levels of fluoride and 28 suffered from iron contamination.
The national capital of New Delhi does not fare any better, with five of its nine districts showing fluoride contamination and two showing salinity. Pockets of all the nine districts had high iron content.
The government admission, comes soon after the World Bank said that if the current trends of acute groundwater use continue, 60% of all acquifers in India could run dry in 20 years or will be in a critical condition..
It has urged priority action through higher investment in management of groundwater resources to reduce over exploitation, especially in view of the fact that there is major dependence by several sectors on the resources countrywide.
Groundwater resources are being depleted at an alarming rate. Today, 29% of groundwater blocks are semi-critical, critical, or overexploited, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly.
By 2025, an estimated 60% of India's groundwater blocks will be in a critical condition. Climate change will further strain groundwater resources. Almost 54% of the groundwater blocks in Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu fall in these categories.
Today, out of total 5,723 groundwater blocks in the country, 1,615 are classified as semi-critical, critical or over-exploited, and regulatory directives have been issued by the Central Ground Water Authority for 108 blocks.
India is the largest user of groundwater in the world, with an estimated use of 230 cubic kilometres of groundwater every year—more than a quarter of the global total.
In fact, groundwater use has been steadily increasing in India over the last 4-5 decades. Today, groundwater supports approximately 60% of irrigated agriculture and more than 80% of rural and urban water supplies.
"Today, groundwater supports approximately 60 percent of irrigated agriculture and more than 80 percent of rural and urban water supplies (in India)," said the World Bank report.
Around 29 percent of groundwater blocks, are semi-critical, critical or overexploited, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly. Climate change will further strain groundwater resources, the statement quoted the report as having said.
While urban centres in the country deploy water treatment systems before supplying water to homes, the costs of cleaning up as well as chances of contamination remain
Read more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313727,as-summer-sets-in-india-says-33-of-its-groundwater-undrinkable.html#ixzz0i5H15Dsb
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
International Day of River
March 14, 2010, the International Day of River is fast approaching. What should we do to help our Rivers to Flow?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
International River Day - Mar 14
International Day of Action for Rivers
Taking Action for Rivers on March 14
* Learn more about 2009 actions by region
* Check out the 2009 International Day of Action for Rivers photo gallery
* Follow the Day of Action for Rivers blog
Reclaim Our Rivers, Our Rights in 2010!
We invite you, our friends and colleagues around the world to stand up on March 14, 2010, and participate in the 13th annual International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life.
Celebrate
Our collective international movement has made huge strides in protecting the world’s rivers and the rights of communities who depend on them. In June, our colleagues in Mexico succeeded in securing a significant delay on La Parota Dam. Strong Kenyan opposition to Ethiopia’s Gibe 3 Dam has deterred international funders from approving financing for the project. And in October, community activists celebrated their victorious campaign to stop a dam on the Mary River in Australia when the government cancelled the project.
Reclaim Our Rivers, Our Rights
Despite these successes, we still face serious challenges. The hydropower industry is planning to release a new protocol that could greenwash hydropower and undermine the rights of dam-affected communities to participate in development decisions. Southern financiers, like Brazil and China, are increasingly funding dams that threaten some of the world’s most amazing rivers, which have supported communities for generations.
We urge you to join thousands of dam-affected people and their allies around the world under a unifying message of "Our Rivers, Our Rights." Together, our voices are stronger.
* Together, we will demand reparations for people affected by existing dams.
* Together, we will insist that dams do not proceed without the consent of affected communities.
* Together, we will press for better solutions to meet our water and energy needs than big, destructive dams.
* Together, we will raise our voices on March 14, 2010 to reclaim our rivers and our rights.
Taking Action for Rivers on March 14
* Learn more about 2009 actions by region
* Check out the 2009 International Day of Action for Rivers photo gallery
* Follow the Day of Action for Rivers blog
Reclaim Our Rivers, Our Rights in 2010!
We invite you, our friends and colleagues around the world to stand up on March 14, 2010, and participate in the 13th annual International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life.
Celebrate
Our collective international movement has made huge strides in protecting the world’s rivers and the rights of communities who depend on them. In June, our colleagues in Mexico succeeded in securing a significant delay on La Parota Dam. Strong Kenyan opposition to Ethiopia’s Gibe 3 Dam has deterred international funders from approving financing for the project. And in October, community activists celebrated their victorious campaign to stop a dam on the Mary River in Australia when the government cancelled the project.
Reclaim Our Rivers, Our Rights
Despite these successes, we still face serious challenges. The hydropower industry is planning to release a new protocol that could greenwash hydropower and undermine the rights of dam-affected communities to participate in development decisions. Southern financiers, like Brazil and China, are increasingly funding dams that threaten some of the world’s most amazing rivers, which have supported communities for generations.
We urge you to join thousands of dam-affected people and their allies around the world under a unifying message of "Our Rivers, Our Rights." Together, our voices are stronger.
* Together, we will demand reparations for people affected by existing dams.
* Together, we will insist that dams do not proceed without the consent of affected communities.
* Together, we will press for better solutions to meet our water and energy needs than big, destructive dams.
* Together, we will raise our voices on March 14, 2010 to reclaim our rivers and our rights.
Glimpses of IRBM researches/approaches around the World
Twin2Go in a nutshell
Twin2Go reviews, consolidates, and synthesises research on integrated water resources management (IWRM) in basins around the world. Over the past years, the EU has funded several projects that undertook research on specific IWRM issues in case studies carried out on twinned river basins in Europe and in developing countries. The aim of Twin2Go now is to draw policy relevant research results on issues around ‘adaptive water governance in the context of climate change’ and to make them transferable to other basins.
The consolidated outcomes will feed into best practice guidelines for the implementation of adaptive water governance. To ensure up-take of the research results in water resources management practice and political decision making, all synthesis activities will involve stakeholders from the projects and basins and outcomes will be effectively disseminated to all relevant levels of target groups including high level decision makers in water policy.
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