Hirakud reservoir: water scarcity poised a threat

As the water level of the Hirakud dam reservoir has gone further down because of the dry weather it puts a direct effect on the power generation and irrigation. The dam officials apprehend a total grind halt incase the situation persists for few more days. One can imagine the condition of the country’s biggest reservoir has only 5 feet of water with a generation of 17 MW of electricity in place of total 307 MW. When the dam officials blame the dry weather as the cause of the condition, activists claim it as an outcome of the of the government water sharing policy with the industrial houses. Sources said, the Hirakud dam has a capacity of 40 feet water with in an area 743 sq. km with having power generation capacity of 307. MW. But presently the situation has been alarming as the dam has only 5 feet of water forcing the authority to cut down power generation. The control room sources revealed that only 17.958 MW has been generated in Burla power house over the past one week as there is severe scarcity of water in the dam reservoir.
“Since our priority job is to supply water for the irrigation we have cut down the power generation looking to the scarcity of water. We successfully managed every thing with the existing water till date. But if the situation remains unchanged for few days more it would be difficult for us run the water management smoothly”, the superintending engineer of Hirakud Dam Project JB Moahapatra told.
Sources said, about 7496 cusec of water is being discharged from the reservoir to maintain the irrigation and power generation against the inflow of 671 cusec. So there is a deficit of water every moment. At present the water level of the reservoir is slight high to 595 feet, just 5 feet away from the dead-level.. Dam authority supply 3000 cusec of water to Bargarh Canal, 630 cusec to through Sasan canal for irrigation and 102 cuses to Sambalpur and 7 cusec to Hirakud. But nothing will be possible for the dam authority in case the water level touches the dead level of 590.
However the dam experts and social activists believe that sharing dam water to the industrial houses is the outcome of such a situation. “Such a situation was never occurred in the past. You can not always depend on the rain in the catchments area in the non-monsoon period. Some time it happens. But such a situation will always arise till industries are allowed to take water directly from the reservoir”, the former chief engineer Karunakar Supakar told.

“The main purpose behind the construction of the dam was flood control, irrigation and power generation. Water to industries was never a purpose. So if government feels the necessity of sharing water to the industries than government should give direction to the industrial houses to take water during rainy seasons and preserve it in there respective places. They should have there own reservoir to store water”, Mr. Supakar told.

On the other hand Dam official does not see any threat with the sharing of water with the industrial houses. “See industrial houses are presently taking 80 to 90 cusec water in place of 486 cusec as decided by the government. The major set back was occurred this year that we did not get a single drop of water since 17^th September 2008 to till date as there is no rain in the catchments area of the reservoir.”, Superintending Engineer Hirakud dam, Mr. Mohapatra told.Meanwhile the scarcity of water in reservoir has become a treat on the flora and fauna that was depending in the reservoir water.

Articles on various topics related to the problems and development of western Orissa will be placed in the blogs. So watch this regularly and give your valuable comments.

rain rain gone again: ranjan's new article

On Tuesday farmers woke up looking at the sky with the hope to spot some moving clouds. But that was not to be. Yet another day passed to make Orissa even more dry and distressful. Only a week is left for June to end, but the state has not received any worthy rain. To make things worse Sambalpur recorded highest temperatures for three consecutive days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to gain the ignominious identity of being the hottest place of the country.

Dams, ponds, rivers, wells of the so called water surplus Orissa is drier than never before. An assessment by Water Initiatives Orissa in rural western Orissa villages found that each rural household are spending about 20 to 60 percent more time in collection of water this year than earlier years. Ground water levels have reached new lows. Everybody is complaining that days are unbearable and nights are suffocating. Senior persons are describing how they have never witnessed such heat and water stress in their life.
The farmers have been left in the lurch as monsoon predictions have also gone haywire. When the cyclone ‘AILA’ came, the meteorology department hurriedly announced early arrival of monsoon with that. Though it did not bring usual widespread rainfall in most parts of Orissa, many farmers believed pre-monsoon rainfall as monsoon rainfall and went for early sowing. Now a month has passed since the AILA and the state is more parched and more disillusioned than ever before.
Now, farmers are in desperation and disarray. Those who did sow have almost lost the crop and will have to do that again. Agriculture is already a fortnight behind and god knows how many days it will take more for the rainfall to arrive. Ponds and rivers are still dry. Go to any interior forest area and you will find animals and birds dying in hordes for want of drinking water. Idle hydro power units are taking huge tolls on electricity. And suddenly everybody, including the government, have realised that climate change can be too ugly and unbearable.
In this grossly abnormal and confused weather, Water Initiatives Orissa did a status check of some of the key sectors.
Agriculture:
Gajamarudi: As per the information from the agriculture department, sowing in directly sown lands (mostly rain-fed) are about 30 percent behind target. The department had estimated that sowing will be over in about 7 lakh hectares by June. But it has been stuck under 5 lakh hectares. This figure too may be misleading as most of sown crops will have to be re-sown again due to Gaja Marudi (Germination Drought).
rrigated areas no better: While things in the rain-fed areas are pretty worrisome, irrigated areas are not too well off either. There is acute shortage or water in most reservoirs. On Tuesday, Hirakud and Indravati reservoirs had only 43,048 and 2,274 Hectare Meters (Ham) water respectively. They are the two largest reservoirs with big irrigation command areas apart from other uses. Release of water from Hirakud reservoir for irrigation was delayed by almost a week. Water of Hirakud reservoir is now being used to generate power in the peak evening period. On a single day on Tuesday, the reservoir lost an estimated 1,952 Ham of water to release for irrigation, power generation, industrial drawal and urban water supply. This implies that at this rate the Hirakud reservoir could at best sustain for 20 days maximum. But given the rate of siltation, water supply in the Sasan canal of Hirakud reservoir is already facing threat. So though statistics may imply that 20 more days may be sustained, in practice that is absolutely improbable and Hirakud is likely to face severe shortage in a week time. Similarly, no real water is being released into the irrigation canals of Indravati project as the reservoir has already reached the lowest utilisable level. Thus irrigated agriculture has already been delayed there.
Seed distress may spoil salvage drive: The situation is most likely to aggravate as farmers may face tremendous seed scarcity. Promotion of high-yielding varieties of seeds and stress on ‘seed replacement’ has started a culture of seed dependence among farmers. The state government has targets to supply 4 lakh quintals of paddy seeds this season. Out of that the government has already sold 3.4 quintals till now. This is a big increase against last year’s total supply of 2.5 lakh quintals. Still complaints of seed scarcity are coming from everywhere in Orissa. Now that farmers will require seeds again, seed distress is likely to quite severe. However, the government agriculture department is doing its bit in calming nerves by saying that backup plans are in place.
SRI and traditional seeds may become the saving grace: In this situation System of Rice Intensification and farmers who used their wisdom and stored sufficient seeds may save some worries. Other crops have suffered also: Other crops like groundnut, banana etc. have extensively suffered too. The possibility of reviving those crops are dying with each passing dry days.
Energy production in doldrums:

Hardly four days had passed after energy minister Mr. Atanu Sabyasachi declared in the floor of Assembly on June 10, 2009 that there will be no power cuts anymore in Orissa from then on wards, the state is reeling under acute power cuts. The state is in for at least four hours of declared power cuts and uncountable numbers of undeclared power cuts/failures. Arguing that while the demand now is 2,251 MW against an availability of 2,290 MW of power, the minister had declared that Orissa is now a power surplus state. But just a week later the minister toured with a begging bowl to beg few more Megawatts of supplies from the Center or from the Captive Power Plants. The minister came to know the very hard fact that Orissa’s demand is not 2,251 MW but close to 2,900 MW which makes the state a deficient energy state.
Orissa’s power houses are gasping for water: While Hirakud and Indravati have still some water left in them, they are of little use for energy production now. Other major reservoirs like Rengali and Upper Kolab have already reached their dead level. On Tuesday Orissa’s hydro-power units produced a meagre 335 MW. Only Balimela and Machhkund reservoirs have some descent water storage left.
Thermal power plants are in acute shortage of water and coal: The mega Thermal Power Plant at Talcher is having coal stocks that can last for a maximum of four days. Similar is the case with NALCO. NALCO is now drawing about 30 MW of energy from the grid, when that company was expected to supply to grid. Many smaller captive power plants like the Eastern Steel and Power Ltd (ESPL)have shut down for shortage of water.
Dam management:
Though the government disagrees, dam management – especially of Hirakud and Rengali - have always been shrouded in controversies. Water supply into the irrigation channels was delayed by a week at Hirakud. Power generation has been relegated from November. Dry season (November to June) power generation this year is about half the level of what was produced in 2003-04. Though power generation is a higher priority than water supply to industries, still government has preferred to curtail power generation that stopping supplies to industrial units from Hirakud reservoir. A thorough assessment of water flow into the dam is long overdue. Similar is the case with Rengali reservoir. Real irrigation is yet to start from the reservoir. But still the dam has no utilisable water left. When irrigation starts, more problems with Rengali dam are sure to crop up. Though climate change and accompanying rainfall and run-off abnormalities are a fact, still the dam managers have faltered in making proper assessment and prioritisation.
Met prediction:
Farmers have always complained of inadequate or false predictions by the meteorology department. This year was another instance of false prediction. In the later parts of May, the met department predicted that monsoon will arrive about 10 days earlier in Orissa. When the Cyclone AILA arrived in the third week of May, the met department hurriedly announced that the monsoon has arrived. But a month has passed since, and still the monsoon is not in sight. The met department is busy in finding excuses. But the fact is that their false prediction of an early monsoon and then the declaration of monsoon arrival have waylaid many farmers to early sowing and subsequent loss of crops. Even now also the met department is shying away from giving clear prediction on when the rainfall will actually arrive. Clearly, our weather prediction system requires many things more – especially on prediction of monsoon and rainfall which impacts farmers very badly.

Heat bowl - Sambalpur’s ignominious identity as the hottest place of the country:
Sambalpur was once considered as the city with the most moderate climate Western Orissa. But that identity has been brutally lost to blazing sun and blasphemous heat emission from sprouting industries nearby. One 22nd, 23rd and 24th June this year, Sambalpur recorded temperatures of 46.6, 46.2 and 45.80 C respectively which was highest not only in Orissa but also in the whole country. June maximum temperatures have breached records in most other parts of Orissa. Clearly Orissa has become hub of heat.
Ecology and Water improvement cannot be dithered anymore:
This is too much. We have already wasted and degraded a lot in our belief that development requires industrialisation, deforestation and unsustainable use of natural resources – primarily the water. We must have to shed that. This year should be eye openers that if at all we need any investment for growth, then such investments have to be made to make the ecology and our surrounding worthy of sustaining our livings.
Water Initiatives Orissa has always come with facts, evidences and public perceptions that weather in Orissa is behaving more unnaturally than many parts of the world. We sincerely hope that the present distress situation will necessitate positive action at the policy and community level. Government and people will start putting more value to creation of ecological assets. Otherwise, we have no scope to dilly-dally and dither from the hard task of ecological conservation and just use of resources and still expect that the weather will behave normally. Thus Water Initiatives Orissa calls the government to immediately take steps,
To increase surface water storage (not through large dams but through small but intense pond storages) by at least 200 percent in the next five years.
To increase forest covers (not just forest area) up to 40 percent from the present 31 percent level.

To stop permission for ecologically destructing industries like thermal power plants, mines, aluminium smelters and refineries etc.
To give fresh impetus to ecological asset creation through NREGS. The government must take up elaborate awareness drives about the NREGS and increase annual spending by at least four times than the present level of Rs 673.9 Crores only which is too little given the scope of the scheme. The government must come out with a comprehensive ‘Climate Change Combat Plan’ and truthfully follow that.
Massive drives and campaigns to make people aware about energy, water and natural conservations have to be undertaken on priority. Non-Governmental Organisations, Private Sector and Educational Institutions should be drafted into the scheme in more effective manners. Curriculums at all levels of education have to be changed to give more emphasis on ecological conservation. WIO appeals the media and publication houses to be carriers of positive vibes to instil a sense of responsibility for ecology conservation and improvement.

power-cut citing less production makes living misurable in Sambalpur

Imagine the condition of a regular power failure when the temperature remains above 44 degrees Celsius. This is what exactly people of Sambalpur are now experiencing in mid-June due to exceptional delay in monsoon. Acute shortage of drinking water adds to their misery. When environmental activists believes this is a part of the effect of the global warming and an outcome of the blind industrialization that has taken place over the past few years, common people think it due to the anger of the rain of god. But what ever the reason might be, it is the common people who suffer in such a salutation.
Sources said, regular power failure in the city has become a regular phenomenon over a period past one month and the town remains in darkness for more than 3 hours every day with out any prior declaration. More over there is no fixed timing and it is done at the mercy of the wesco, the power supply company. When the officials asked on duty do not give any satisfactory reply to their act. “We are forced to slash power supply there is a shortage in power production. We do not get power as per our demand so decision has been taken to cut power for one hour in every area to adjust the supply demand ratio”, the executive engineer (WESCO) SK Darji told.
Sources said, Sambalpur has a demand of 62 MW in the peak hours, but due to shortage in power production in Hirakud and Kaniha, the supply has been restricted to 40 MW. The rest 22 MW has been adjusted through power cut during peak hour. Though there is a decision at official level to restrict the power cut for a hour only but in practical it become more than 2 to 3 hours every day. Some time it becomes more than 3 hours in some places. On the other hand power generation in Hirakud has effected drastically because of the acute water shortage. It produces only 10 MW in place of 254 MW.
“We have fixed a time for the power cut for each area but some time it is difficult to maintain because of the disparity in distribution power. We act as per the instruction of the Gridco which distributes the power in the state”, Mr. Darji added.
On the other hand, the temperature remains as high as 44 degree Celsius in Sambalpur over past one week. When the temperature was 45 degree on Wednesday, it remained 44.8 on Thursday. On Friday the temperature was recorded as 44.6 degree and Saturday it remained at 44.0 degree Celsius, sources said. To add to the apathy there is also a shortage of drinking water in the town. “We are suffering from the acute shortage of drinking water because of the regular power failure. If this condition persists for few more days than it would be difficult for the people to live”, councilor Ashok Soni told.
However environmentalist and activist Ranjan panda described that global warming has an effect on the delay in monsoon. “As we do not have a hand in the monsoon we better wait for it.”, He said. “But what is in our hand is ‘balancing the temperature’ by preserving nature. But it does not happen because of the blind industrialization. The temperature in industrial belt has gone us drastically”, he added. But these mean nothings to the common men who pray the rain of god ‘Indra” for an early rain.

Orissa river conference : a report by Ranjan Panda

Three day long ‘Odisha river conference’ concludes on Monday( 20th April 2009) with a declaration to safeguard rivers.

Odisha river conference comes out with ‘Sambalpur declaration on saving our rivers’ that calls to stop abuse of rivers and restore people’s traditional and natural rights over the rivers. Odisha river conference was organised by Water Initiatives Orissa and Indian River Network in Sambalpur. About 75 people, coming from across the country, participated in this three day long deliberation held during 18 – 20 April 2009. These included activists, researchers, academicians, environmentalists, farmers and civil society organisations.

Let the rivers flow for people who love and live on them, concludes Odisha Rivers Conference

‘Let the rivers flow for those who love her and live on her’. The three day long Odissa conference at Sambalpur came to a close today with strong resolve to save the rivers from degradation. It also has charted a roadmap for the future. The first two days discussed about various issues and case studies of river degradation and their impacts on community depending on them. It also deliberated on technical aspects that govern a river flow and how rivers are changing in nature and behaviour. Rivers are dying fast and people depending on those rivers are facing immense hardship was the gist of the discourses. On the third day of the conference participants went for a field visit to villages of Hirakud command areas who have been fighting a relentless and ever-growing battle against the diversion of water from irrigation’s share to industries.

The deliberation ended with a unified call, called as ‘Sambalpur declaration on saving our rivers’ that aims to spread information, awareness and action to save rivers from human interference and resultant degradation. The conference has also set a roadmap for action which includes documentation and creation of a comprehensive database on rivers. It resolved that abuse of river for economic gains like industrialisation cannot be tolerated at social and environmental cost of river. Citing the example of irreparable ecological damages done to most of the rivers by unmindful development interventions, it said that government should no more take it as its own right to use a river and start respecting the riparian rights which the communities have been traditionally and naturally enjoying since the beginning of the civilizations. The conference declared that a river network will be formed where people and institutions from varied fields like universities, academicians, activists, farmers, river users, NGOs, students and other likeminded groups will work together to instil a sense of responsibility towards the river and also to assert legitimate, traditional and environmental rights of the people and various regions.

Some of the important resolutions of the conference are as follows:

To document people’s institutions of water governance; people’s knowledge on river management and work towards integrating those in river basin planning and management. To do this, initiate processes towards community based and ecologically viable river basin governance that builds up from below and where the traditional/customary as well as new panchayati raj institutions also have a proper stake.

To pressurize the policy makers to have a fresh water/ecological impact assessment of all dams and industrial projects that are affecting the river systems and work towards advocating decommissioning of dams and such industrial projects if necessary for maintaining and sustaining the ecological health of the rivers and socio-economic-cultural benefit of communities dependent on the same.

To advocate for non-allocation of river and reservoir water to industries and for allocation of the same to drinking water and irrigation.

To study pollution of rivers due to industrialization, urbanization and other such reasons and work towards raising more awareness on such negative impacts at the community level. Also, to advocate for non establishment of mineral and water intensive industries near the river systems and at the cost of ecology.

To work towards conserving the river eco-systems and their catchments and promote basin based development approach.

While concluding the conference Ranjan Panda of Water Initiatives Orissa called on the government to hear the clear message coming from Sambalpur declaration and start action on safeguarding the rivers. He also called on people to raise their voices so loud that the government or those who use rivers for their self economic interest will be bound to hear and act.”

Professor Arttabandhu Mishra in his concluding remarks said that for Indians rivers are mother and god. It has scientific and environmental reasons to be accorded such respect. He called to start river resurrection action immediately and honestly.

Founder Member of Indian River Network, Kumar Kalanand Mani; Leading farmer and political activist Lingaraj; noted social activists Prof Durga Prasad Nayak, Dr Mangalu Charan Biswal, Saroj Mohanty and Mehboob Mahtab led discussions with grassroots facts and social analysis while Sisir Pradhan, Pranab Ranjan Choudhury, Manas Ranjan, Sushanta Mahapatra, Surya Prakash Rai and Bimal Prasad Pandia analysed technical, economical and environmental aspects of river. In the inaugural session, Ranjan Panda, Convener of Water Initiatives Orissa and Prof Artabandhu Mishra, Chairman of Indian River Network presented the base paper for the conference and highlighted the status of the rivers of Orissa, which clearly depicted how most of the rivers in the state are on the verge of a decay