Dear Leo, Can you draft a statement and others can put in their views so that it can be circulated.
Medha ji, thanks for the clarification. The top soil of Kerala has gone with the floods. Chengannoor and Chalakkudi areas are worst affected. The MLA in Chalakkudi has stated that if food is not provided ten thousand people may die. Fisher people are in the rescue efforts. But they do not have oil to move their boats. Magline is involved. Many others irrespective of political, religious and other differences are working together on the ground. I would say that those who wish to contribute should do it directly to the Chief Minister's fund. A figure of over 8,000 crores are needed as per day before yesterday's newspaper reports. Food, drinking water, sanitory napkins for women, toilet facilities, health care, etc. are needed. A situation we all wish that should not repeat in history again. On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 10:40 PM, Leo Saldanha <[email protected]> wrote: > > Sasi: > > A note I shared on CEJI, I share again here. All who suffer this > devastation will want us to push back destructive forces, particularly > those who develop against nature. > > A lot of deep perspectives have evolved here > > Leo > > Can we make a simple and effective statement that the disaster unfolding > in Kerala and southern Karnataka should not be treated trivially, and that > this is a time for True federalism to kick in. > > I am reminded of what George Bush Jr did during the typhoon in New Orleans > and Florida. > > Could someone draft an effective statement and we could circulate it > online for endorsements, and build pressure on the Centre to do the right > thing and not play politics. > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > Leo F. Saldanha > Environment Support Group > 1572, Ring Road, Banashankari II Stage > Bangalore 560070. INDIA > WEB: www.esgindia.org > Tel:+91-80-26713559~61 > Fax: +91-80-26713316 > Cell: +91-9448377403 > Email: [email protected] > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > On 17-Aug-2018, at 10:34 PM, Vasundhara Jairath < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Meanwhile here in Assam, NEEPCO's Doyang Hydel Power Project (located in > bordering Wokha district in Nagaland) raised its 4 gates causing flooding > in Wokha (Nagaland), Golaghat and Numaligarh (Assam), without informing > local residents of this decision and causing widespread damage to people's > homes, their standing crops and cattle. > Here is an article that puts the floods in broader context: > https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/thousands-marooned-in- > a-dam-induced-flood-in-golaghat-61326 > > This para is particularly incisive: > " People living downstream of the dam have also accused NEEPCO for > deliberately keeping the water level high > <https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/rs-389-crore-bihar-dam-collapses-ahead-of-inauguration-low-lying-areas-inundated-58714> > so that there was more electricity generation. The Central Electricity > Regulatory Authority had set 14.28 million units for July as target. > According to the Central Electricity Authority's monthly report, the Doyang > Project produced 45.52 million units, which is thrice the amount of > electricity the dam was supposed to produce in July." > > > On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 4:21 PM, KP Sasi <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Medha ji, >> Two days back, I read an article which stated in scientific terms about >> the possibility of increase in waters in Asian rivers due to climate >> change. More impact is on the rivers rooted in Himalayas. 20 per cent >> increase in the waters of Narmada was also predicted. I can not remember >> where I read it. However, I feel that 100 crores may be nothing to deal >> with the forthcoming disaster in Sardar Sarovar area. The forthcoming >> disaster due to various environmental factors will be much more. >> >> On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 3:42 PM, Medha Patkar <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Dear all ,while my heart flows towards kerala...the people who are >>> facing hell and as advised,we cant even reach out to them....it is hard to >>> think about the reasoning and explain the crisis...however after returning >>> from the hilly areas,we all here in narmada has realised the gravity and >>> the situation of centre state conflict...an immediate need for the centre >>> to take immediate steps,send crpf,helicopters,whatever demanded with >>> finance beyond petty 100crores,must be stressed and response >>> demanded......no doubt however that the dam induced floods with the rivers >>> dammed without taking cognizance of the climate change as well as capacity >>> to regulate and monitor cascades of dams...is a serious issue.sandrp's >>> analysis ad in surat floods is valuable...moreover kerala govt shd not >>> spare time in letting waters of mullaperiyar to tamilnadu and fill vaiga(?? >>> )Dam...everything needed for saving lives,livelihoods,homes and hearths is >>> a must.how can we forget that kerala govt played much better role in >>> rehabilitating fisherpeople while the centre cheated them....let us assert >>> that the centre cant not shirk its responsibility...and disaster management >>> cant just remain to be a white elephant..let our kerala colleagues suggest >>> immediate actions... medha patkar >>> >>> On Fri, 17 Aug 2018 14:36 Himanshu Thakkar, <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> THanks so much, Sasi, >>>> >>>> Very apt comments and useful. Indeed the destruction of catchment is >>>> the biggest reason and the capacity to manage the disaster is so abysmal. >>>> No lessons learnt form Uttarakhand in June 2013, Kashmir in Sept 2014, >>>> Chennai Dec 2015 and so many others. Kerala of Aug 2018, will I guess not >>>> be any different. The KSEB statements are clearly shocking, but even on >>>> electricity generation front, they have fallen as I wrote in the article. >>>> >>>> Premdas ji, When you say annual dam floods affair in N Karnataka and >>>> the Oct 2009 incident are about Upper Krishna backwaters? >>>> >>>> Himanshu >>>> >>> >>> On 17 Aug 2018 14:36, "Himanshu Thakkar" <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> THanks so much, Sasi, >>> >>> Very apt comments and useful. Indeed the destruction of catchment is the >>> biggest reason and the capacity to manage the disaster is so abysmal. No >>> lessons learnt form Uttarakhand in June 2013, Kashmir in Sept 2014, Chennai >>> Dec 2015 and so many others. Kerala of Aug 2018, will I guess not be any >>> different. The KSEB statements are clearly shocking, but even on >>> electricity generation front, they have fallen as I wrote in the article. >>> >>> Premdas ji, When you say annual dam floods affair in N Karnataka and the >>> Oct 2009 incident are about Upper Krishna backwaters? >>> >>> Himanshu >>> >>> On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 2:19 PM, Premdas E.P. <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> The dam-induced floods are an annual affair in North - Karnataka also. >>>> However, there is a grave silence around the issue. the great paradox is >>>> that the dams are strongly argued for as a measure for flood control and to >>>> harness water. we are made to believe that dams are temples, and not as >>>> grave-yards. There is absolutely no coordination between who manage the >>>> dam-sites and the down-stream authorities/departments. In 2009, when north >>>> Karnataka (Raichur) got flooded, there was not even warning or news. the >>>> water entered villages at night 10 (p.m.). Added to the misery, there was >>>> no electricity since the previous 3 days and even cellphones were not >>>> functioning as they were out of charge. >>>> >>>> The Kerala situation, unfortunate though it is, should now question the >>>> dam-induced-disasters. >>>> >>>> Debates apart, suffering is real, and we should stand in solidarity >>>> with people of Kerala. >>>> >>>> Premdas >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, 17 Aug 2018 at 14:10, KP Sasi <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> What is even more devilish is that when they opened the waters from >>>>> all the shutters, they said that there is no reason to worry since we have >>>>> informed the concerned authorities that we are going to open all the >>>>> shutters. But, where is the time or infrastructure to deal with the mess? >>>>> >>>>> On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 2:06 PM, KP Sasi <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Thanks, Himanshu. >>>>>> >>>>>> At one level, I agree that the floods created by Idukki dam could >>>>>> have been avoided, since they waited and waited for the dam to be >>>>>> completely filled before releasing water from all the shutters. The >>>>>> reason >>>>>> they told the media was that they believed that the water level would go >>>>>> down in a day or two. However, the dam itself has been responsible for >>>>>> creating landslides and many other problems in the past. The pressure on >>>>>> the earth in the region was more than the earth could bear. >>>>>> >>>>>> However, it is also important to understand that even if Idukki >>>>>> damage could have been reduced, the overall disaster could not have been >>>>>> done away with. The role of deforestation on the uphills of all rivers >>>>>> have >>>>>> played a major role. >>>>>> >>>>>> Today, we are looking at ways to handle a major disaster. But we >>>>>> forget that none of the State Governments nor the Central Government are >>>>>> really equipped to handle disasters. The disaster management set ups of >>>>>> the >>>>>> Governments have proven again and again to be inefficient. We have seen >>>>>> it >>>>>> in Tsunami, we have seen it in various earthquakes and floods in India. >>>>>> The >>>>>> only repeated statement they would do to convince the media is that >>>>>> `everything is efficiently managed'. However, this is not just a case of >>>>>> `management' alone. It is also a case of a political philosophy on how >>>>>> the >>>>>> Governments and the vested interests look at environment. >>>>>> >>>>>> On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 9:58 AM, Himanshu Thakkar < >>>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks, Sasi, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Hope you have seen this, which was written and published on Aug 10. >>>>>>> https://sandrp.in/2018/08/10/idukki-releases-water-when- >>>>>>> kerala-is-in-floods-could-this-be-avoided/ >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Thu, Aug 16, 2018 at 11:42 PM, KP Sasi <[email protected]> >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> The God's own country is flooded. Human beings built dams and >>>>>>>> released all the waters since the dams could not withstand the >>>>>>>> pressure. >>>>>>>> Perhaps, at least this should be a lesson for those who still argue for >>>>>>>> blocking rivers with large dams. The situation has become grave with >>>>>>>> deforestation. Water would flow down in one go, flooding all over and >>>>>>>> after >>>>>>>> three months, there would be a shortage of water in all these regions. >>>>>>>> People would be dependent on water tanks for their basic needs. >>>>>>>> The immediate need is to generate help for this man made disaster. No >>>>>>>> God >>>>>>>> can stop a man made disaster even in God's Own Country. The long term >>>>>>>> solution is to find ways to close the mouths of the development >>>>>>>> fundamentalists, working for profits of a section of people. It is >>>>>>>> clear >>>>>>>> that Kerala can not survive without protecting its environment. If we >>>>>>>> do >>>>>>>> not learn the right lessons at least now, we never will. >>>>>>>> https://countercurrents.org/2018/08/16/kerala-faces-devastat >>>>>>>> ing-floods/ >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> Himanshu Thakkar >>>>>>> >>>>>>> South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, >>>>>>> c/o 86-D, AD block, Shalimar Bagh, >>>>>>> <https://maps.google.com/?q=86-D,+AD+block,+Shalimar+Bagh,+Delhi+110088,+India&entry=gmail&source=g> >>>>>>> Delhi 110088, India >>>>>>> <https://maps.google.com/?q=86-D,+AD+block,+Shalimar+Bagh,+Delhi+110088,+India&entry=gmail&source=g> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> [email protected], [email protected] >>>>>>> http://sandrp.wordpress.com/ >>>>>>> www.sandrp.in >>>>>>> www.facebook.com/sandrp.in >>>>>>> https://twitter.com/Indian_Rivers >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> --------------------------- >>>> *"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; >>>> the point, however, is to change it".* *Karl Marx * >>>> >>>> http://jmschiguru.wordpress.com/ >>>> https://www.facebook.com/jms.chiguru/ >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Himanshu Thakkar >>> >>> South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, >>> c/o 86-D, AD block, Shalimar Bagh, >>> <https://maps.google.com/?q=86-D,+AD+block,+Shalimar+Bagh,+Delhi+110088,+India&entry=gmail&source=g> >>> Delhi 110088, India >>> <https://maps.google.com/?q=86-D,+AD+block,+Shalimar+Bagh,+Delhi+110088,+India&entry=gmail&source=g> >>> >>> [email protected], [email protected] >>> http://sandrp.wordpress.com/ >>> www.sandrp.in >>> www.facebook.com/sandrp.in >>> https://twitter.com/Indian_Rivers >>> >>> >>> >> > > > -- > Vasundhara Jairath > Assistant Professor (Development Studies) > Department of Humanities and Social Sciences > IIT, Guwahati > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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