The Stream, November 23: Drought Raises Water Disputes in Maharashtra

The Global Rundown

Farmers in India’s Maharashtra state debated how much water should be held or released by the state’s dams as they struggle with drought, while government officials in South Africa said they may set aside more emergency funds to aid drought-affected farmers in the country. China signed a multi-million-dollar deal to build water boreholes in rural Ghana, Turkey and northern Cyprus were at odds over the distribution of water from a new undersea pipeline, and communities downstream of a tailings dam failure in Brazil contemplated what the disaster means for their future. Energy regulators in Canada suspended construction of a natural gas pipeline near Alberta’s Athabasca River.

“I have lived here all my life, and I never thought I would leave here. Now I have started to think where are we going to go? What are we going to do.”–Bruna Cordeiro de Santos, a resident of Regência, a small town in Brazil, on the aftermath of a dam failure at an iron ore mine that sent mud and mine waste hundreds of kilometers downstream. (Guardian)

By The Numbers

$12 million Amount of a grant from China that will finance the construction of 1,000 boreholes in rural Ghana to improve drinking water quality. Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

$32 million Amount South Africa’s government has set aside to help regions of the country affected by a severe drought. Officials said further funding for farmers in places like Gauteng province is under consideration. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

Records of four spills of drilling fluid into Alberta’s Athabasca River prompted Canada’s National Energy Board to suspend construction on a new TransCanada natural gas pipeline Friday. The spills, which the company said would not harm humans or animals, occurred while the pipeline was being placed underneath the river. Reuters

On The Radar

Farmers upstream of dams in India’s Maharashtra state are urging government officials to stop releasing water downstream due to drought conditions. Farmers downstream of the dam in the Marathwada region, who are also hit by the drought, say a recent decision by the state’s water regulator gives them the right to the water releases. The Hindu

Water deliveries from Turkey to northern Cyprus via a newly completed 80-kilometer undersea pipeline have run into a political hitch. Turkey is opposed to northern Cyprus’ plans for water distribution from the pipeline, which rely on local municipalities rather than a private company. Bloomberg

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek