Despite repeated suggestions to halt the mega dam work by north east dam experts, NHPC and the Centre have categorically allayed the fear of downstream disaster of the controversial dam at Gerukamukh. Yet another expert panel is studying the entire issue of downstream impact of the NHPC-owned power project. That is what it in the case of Assam.
But the Centre itself has held hydropower projects responsible for the Uttarakhand disaster last year that left hundreds dead and thousand displaced. The situation aggravated in the upstream and downstream areas of the projects. The Centre admitted it in the recent affidavits of the MoFE before the Supreme Court on Monday.
This has forced the Centre to stall 24 of the 39 proposed projects in the state on the sub-basins of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers.
According to the MoEF said that construction of the projects overburdened the local ecology. This has resulted in the irreversible damage to the environment in terms of loss of forests, degraded water quality, and an enhanced impact of landslides.
It suggests the impending downstream disaster of the Gerukamukh mega dams in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts. Will power minister Piyush Goel and the NHPC go through the affidavits before resuming the mega dam works in Gerukamukh? If NHPC is allowed to resume works, will they own up responsiblity for the impending danger in the downstream areas?
Anti-dam protesters have been crying the fear of disaster for the last three years. But NHPC and the Centre have been trying to ignore the voice of protest against and again. A circle of experts hired by NHPC has been supporting the mega dams in the name of power generation. But some others have been dead opposed to it. Need of the hour is to give a second thought to it. People in this seismic prone region don’t want yet another trail of devastation.
Despite repeated claims by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other BJP ministers that the long-standing inter-state border dispute with Nagaland has been resolved, fresh tensions have erupted along the border, particularly in the Merapani Seed Farm area under Golaghat district. Local Assamese residents continue to live in fear, alleging that the state government, administration, and police remain silent and inactive.
The epicenter of the recent unrest is the Merapani Seed Farm, a 1300-acre tract of land well within Assam’s geographical territory. On 10 April, thousands of Assamese citizens rallied at Merapani, staging an intense protest demanding protection of Assamese land...
A shocking case of brutal violence has rocked the Nambor Nadi Tea Estate area under Borpathar Police Station in Assam’s Bokajan subdivision. An unidentified group of assailants allegedly attacked a family late last night, leaving three children grievously injured and their parents dead in a chilling act of cruelty.
According to local sources, the attack took place at the home of Jullo Munda in the Munda Basti area of the tea estate. The assailants severely injured Jullo’s two daughters — Sita Munda (13) and Meera Munda (11) — as well as his 9-year-old son, Shankar Munda. In a horrifying turn of events, the attackers then abducted Jullo Munda and his wife Panchami Munda, as confirmed by...
The Aoling festival, the traditional New Year celebration of the Ao Naga tribe, has brought vibrant energy to the Naga village of Hahchar in Shivsagar. The villagers, whose ancestors settled here during the reign of Ahom King Gadadhar Singha in 1775, continue to preserve their rich cultural heritage with great enthusiasm.
The Aoling festival, observed annually in the first week of April, marks the arrival of spring and invokes blessings for a prosperous agricultural season. The festivities span several days, filled with rituals, communal feasts, and cultural performances.
In the first three days, villagers engage in traditional activities such as weaving ethnic attire, collecting...
Assam has emerged as the state with the lowest life expectancy in India, averaging just 66 years, according to recent data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). This figure not only falls below the national average of approximately 69 years but also trails behind other Northeastern states, with neighboring Nagaland boasting a life expectancy exceeding 75 years.
Health experts attribute Assam's lagging life expectancy to a combination of factors, including air pollution, poor dietary habits, high blood pressure, smoking, and environmental hazards. Dr. Rahul Mehra, UNESCO Chair Representative for Global Health and Education, emphasized the urgency of integrating health education...
Nazira paid tribute to the late Aboni Borthakur, a distinguished educationist and former Principal of Nazira College, with a memorial meeting held on Sunday. The event, organized at the Nazira M.C. Club, was presided over by Atul Gogoi, a former Principal of another college.
The gathering saw the presence of several notable figures, including retired professor Dr. Provat Borah, renowned writer Juri Borah Borgohain, Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia, and CPI leader Kanak Gogoi, among others. The speakers reflected on Borthakur’s contributions to education and society, celebrating his legacy as a thinker and academician.
A highlight of the meeting was the unveiling of a memorial book that...
The demolition of Mahafezkhana, Assam’s oldest surviving concrete structure and a vital piece of Northeast India’s architectural heritage, has triggered widespread outrage. Built between 1855 and 1865, the 160-year-old building—once a custodian of crucial land records during British colonial rule—was razed by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) as part of a park extension and Brahmaputra riverfront beautification project, according to reports published on Sunday.
Senior journalist Mrinal Talukdar expressed his dismay on X, describing the demolition as “not just demolition—this is desecration.” In a series of posts, including one at 2:30 AM IST on March 30 (Post ID:...
The Dhansiri River, a vital tributary of the Brahmaputra, is facing severe pollution due to industrial discharge from the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), as reported by Janani Live, a local news portal from Golaghat. The contamination has raised alarms among environmentalists and local communities dependent on the river for irrigation and drinking water.
Growing Pollution Crisis:According to Janani Live, untreated effluents from the refinery have been flowing into the Dhansiri, increasing chemical toxicity and degrading water quality. The river, which originates in Nagaland and flows through Golaghat and Dimapur, is already burdened by urban sewage, agricultural runoff, and sand...
Congress MP and Lok Sabha Deputy Opposition Leader Gaurav Gogoi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding an investigation into alleged financial irregularities worth approximately ₹70 crore at the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank. According to Gogoi, the scandal involves an outsider businessman, Rajesh Bajaj, who is accused of misappropriating around ₹20 crore, along with an additional ₹50 crore irregularities under the guise of a tender for a data storage system. Gogoi has urged the Prime Minister to order an independent probe into the matter.
In a post on his official X handle, Gogoi stated, “I have written a letter to Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji regarding the...
Assam Minister Ranjit Das has sparked outrage after allegedly using a caste-based slur during an election campaign, prompting protests and a police complaint.
The controversy erupted while Das, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was campaigning for a ruling coalition candidate in the 30-Bamunigaon constituency of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council on March 18. During a public speech, he referenced India’s four main social groups—"the poor, women, farmers, and youth"—but also used a derogatory word for Scheduled Castes in Assam.
The All Assam Scheduled Caste Youth Students’ Union filed a complaint against Das at Dispur Police Station under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes...
A massive protest erupted today in Sonapur, near Guwahati, as thousands of tribal people gathered to oppose the proposed transfer of vast tracts of land to the Indian Air Force. The demonstration, held at the Sonapur Mini Stadium on Friday, March 28, saw local tribal communities voicing their outrage against what they perceive as an encroachment on their ancestral lands, with slogans such as "We will give our blood, not our land" and "Down with Digaru Air Force" resonating through the air.
The unrest stems from the state government's alleged plan to hand over a significant portion of land in Digaru, close to Sonapur, to the Air Force. This move has sparked widespread anger among the...
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