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.
9 Jul 2018 - 8:42am | Shajid Khan
TANGLA : In a bid to build a competitive mindset among the students, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) Tangla regional unit organized a special felicitation programme for the meritorious HSLC...
27 Feb 2017 - 4:25pm | AT News
An eerie silence prevails in Meghalaya a day after the police killed United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA) chief Singbirth N. Marak alias Norrok X. Momin during an encounter. Operation is still on to...
19 Jan 2015 - 7:58pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
It is really a happy news to find that all nine wushu players of Udalguri District Students’ Olympic Association representing India from Assam in the first South Asian Students’ Olympic Games 2014-15...
4 Nov 2017 - 8:44am | Akshaya Pranab Kalita
The recovery of a body inside the Namrup Thermal Power Station Colony Boundary wall created no less sensation In the industrial town on Friday. But the sensation lasted for a couple of hours when...
The Meiteis of Manipur residing in Mizoram have reportedly started leaving the state due to safety concerns prompted by a recently-viral video. According to reports, the former militants' organization "Peace Accord MNF Returnees’ Association" and the "Hmar Students Association" allegedly asked the Meiteis of Manipur to leave Mizoram for their own safety. This has led to over 300 Meiteis gathering in Aizawl, while others have sought shelter in local churches. Some have reached Imphal Airport today, with many others still stuck in Mizoram.
There are over 2,000 Meiteis in Mizoram, of which half originate from Manipur, and are working in various sectors, including central government offices...
Majuli: In the wake of a devastating storm that wreaked havoc on 20th April, 2023 in Majuli island of Assam, North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a local humanitarian organisation has sprung into action, initiating a humanitarian relief and rehabilitation programme to assist the affected communities in their time of need.
The massive storm, which struck the island with unrelenting force, caused widespread destruction to homes, infrastructure and livelihoods, leaving hundreds of families grappling with the aftermath of the disaster. With access to basic necessities and essential services severely compromised, the affected communities faced numerous challenges on the path...
Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha and the President of Jatiya Dal-Asom, has filed an FIR against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and several other ministers and MLAs. The FIR, addressed to the Officer-In-Charge of Dispur Police Station, alleges that the statements made by these constitutional functionaries constitute hate speeches against a particular community.
In the FIR, Bhuyan refers to recent press statements made by Chief Minister Sarma, in which he allegedly asked people from Upper Assam to come to Guwahati and promised to clear the city of "Mias." These statements, widely available on social media, are seen as intended to create divisions among...
In a recent development, the Chief of Assam Trinamool Congress (TMC), Ripun Bora, has demanded urgent action against Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. Bora's call comes after the Director General of Police (DGP) of Assam Police takes suo-motu cognisance of a Supreme Court order, WP(C) No. 943/2021 of Ashwini Kumar Upadhaya Vs. Union of India & ORS.
During a press conference held at the party's headquarters on Monday, Bora emphasized that CM Sarma's comments about the Miyan community constitute a "hate speech" and violate Section 153(A) of the IPC, as outlined in the order dated April 28, 2023, passed in WP(C) No. 943/2021. Bora further revealed that he has written a letter to...
Udalguri, Assam - In a devastating incident that took place today, Raju Keunt, a 47-year-old resident, lost his life after being trampled by a wild elephant at the Orangajuli tea garden. The unfortunate incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Paneri police station in Udalguri district. Keunt was attempting to feed bananas to a group of wild elephants when the tragedy unfolded.
Eyewitnesses reported that Keunt had ventured close to the elephants, hoping to interact with them and feed them some bananas. Unfortunately, one of the elephants became agitated and charged at him, resulting in the fatal trampling. Despite the efforts of the tea garden workers and nearby residents to...
Chuachandpur's Rural Women Upliftment Society (RWUS) has stepped forward to provide assistance and relief to the grief-stricken family of Late David Hmar, who tragically lost his life on July 2, 2023. David was brutally beheaded by an armed mob during an attack on his village, Chinglangmei, located in the Samulamlan Block of Lamka.
The untimely demise of David has left his family devastated, especially considering their already precarious financial situation. David hails from an impoverished family, where his father is afflicted with Hemiparesis, a condition that has rendered him unable to work and provide for the family. As the sole breadwinner, David worked on a small farm, struggling...
In a bid to shape the future of climate action, indigenous communities and local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Assam joined forces on June 30, 2023, for a community consultation on COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Held at Rajputana Login, Jorhat, this event provided a vital platform for communities to express their concerns, contributions, and recommendations regarding the upcoming critical climate conference.
The consultation, organized by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) and supported by various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), aimed to ensure that community...
IIT Roorkee, in collaboration with astronomers from India, Japan, and Europe, has made a significant breakthrough in the study of gravitational waves. An international team of astronomers has recently published their findings in the Astronomy and Astrophysics journal, providing evidence of ultra-low frequency gravitational waves and shedding light on the humming of our universe.
Using some of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes, including India's largest telescope, uGMRT, the team monitored pulsars, which are rapidly rotating neutron stars, to detect these waves. The pulsars, acting as cosmic clocks, emitted radio beams that were analyzed for changes in arrival times caused by...
Assam TMC chief and AITC national spokesperson Ripun Bora on Thursday strongly condemned the shocking incident reported from Ghograpara Police Station in Nalbari district where an underage girl in lock up was stripped by a police officer and being photographed. Bora alleged that the actions of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to empower Assam Police personnel against controlling crime resulted in extreme Police Raaj in the state. The shameful incident which happened at Ghograpar Police Station on the unfortunate night of June 21 is reported by the girl on June 26 at Nalbari district head police station, however no action was taken on that complaint till 28th June. Commenting on this, Ripun Bora...
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus celebrated its 10th Convocation ceremony on June 23, 2023. The event was held at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre Auditorium, Guwahati and was graced by the presence of Prof. Manorama Sharma, Professor (Retd.), Dept. of History, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), who served as the Chief Guest. The Director of the Institute, Prof. Shalini Bharat and Officiating Registrar, Prof. Sasmita Palo were also present at the ceremony.
During the convocation ceremony, 154 students who graduated in the year 2023 were awarded their degrees. One student was conferred with a PhD degree in Social Sciences while 112 students obtained their...
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