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.
12 Sep 2015 - 4:34pm | AT News
The Manipur High Court has summoned Bihar political leader Papu Yadav for forcibly halting a New Delhi bound train in Bihar recently in search of Manipur passengers. The court issued the notice when...
4 Nov 2011 - 6:12pm | Arindam Garg
Assam has legends like Dr Bhupen Hazarika, Mamoni Raisom Goswami, etc. But is our intellectual, cultural and professional excellence only limited to these few people or is it much more. Actually...
1 Apr 2017 - 12:30pm | Bobbeta Gogoi
A massive rally in Guwahati city in Assam on Saturday sounds bugle against the Bangladeshi illegal migrants and their undeclared protectors to save the nose of the indigenous lots amid an aroused din...
24 Jun 2012 - 7:02pm | editor
Four Dimasa insurgent activists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Dimahasao Saturday.According to information, four militants belonging to the Dimasa National Revolutionary Front...
An Assam court grants bail to MLA Jignesh Mevani in the assault case and pulls up police for filing false FIR against him.
Jignesh Mevani was slapped with another case and was arrested on Monday night for the second time soon after he was granted bail by a court in Kokrajhar.
Jignesh's first arrest, based on an FIR filed by Arup Kumar Dey, a BJP worker from Kokrajhar. He had alleged Mevani of making derogatory tweets against PM Modi and of inciting enmity between the two communities.
Whereas there was nothing wrong with that tweet, claimed Raijor Dal supremo Akhil Gogoi.
While Mevani managed bail for his case, he was again arrested by the Barpeta Police for assaulting a...
Diphu and Dibrugarh: People thronged through thousands in Diphu to catch a glimpse of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister was in the hills district on Thursday.
Modi highlighted the initiative to uplift Assam like never before as he opened a few hospitals from the same venue attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union minister Sarbanda Sonowal.
The district administration engaged around 15000 buses and other vehicles to ferry the from far flung areas allegedly causing huge inconvenience for the common people.
Many vital roads remain inaccessible for people because of VVIP security and halting of vehicles. Even buses from Guwahati city were...
Guwahati: The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) has alleged a nefarious conspiracy by police and the army to crush their spine, engaging a section of youths who were dispatched to the jungles to join the rebel outfit.
In a statement sent to media, the proscribed outfit claimed to have caught the conspiracy as they grilled a youth from Baihata Chariali in Kamrup who recently joined the outfit.
They have published a list of youths who were trained to target the outfit..
During interrogation by ULFA men inside the jungles, the youths allegedly named a few police officers who had a huge role in the entire conspiracy.
Dibrugarh and Diphu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a day-long tour of Assam a couple of days after he tried no less to share the joy of Rongali Bihu at a function in New Delhi organized by Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Modi's day-long visit comprises two big rallies in Diphu and Dibrugarh to open 7 cancer hospitals simultaneously. Towards the evening he is scheduled to leave back to the capital.
Dibrugarh and Karbi Anglong district administrators have already announced a public holiday to allow the common people to attend the events.
Both districts have arranged thousands of buses to carry people to the rally venues, causing immense suffering for...
New Delhi: More setback awaits state Congress hardly a month after an outgoing state president joined TMC.
A few tea community Congress leaders is learnt to have been preparing to join BJP when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a day long tour to Dibrugarh on Thursday.
Those who are waiting to join the saffron part include a former Union minister and a former state minister who was assembly Speaker.
When contacted, state Congress leadership refused to make any comment. Notably, former Khumtai MLA and minister Bismita Gogoi who is joining on Thursday called in CM Himanta Biswa Sarma along with Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi in Dispur....
North-Eastern Hill University Shillong is conducting an International Seminar cum workshop on the “Economic and Social Impact of Medical Devices on the Healthcare Sector in the Country” in blended mode, on April 28-30. The program is being organised by the Design Innovation Centre (DIC) and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, NEHU, Shillong in collaboration and sponsored by ICSSR NERC NEHU and DIC.
The sub-theme of the event focusses on the Growth of Medical Devices in India- Towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat. The program is being held to bring forth experts from academia, industry, healthcare institutions, government agencies, medical experts and venture capitalists to...
Raijor Dal, floated in 2020, has finally received the Election Commission of India (ECI) registration. The party won one seat in the 2021 Assam assembly elections contesting the majority constituancies. Akhil Gogoi, the former leader of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) is the lone MLA party which has been trying hard to become a formidable ginger group in the state political arena.
Informing that Raijor Dal had received the ECI's registration, one of its vociferous leaders Gyanasree Bora urged the party workers to do more hard work so that the party's strength could be increased. She also stressed the need for the party's funding collection. “ Finally, our party has received...
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has refuted reports that some more leaders would soon desert the party. According to some reports, among others, former minister and MP Prodyut Bordoloi, former minister and MLA Rockeybool Hussain, and former minister Bismita Gogoi would quit the party at any time. Refuting such reports, APCC General Secretary Rana Bora, in a press statement, claimed that no Congress leaders would not quit the party. “ We have noticed that some reports claimed Prodyut Bordoloi, Rockeybool Hussain, Bismita Gogoi are ready to quit Congress. These reports are baseless and no Congress leaders defect to the party," Bora added. Former Minister Hussain also denied...
New Delhi : In yet another significant development in the field of politics, Assam's former Congress president and outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora quits the party and joined TMC on Sunday.
In his letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Bora alleged that he had no point of continue as Congress leader and former where a section of his party leaders has struck secret deal with BJP or Chief Minister.
Later in the afternoon, Bora joined TMC at a brief function in Kolkata where top TMC leaders were present. Bora is that ed second top lCobgress eader to have joined TMC after Sushmita Dev.
Guwahat: AAP has alleged a nefarious attempt by BJP in Guwahati to upset it's prospect for the upcoming GMC polls.
Talking to Assam Times, a senior leader of the party said that BJP/s youth wing has damaged a hoarding in Guwahati on Monday.
He said that this was followed by the removal of a few other AAP banners and hoardings in the Capital city by the administration.
Later in a statement, the newly emerging party said that BJP's the largest ever political party on the planet was rattling at the stepped up electioneering by a very small party which is in power only in two states.
AAP is contesting 40 wards out of 60 in the GMC polls slated for April 22.
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