A vociferous protest against big dams reaches its crucial stage when union environment minister Jairam Ramesh was greeted with protest as he was arriving in Guwahti for a public hearing on the NHPC owned big dam in Arunachal Pradesh.
As the Union minister started the public hearing at Machkhowa, ITA, hundreds of local organizations and political parties approached him to register stiff protest again the on going construction of the big dam in Gerukamukh by NHPC in the name of the lower Subansiri hydel project. Citing the expert panel report, these parties and organisations have told the minister that the big dam might spell an ecological disaster for the people in down stream areas.
PermalinkSubmitted by Hayang on Wed, 29/09/2010 - 05:16
--Lame Excuse by NHPC CMD S.K. Garg--
Despite strident protests in Assam with environmental concerns over construction of mega dams, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Chairman-cum-Managing Director S.K. Garg says that the project builders plan to commission three units in March 2012 and the remaining five units by December 2012. This is because Rs 4000 crore of the Rs 9000 crore project has been utilized. That means 40% of the expenses have been made. But is this a reason enough to sacrifice environment and the population of downstream areas which cannot be compensated even if the Indian central government bring all the riches in the world. When land is lost, existence is lost. When existence is lost, the very right to our natural habitat is lost.
In the devastating floods caused by the Tehri dam in Uttarakhand, the central government has promised a package of Rs 500 crore to the state government. That means every year there will be floods, the Indian government will dole out Rs 500 crore. So, within 8 years, Rs 4000 crore will have to be shelved out. If this is the economics involved, Rs 4000 crore is nothing for a rich country like India where many politicians and ministers have pocketed hundreds and thousands of crores. So, the justification of Rs 4000 crore by S.K. Garg sounds to be a lame excuse to keep the industrial corporations who fund the elections happy and satisfied.
23 Jan 2008 - 5:04pm | editor
A car rally was organized with 64 jeeps from Kaziranga to Bokakhat by Kaziranga Jeep Safari Union, Kaziranga Devlopment Union and Kaziranga Greenland Society, to protest against killing rhino,...
10 Mar 2012 - 11:06pm | editor
Hundreds of Tibetans in the North East on Saturday observed the 53rd anniversary of their 'Uprising day and held participated in a rally from the Dighalipukhuri area of Guwahati.
Speakers alleged...
10 Nov 2016 - 8:09pm | AT News
All banks across Assam along with the other parts of the country are heavily busy with responding to the customers who have been making long queue to change the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 demoninatios...
29 Dec 2015 - 9:55pm | AT New Delhi
The surrendered ULFA activists staged demonstration in New Delhi on Tuesday demanding inner line permit in the state apart from raising a few other issues. At 10 in the morning, more than 50...
Assam is set to set yet another record. Come January 6. Altogether 15,000 artistes are going to perform kholat Mejenga Pathar in Titabor with an aim to create a Guinness world record. The venture would help the state spread the culture that was introduced by Vaishnavite siant Srimanta Sankardeva. The event is being organized under the aegis of Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha Titabor Committee.The mega event is being held to showcase the Assamese khol for the global community to admire. The artistes, wearing the same traditional attire, are gearing up to play the same beat on the instrument for 15 minutes in their bid to create to create a Guinness world record.
Despite watertight security, a low intensity blast exploded near Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s official residence in Koinadhara leaving a teenager boy injured on Saturday.He sustained injury when a detonator he carried home exploded near Gogoi's official residence at Koinadhora. Identified as Sanjib Das, the boy found the detonator attached to a wire at a stone quarry on the Assam-Meghalaya border and was carrying it home at Uday Nagar and it exploded in the high security area.According to police, the teenager suffered minor injuries in the explosion which was a small one and caused no damage. He said that Das was administered first aid at a hospital and released.
Normal life came to a grinding halt in four districts following the 24-hour bandh call by the All Tiwa Students Union which ended on Saturday evening. The bandh call was given to demand immediate election in six Tiwa Autonomous Council constituencies in Kamrup (Metro) district. The impact of the bandh call was total in Morigaon district only. The other three districts -- Nagaon, Karbi Anglong an Dimasao - the bandh had partial effect on life. Mostly in Morigaon district, shops, business establishments and banks remained closed, while vehicles kept off the roads and National Highway 37. The day being a fourth Saturday of the month, state and central government offices remained closed, while...
Dolphin Day observed by Aaranyak at Kukurmara on the bank of Kulsi River in Kamrup district today evoked overwhelming response from the local community of the area.Dolphin Day was observed by Aaranyak which is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO), under its Gangetic (River) Dolphin Research and Conservation Initiative to raise the level of awareness among the community on the urgent need for conservation of the endangered species of river dolphin.Kukurmara was selected for the purpose as it is located on the bank of Kulsi River where at least 30 species of the endangered national aquatic animal reside and is an important site for river...
Police arrested a Guwahati based journalist for allegedly collecting lakhs of rupees from various people on the pretext of providing them jobs in public sector undertaking Oil India Ltd.Monikuntol Saikia was arrested yesterday based on a FIR filed by a person. The complainant had filed the FIR alleging that Saikia had taken money from him and promised to facilitate a job in exchange.Saikia is also alleged to have duped several other people with false promises of providing jobs.
An ethnic food festival pulls huge crowd in Guwahati as it focusing the cuisines of the various Mongolian origin ethnic people. The visitors are overwhelmed by the range of available cuisines. Entitled NORTHEAST MONGOLIAN FOOD FESTIVAL, the event at Last Gate witnessed huge turn out with tasty dishes. Local rice beer was also served at most of the stalls much to the delight of the visitors.
Veteran Assamese film maker enjoys a fresh honour. His new film Bandhoon has been adjudged as the best film in the in the Bangaluru international film festival. The encouraging news came on Friday morning bringing glory for the internationally renowned film director who is known for his uncompromising and unique cinematic vision. His tenth movie 'Bandhoon' is produced by Assam State Film Finance and Development Corporation. This is their second movie after a gap of twelve years. 'Bandhoon's story and script are written by Jahnu Barua himself. 'Bandhoon' stars include Bishnu Khargharia, Jatin Bora, Zerifa Waheed, Beena Patangia, Dinesh Das, Abatush Bhuyan, Angshuman Bhuyan, Rita Barua Das,...
Assam Jogging Association (AJA) has organized a Mass Jogging program on December 31, 2012 to usher in the New Year. AJA organizes the program on the last day of the year to welcome the New Year with an appropriate message that suits the time. The theme for 2013 is: “Hold Roses not Guns Communal harmony, for peace and Peace for Progress.”The Mass Jogging will be started from Dispur Parade Ground (Janata Bhawan Field) and it will end at the same point after completing a 8 kilometer round touching Chandmari Fly- over. The masss Jogging program will be flagged off by Mr. Universe Mahadeb Deka AJA appeals all to participate in the program. The march will be started at 6-15 AM. AJA requested to...
Tension prevails in Tinsukia a day after the owner of a tea estate and his wife were charred to death by a mob of angry workers. The incident took place at the Borduma Tea Estate when the estate owner Mridul Kumar Bhattacharjee and his wife Rita Bhattacharjee were burnt alive in the evening. According to police, the incident took place after Bhattacharya served eviction notice to two workers of his estate asking them to vacate their quarters. The two workers refused to leave and Bhattacharya called the police who arrested the duo on Wednesday. A group of workers rampaged through the bungalow of the owner. They set fire to the building and also torched two cars belonging to Bhattacharya. The...
A local trader sustained serious injury at a shoot out in Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district on Wednesday.The incident took place at night when unidentified gunmen fired upon the trader at his residence before disappearing in dense darkness. Identified as Bikash Sarkar, the injured businessman was rushed to the hospital. Police officials rushed to the spot but no one has so far been arrested.
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