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.
Amid uncertainty over peace process between NDFB’s progressive faction and Centre, the pro talk faction of the Bodo insurgent outfit on Friday formally has demanded replacement of interlocutor PC Haldar.
Talking to reporters in Delhi after meeting Union home minister P Chidambaram, NDFB-P general secretary Govinda Basumatary said that they have urged Chidambaram to replace the former IB director by a political leader. They, further, have suggested names of Ranjeet Sekhar Mushahary, PA Sangma, SC Jamir to replace Haldar. They alleged that the peace process has not been progressing only because of Haldar.
Good news for Assam. Delhiites would be able to shop some of the best traditional handicrafts from Assam.
These would be available at a 'mela' to be organised by SSB in the national capital on Sunday. Wives of Sashastra Seema Bal, would bring traditional Assamese handicrafts, food items and dresses to the three-day 'mela' at the CRPF ground in front of CGO complex.
The SSB has organised the 'mela' under the aegis of its wives welfare asscoiation and the proceeds of the sale would go for the welfare of the troops.
A northeast based documentary on climate change - DONT CUT MY HEAD OFF! will have its first screening in India on February 17, 2012, at 8 pm at Max Mueller Bhavan in New Delhi.
The video moves between Copenhagen and Chizami, a small village in Nagaland. Seno Tsuhah went to UN climate meet in Copenhagen in December 2009 hoping to influence the global negotiators. But they don't have time for 'romantic' Naga wisdom. The video explores two seemingly unconnected worlds of statecraft and realpolitik in Copenhagen climate meet and an agriculturalist and highly nature-dependent rural Naga society. A video about global governance, power games and theater of transparency as performed by global...
Assam Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik on Thursday urged the Centre to help the north eastern region become a hub of organic cultivation because of its organic soil.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Policy initiatives for promoting partnership between stakeholders in agriculture with particular reference to rain-fed and dryland farming’ organised by the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi he said that the sector is not cost-effective due to high value of certification works at the initial stage and needs the Centre’s help and assistance to set up an export market in the region.
In a major achievement, Guwahati police have arrested three youths a day after they allegedly kidnapped a trucker in the city. According to information, the trio have been arrested during an operation by the Basistha police in the Bhetapara area in search of a truck driver Ravindra Pratap Singh who was kidnapped on Wednesday. Police managed to capture the trio along with Ravindra after a clash at around 9 in the evening. Singh hails from Bihar.
The arrested youths have been identified as Anuj Basumatary, Rajendra Pratap Singh, Gurdev Singh and Tapal Singh. Anuj Basumatary is the son of former APSC chairperson Geeta Basumatary. Police interrogation is in progress.
Once again Assam buys a bad name. Over 15 workers of a tea garden died because abject poverty within a short period of four months.
These have taken place at the Bhuban Valley Tea Estate a few months after the tea garden faced closure due to labour unrest.
The authorities have allegedly stayed away from providing medical treatment to the workers since October 2011.
The ten garden workers were lost their lives for lack of food and medical treatment.
The Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC), a human rights group based in Assam, which carried out a detailed study on the pathetic condition of workers by sending a fact-finding team, found that there are dozens of workers...
Guwahati is gearing up to host the biggest ever Management Convention of Northeast. Courtesy Guwahati Management Association at the Royal Group of Institution campus at Betkuchi on Saturday.
The region has seen immense growth and development, which now enables management practitioners to give a new dimension and scientific outlook to manage the region in a more effective way. GMA is organising the convention on the theme ‘Managing Northeast – a challenging opportunity.
The anti dam protest is set to be more intensified when NHPC on Wednesday claimed to have received support from government to go ahead in Gerukamukh project.
Talking to reporters in Dispur on Thursday, NHPC managing director ABL Srivastava said that they would not halt construction of the big dam and that they would not directly sit in talks with the protestors.
Later, power minister Pradyut Bordoloi who heads the group of ministers on the dam deadlock said that the construction would continue and that NHPC has assured the government of steps to counter the possible downstream impact of the Lower Subansiri project. Before that the NHPC officials held talks with the ministerial panel...
The National Green Tribunal has asked the government not to set up any industry near the famed Kaziranga National Park.
In its recent letter, the tribunal, asked the Ministry of Environment and Forest and the Assam government regulate quarrying and mining activities in and around the the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve and Karbi-Anglong Elephant Reserve in Assam. The tribunal also made it clear that if no reply is filed by February 29,
The orders came on a petition filed by Assam-based RTI activist Rohit Chaudhary, seeking directions to restrain the quarrying and stone crushing units around Kaziranga National Park, which harbours the largest population of Indian one-horned...
Come Sunday. The Indigenous People Welfare Organization is gearing up for the Carnival of North-East India 2012 in Delhi from Sunday.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Thursday, organizers said that DoNER minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar will open the ten day long festival with 60 stalls from the eight north eastern states. The Indigenous People Welfare Organization is organizing the event in active collaboration with Delhi Tourism and supported by a host of other entities and authorities including the DoNER ministry, Ministry of Home Affairs, Manipur Development Society, Sangai Caterers and the North East Sun.
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