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.
The death toll in Azara train accident has gone up to three while several others are battling for life at the GMCH on Friday.
One person died on the spot while two others died on the way to the GMCH. The accident took place when a Guwahati-bound passenger train rammed into a bulldozer in the morning. Five coaches went off the tracks while four other coaches overturned under the impact.
The critically injured have been shifted to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), while others have been admitted to the railway hospital in Maligaon and in some private hospitals.
Prima facie cause of the accident is negligence of the JCB driver Bipul Kalita. The other fatalities were...
The Golaghat district Koch Rajbonshi Sonmiloni, Koch Rajbonshi Student Union and Mohila Sonmiloni will jointly celebrate the 502th birthday of Chilarai at the auditorium hall of the 45 no. Gomariguri Co-operative society with day long programme on February 7.
Three persons dead and at least 60 passengers were injured when the engine and five compartments of a train jumped off the rails on its track in the outskirt of the city on Friday
The Bongaigaon-Guwahati Chilarai Passenger train rammed into a vehicle and stuck on the track at Gossainghati between Azara and Mirza railway stations leaving about 50 injured around 9.30 a.m where the injured passengers were rushed by the local people to the Mirza Public Health Centre from where the critically injured were referred to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital, Railway officials along with rescue vans have rushed to the spot.
Majuli has reasons to smile. The world’s largest river island is set to get a huge Rs 116 crore fund to get out of the blues of flood and erosion.
The Planning Commission has cleared the fund to control flood and erosion. The phase two and third of the entire project would be completed by this fiscal. The cost is estimated at 115.99 crore rupee. The scheme aims at protecting 22 Vaishnavite monataries and other public and private properties as well as to ensure economic development and social uplift of the local population.
The central bureau of investigation probing the coal subsidy scam on Tuesday raided the residence of former AIDC managing director Noor Mahammad. The raid was conducted at his residence in Hajo in connection with coal subsidy scam. The country’s premier investigation agency is yet to disclose the details of the three hour long raid. CBI seized some documents from his Guwahati based residence in September. CBI is likely to conduct more raids in some other places to probe the 70 crore rupee scam.
The Assam Public Service Commission on Tuesday has shortlisted 3220 candidates for civil service mains examinations to be held during the next few months.
According to information, out of altogether three thousand two hundred and twenty candidates have been qualified for the main examinations to be conducted after a few months across the state. The total number of candidates who appeared in the preliminary examination was thirteen thousand seven hundred and fourteen. For the first time, APSC has announced the results of the civil service preliminary examination within a short period of 42 days. The examination was conducted to recruit in ACS and allied services.
Dr. D. N. Barua, an internationally reputed Scientist, a versatile personality and a prominent senior citizen of Jorhat breathed his last on 22nd January at 8.10 a.m. due to cardiac arrest at Jorhat Christian Mission Hospital. He was 96 years. Dr. D N Barua was born on 1st July, 1916 at Jorhat in a respected family.
Dr. D. N. Barua did his Matriculation in 1934 from Jorhat Govt. High School under Culcutta University and stood first amongst Assamese students. Again, he passed I. Sc. in 1936 from Cotton College , Guwahati and stood first amongst Assamese students under Culcutta University and secured Diparu Medhi Medal. D. N Barua completed his B.Sc.(Hons.) in Chemistry from Cotton College...
Properties worth several lakhs have been reduced to ashes when a devastating fire broke out in Guwahati. The incident took place at around 9 in the evening at a house in Ulubari.
Initially, a hotel caught fire after LPG cylinder blast. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot. But by then the fire engulfed to the adjacent four houses. Four fire tenders took nearly two hours to douse the fire near the B Baruah House.
The two journalists who have been remaining traceless for the last three months have come back to their homes on Tuesday.
Rajiv Bhattacharjee and Pradeep Gogoi reached their homes in the evening three months after they left for Myanmar on an assignment. Bhattacharjee works with The Seven Sister Post as an executive editor while Gogoi is a correspondent with a satellite news channel.
They were believe to have arrested with ULFA leader Jibon Moran in Myanmar who was helping them meet ULFA Commander in Chief Paresh Baruah.
Assam police constable Abhijeet Baruah on Tuesday entered the Guinness Book of World Records by running barefoot more than 150 km in 24 hours in Jorhat.
The 22-year old police constable achieved it at 3:43 in the afternoon after running 156 km and 200 km till 4:00 in the afternoon.
The run was flagged off on Monday at 3:56 in the afternoon by the observer for the Guinness Book of World Records B K Chandrasekhar Tiwari at the approach to the Tarajan bypass on the western outskirts of Jorhat town.
The run ended at the same spot from where it began and after he completed it, he ran upto a nearby temple and offered his prayers before being whisked away to the hospital.
The route...
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