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.
One person sustained injury when a gang of dacoits attacked him at the Siphung Express in Barpeta district on Tuesday.
The incident took place at around 7 in the afternoon when the passenger express was travelling to Alipur Duar from Guwahati. The seven member gang was travelling in the train in the guise of passengers and tried to loot the passengers as the train was nearing Sorbhog. The injured person was identified as Jitumoni Dutta who sustained injuries in the scuffle.
Assam paid its glowing tribute to Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla on Tuesday on the 61st death anniversary of the first ever Assamese film maker. Noted artists Apurba Kumar Das and Dilip Ranjan Barthakur received the prestigious silpi award at function in Guwahati from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
Cultural functions and procession, seminars and various were organized across the state to mark the occasion. The Asom Sahitya Sabha organized the Silpi divas function in Tezpur at Poki with colouful cultural programme. The All Assam Students Union has also organized its central programme in Naharkotia.
Jayanta Narayan Chaudhury took over as new DGP of Assam hardly a month after he was appointed in the stint. After taking over as Assam Director General of Police he said that he would try his best to make efforts to live up to the expectations of the people.
On the tricky questions of mega dam road block in Lakhimpur, he said the police has the responsibility for maintaining law and order and that it would be to ensure that roads are not blocked.
Chaudhury, a 1978 batch IPS officer said was away from the state on central deputation in the IB since 1985 and posted out of the state in the North East, Delhi and the US.
Aahotguri in Morigaon district pulls huge crowd on Monday when it hosted the traditional buffalo fight. Around 35 pairs of buffalo were taken for fight which drew huge crowd from early in the morning. It was organized as part of the Magh bihu celebrations. Similarly, Hajo took out a colourful procession a day after it organized the traditional nightingale fight.
The group of ministers set up to break the deadlock of the NHPC-owned big is all set to talk to a group of experts in Dispur on Saturday. A group of senior citizens have also been invited for talks on the same day after 12 noon.
Chaired by power minister Pradyut Bordoloi, the GoM is set to hold talks with Jatin Kalita, Abani Bhagawati, Chandan Mahanta, Arup Sarma, Jogen Sarma, AS Biswas, Bhagawat Pran Duwarah and Sarbeswar Kalita The discussion would begin at 10 in the morning. This talks with a group of senior citizens would begin at 12 noon. They include Dr Nirmal Kumar Chaudhury, AK Mitra, Nayan Sarma, Dhiren Bezbaruah, Brahmaputra Board deputy chairman Y Abdul Basir, Pradip Pujari...
Tension is simmering in Ghagorpar near Gerukamukh following an incident of police firing on Friday.
Police men on duty at Ghagorpar resorted to blank firing when they tried to disperse the people who blocked oil tankers bound for Gerukamukh.
Police further arrested aleast 14 people when they prevented the oil tankers to leave for the NHPC project site in the evening.
Massive protest again erupts in Gerukamukh along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on Friday when protestors prevented efforts to rush oil to Gerukamukh.
Altogether nine militant outfits operating in Assam are expected to surrender arms before the Republic Day. This was what Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi claimed on Thursday. Talking to reporters, Gogoi said these outfits include-five Adivasi and three Kuki underground groups besides Hmar Peoples Convention. They have already declared unilateral ceasefire expressing desire to sit for peace talks with the Government. He further rjecting the NDFB’s demand for creation of a separate ‘Bodoland State.
DHD(J) and the government have reached a final stage of understanding to resolve the problem confronting Dima Hasao district. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Thursday, he said DHD’s Dilip Nunisa faction demands 96 villages and that some of these villages currently in Cachar and Nagaon district. “KLNLF demands state within state and NDFB sticks to the separate Bodoland demand,” that’s why, breakthrough still eludes Assam.
Experts predicts an undeclared arms bazaar in the North eastern region very soon. Participating a seminar in Delhi on Thursday, they disclosed that foreign arms and ammunition are available in the seven north eastern states.
Binalaxmi Nepram, secretary general with CAFI said only the United Nations would be able to bust the racket in the north eastern region. She said only NSCN has so far used landmines for maximum number of times.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday again claimed Maoists’ role in the protest to stop big dam in Gerukamukh. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati Gogoi the agitation to halt the big dam would only help China divert the river Brahmaputra. Gogoi said the Maoist cadres formed the squad to oppose the NHPC dam two years back.
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