Skip to content Skip to navigation

Anti dam protest greets Jairam Ramesh in Guwahati

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.


Comments

Hayang's picture

--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.

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Assam Association, Delhi is going to celebrate the ‘Magh Bihu’ - post-harvest festival on January 15 at the Central Civil Secretariat Sports Ground (Opposite Nehru Park), Vinay Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. The day is also being celebrated as the Annual Sports day, apart from showcasing cultural richness of Assam. The Celebrations will begin at 10.00am with the lighting of the ‘meji’-the traditional bonfire. The day long program will conclude at 5.00pm. All the members and office bearers of the Association have the pleasure of inviting you to be with us on the festive occasion. Dr. Sashanka Sekhar DuttaGeneral SecretaryMobile: 9818241962
The Assam Association, Mumbai have the pleasure to announce that An Evening of Get Together on the occasion of "Magh Bihu" will be held on 21 January 2012 from 7pm. You are all cordially invited to attend the function with family and friends. Date: Saturday 21 January 2012Time: 7pm to 10pm Venue:Shetkari Samaj Hall,Sector 4A,Near Kopar Khairnae Railway Station,New Mumbai-400709 Progm Highlites: Entertainment Programme, Lottery and Bihu Bhuj(Food coupon of Rs.100/-will be available at the venue on first come first served basis.) Note: Membership of Assam Association, Mumbai is open to all eligible people, please enroll you as member of AAM, membership fees Rs.500 for two...
Good news for teacher job aspirants. The Assam government is in a process to fill up the vacant post of teachers by mid-April. The candidates selected in TET would have to appear in district-level recruitment interview. Addressing a press conference in Dispur on Wednesday, education minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the TET results would be announced on January 25 and the successful candidates would get letters by February 15. He said that a nine panel of experts would ensure free and transparent evaluation of the answer scripts. Dr Sarma said that the 60 per cent mark holders be considered eligible for sitting in recruitment interview.
A BPF worker sustained serious injury when unidentified miscreants targeted him with pistol from a close range in Chirang district on Wednesday. The incident took place at around 7-20 in the evening at Basugaon BPF worker Dulal Mandal was on his way to his residence with his wife. All of a sudden armed motorcycle borne miscreants who were following Mandal fired upon him from a point blank range. Mandal fell on the ground but the miscreants vanished immediately after shot him at on the spot. Local residents came out to the streets and rushed him to the hospital. His condition is stated to be serious.
Atleast three persons including a woman died when a Bolero collided head on an oil tanker in Bokajan on Tuesday. The tragic accident took place Gahorijan near Khotkhoti at around 8-30 in the evening where a Dimapur bound Bolero carrying them collided head on the tanker which was coming from the opposite direction. The Bolero driver is believed to have lost control over the vehicle where three persons died on the spot.
Despite controversies the Assam government and the Board of secondary education, Assam jointly conducted the teachers eligibility test in altogether 728 centres across the state on Tuesday. The results would be announced on January 10. Altogether 3, 56, 728 candidates appeared in the test conducted for the first time in the state. The results would be announced on January 25. Meanwhile, the Students Federation of India staged dharna in the entire state on Tuesday alleging that the government was trying to privatize the education sector with recruitment of teachers on contract basis.
The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation is organizing the North East Food Processing Expo at NEDFi haat at Ambari in Guwahati from January 16. Leading food processing industries from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura have already confirmed their participation in the event. Sponsored by the ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, the expo would inaugurated by state agriculture minister Nilamani Sen Deka on January 16. Organizers say it will provide a platform to the tiny and small food processing units of the northeastern region to showcase their expertise on food processing in the region.
ULFA’s Paresh Baruah faction on Tuesday claimed to have blown up the Guwahati Refinery in Noonmati with a powerful blast that ravaged a portion of the refinery with devastating inferno. But the refinery authorities called it an incident of blast citing water tight security in and around the refinery. Local residents in Noonmati came to hear defeaning sound at around 7-15 in the evening and saw a ravaging inferno spreading to the adjacent units rapidly. Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot and it took several hours to bring the situation under control. At around 7-15 in the evening ULFA’s publicity commandant Arunodoi Dohotia owned up the responsibility of the...
The Indian Council For Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in collaboration with Robust Network, Dimapur organised a grand Cultural Show on January 8 from 5.30 pm at Soul Speak Studios Hall, Nuton Bosti, Dimapur. Robust Network for the first time combine singers of both folk and contemporary numbers and thereby christened the programme as Horizon Series Cuiltural Programme which created a platform for folk singers and Acoustic Spices for contemporary singers. The evening saw performances by various artistes like Achen Imchen, Bendangnaro, Alex Lotha...
Altogether three lakh fifty six thouand and nine hundred fourteen candidates are appearing in the teachers eligibility test in the state on Tuesday. Being jointly organized by the Board of Secndary Education, Assam and the Assam government, the test is being cnducted in alogether seven hundred and wenty eight cnetres across the state. Education Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the result would be announcd on January twenty fifth. The state is holding TET for the first time to recruit teachers in the various lower primary and upper primary schools.