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.
ULFA’s Paresh Baruah faction once again makes its strong presence felt in Dibrugarh district on Friday killing a surrendered militant. The anti-talk faction of the outfit shot dead one of their former colleague Tileswar Lahon at sensational shoot out in the evening. The incident took place at Moran where four unidentified youths born in motorcycle shot dead Lahon from a point blank range near his residence near Moran. Lahon fell seriously injured on the ground before the youths vanished from the scene. He was rushed to the Assam Medical College Hospital but was declared brought dead. Police later, recovered an empty cartage from the spot. Hours after the incident, ULFA’s Paresh...
People's Friend Foundation will celebrate the Children's Day on 14th of November, 2011 with a colourful programme. On that Occasion, an Art Competition will be held among students which will be held in three categories. First: Age group 5-8 years, Second:Age group 9-12 years, Third: Age group13-16 years. Winners will get attractive prizes and certificates. Rather, all participants will get Certificate of Participation. Students will have to produce Age proof certificate to join in the competition. The competition will be open to students from any part of the State.
For Details, Students and Guardians are requested to contact over phone at 97069-28780, email at pff.india@gmail.com or at...
Zima Yangzong glacier the prime source of the Brahmaputra (or Tsangpo) is retreating like some other Himalayan glaciers attributed to the global warming. Chinese expert on Himalayan Mountain and Tsangpo Dr. Yang Yong said during an interview in Kathmandu (Nepal) last week. He said that if global warming continues at current rate the glacier as well as other glaciers in that same height will disappear within few decades and the river which is called Yarlung Zangbo in China will be a seasonal river. There would be no water or might be a lean water flow during the winter. According to UN climate-change experts, the melting of Himalayan glaciers threatens 1.3 billion Asians. Over a billion...
The city based GNRC Hospitals in association with Guwahati Press Club has organized a Free Screening Camp for Detection and Prevention of Stroke on October 29, 2011 at the press club campus. The health camp that is open for all media persons will start at 10 am and culminate at 2 pm.
“One in every six person will suffer from Stroke in his or her lifetime. That is a certainty. This means every family has the risk of having a Stroke incident in this world. But, it is also a fact that people are still not aware about this devastating disease,” says Dr N C Borah, Chairman cum Managing Director, GNRC Hospitals.
He also added that 70% of the Strokes are preventable. By creating...
A student from Assam died at a group clash in Tamil Nadu on Monday. Two groups of students from Assam and Bihar clashed with each other at night near Annamalai University in Chidambaram district. The clash broke out on Monday night where Dharupa Joth Dhatha was killed. The a third-year engineering student died when he was attacked with deadly weapons near the university. Two students of the university, including one from Bihar, has been arrested in this connection.
ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa on Tuesday pinned hopes on Centre’s goodwill and relentless efforts to find out an amicable solution to the insurgency problem plaguing Assam and its peole. Talking to mediapersons immediately after holding the tripartite meet with the Centre in Delhi Rajkhowa said the Centre was cordial and organized a positive talks where they have had a point-by-point discussion on their charter of demands.
The outfit’s foreign secretary Sashadhar Choudhury reiterated that they did not attend the peace talks with arms. He said, “ULFA will not tell you where our cadres have kept the arms.’’ This was what he told when asked if the ULFA...
A six member delegation of the United Liberation Front of Asom discussed its charter of demands with the Centre in yet another crucial rounds of talks on Tuesday. Led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, the team held talks with the home ministry officials including joint secretary attached to the north east Sambhu Singh at 3 in the afternoon.
Apart from the charter of demands ULFA placed before the Union home minister P Chidambaram in August, several other issues came up for discussion on Tuesday in presence of centre’s peace interlocutor P C Haldar. These include observance of ground rules, signed by both sides, surrender of arms and ammunition and total halt of operations by security...
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi urges the Centre to pump in more fund to help its economy improve. Addressing the National Development Council meeting in Delhi on Saturday, he said economic prosperity was crucial to root out insurgency in Assam. Gogoi said attitudinal change is what the state needs to ensure the speedy process of development. “A holistic approach coupled with an effective implementation and monitoring mechanism is key to help the economy of the state grow on par with rest of the country,” he said..
Gogoi sought special emphasise on strengthening of road, rail and aerial network in Assam during the 12th Plan period after he identified lack of adequate...
Properties worth ten lakhs have been reduced to ashes when a devastating fire broke out in Guwahati city on Saturday. The incident took place at Solapara area near Paltanbazar police station where seven houses have been ravaged rendering 8 families homeless.
The fire broke out immediately after two LPG cylinders exploded in the morning. Fire tenders rushed to the spot but by then the fire engulfed as many as seven houses. There is no report of any casualty.
Local residents in large number staged demonstration in Guwahati on Saturday demanding permanent solution to the artificial floods causing utter chaos in the city on Friday where one person was washed away in the Zoo Road in the afternoon.
The incident took place at around 4 in the afternoon where Binoy Mohan Das, a resident of Panjabari area was on his way to home where he was remained stranded due to neck-deep water logging in the RG Baruah road 30 minutes after the heavy downpour that lashed the city for one hours.
A Maruti car was partially buried I landslip in Kahilipara where the driver managed to escape his death. Rainwaters are receding gradually in Lachitnagar, Nabin Nagar,...
Comments
Pages
Add new comment