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.
Resentment is simmering among the small tea growers in Assam in the absence of a viable market to beat the downward trend of tea price. The planters on Saturday suspended plucking of leaves and dumped green tea leaves on the NH-52 at Biswanath Chariali blocking it for two hours alleging government indifference. About three thousand small tea growers and their supporters blocked the road, Jitu Saikia general secretary of Sonitpur Small Tea Growers Association said. According to Assam State Small Tea Grower Association executive member Krishna Sankar Hazarika, the price rate of raw tea grown by small tea gardens in the north bank has been reduced from Rs 21 to Rs 10.
Police claimed to have apprehended four top KNPF topguns in Karbi Anglong on Saturday. The arrested KNPF leaders have been identified as Mongol Tokbi, Chikandar Rongpi, Shankar Engleng and Mukhim Rongpi. They are president, secretary and chief adviser respectively. They were arrested on the basis of a telephonic conversation which was intercepted by police on Friday.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday the Indo-Myanmar pact signed on Friday would benefit the north-eastern states in terms of tackling insurgency in the region. Talking to reporters in Dispur, Gogpi said the pact is indded a good news for Assam and its neighbouring states. He said ULFA, NDFB and NSCN and other groups from the region have camps in the neighbouring country and that Myanmar would also launched an operation to flush out insurgent outfits camping on its soil.
He further expressed grave concern over the steep rise in the Maoist activities in Sadiya, bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. The Chief minister hoped that the opening of the Stilwell Road would benefit...
Rich tribute was paid in memory of eminent veteran journalist Mr. Kamal Gogoi, who died on November 5th ,2011 last at the age of 87, at a meeting organized by Journalist Forum Assam (JFA) today in the premises of Guwahati Press Club. The meeting , presided over by senior journalist Jatindra Kumar Borgohain, was addressed by senior journalists Prafulla Barua, JP Saikia, Ranen Kumar Goswami, Hiten Mahanta, Rupam Barua, Sabita Lahkar, Jagadindra Raichoudhury Nava Thakuria etc. The speakers described about Mr. Gogoi’s value based and courageous journalism along with his strong personality. Besides his journalism, Mr. Gogoi was also a...
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday reveiwed the volatile situation in Merapani where AGP and KMSS held rally in protest against deployment of Nagaland police force. Top ranked officials are monitoring the situation. Notably, Nagaland police asked the residents in Kolaijan to leave the area.
Journalists Forum Assam has organized a meeting in memory of veteran journalist and freedom fighter Kamal Gogoi at Guwahati Press Club on Tuesday (October 11) morning (11 am). Gogoi died recently at the age of 87.
Haling from a poor family of Narayanpur (Lakhimpur), Gogoi started his career as a journalist in ‘Dainik Asom’ and ‘Asom Bani’ from the Tribune group of publications in Fifties. Gogoi retired as the deputy editor to ‘Dainik Asom’ and later joined as the editor of ‘Sadiniya Prahari’ from the Sentinel group of publications. A man of principles, Gogoi also authored few books. JFA requests all journalists to attend the same.
Four persons died and at least 20 others have been injured when security forces sprang upon a group of jute cultivators on Monday when they were blocking the national highway in Darrang district demanding hike in jute prices.
The gory shoot out took place at 2 at Besimari in the afternoon when security forces started firing at the protesters when they were staging road blockade demanding due price for jute. Initially, policemen tried to clear the national highway. When the farmers refused to go away. A section of the protesters clashed with the security forces the situation turned volatile where security forces resorted to firing to disperse the protesters. Four jute farmers died on...
If you thought that with the end of puja the festivities were also over, you better think once again. Indian psychedelic rock sensation Menwhopause carried the puja fever to a different pitch altogether in the ROCKTOBER RIFFS –rock of the ages concert held at Shilpgram last Saturday. The concert marked the formal countdown to the 1st Guwahati International Music Festival.
The event was formally inaugurated by Secretary to the Government of Assam, Cultural Affairs, Youth Welfare and Sports Department Santanu Thakur, IAS. Lauding the efforts of Eastern Beats Music Society towards the promotion and preservation of musical and art forms of the region, he spoke at length about the...
In a sensational shoot out, the wife of sitting opposition Asom Gana Parishad MLA, Bhupen Roy was allegedly shot dead by their personal security officer in Bongaigaon district on Sunday. The incident took place in the afternoon when Jeuti Roy, was travelling with the PSO Sanatan Das at Baithamari near Abhayapuri when the PSO started indiscriminate firing at the car where Jeuti died on the spot.
Immediately after the incident, PSO Das had allegedly fired at himself and was in a critical condition in the hospital. In a suicide note that was recovered from the vehicle, Jeuti wrote to her husband to take care of their two children. The police suspected that the PSO had an illicit...
Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani is set to hold a huge rally in Guwahati on October 20. The Assam BJP leaders are finalizing the spot at Sonaram Playground to help the BJP heavyweight expose the misdeeds and failure of the Tarun Gogoi Government. This would be followed by his another rally at Itanagar.
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