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.
In a gory incident of ragging, a TDC first year first year student was burnt alive at a college in the outskirt of the city of Guwahati on Monday. According to information, the incident took place at Dimoria College in kamrup district where a TDC first year student Nitumoni Das who hails from Morigaon was burnt alive by his senior collegaue Prafulla Das who is absconding. The entire incident took place following an altercation about a T-shirt. It is alleged that police and the college authority are trying to cover up the entire incident. Investigation is on.
Assam is throbbing with the celebration of the 83 birth day of Asom Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika across the state even as the Dada sahib Phalke award winning film maker is spending the day with the cancer patients undr going treatment in Mumbai along with his fans. Several organization across the state are celebrating the day with his evergreen songs whole the day where lakhs of people are wishing Dr Hazarika a happy birth day. Dr Hazarika is rapidly recovering after his recent by pass heart surgery.
Dr Hazarika in brief: Born in 1926 at Sadiya in Assam, Dr Hazarika foayed into films as a child actor in Jyoti prasad Agarwal's second film Indramalati in 1939. He wrote and sang his first song...
Inquisitiveness, curiosity n proudness filled me as I got ready to attend the 62nd Independence Day at Indian Embassy,Kuwait. As we drove to the Embassy at 6.30am to reach and be part of the flag hoisting at 7.10am ,my mind was filled with different thoughts…thoughts of the many Indenpence Day we celebrated in our motherland Assam under the shadow of Assam Bandh . My one year daughter too wake up early that day as if she understood the importance of this special day. As we approach’d the embassy my husband park’d our car atleast 1km from the embassy as there was no space as hundreds of cars were already parked. As we came near the embassy we were pleasantly surprised to...
The Assam Association, Mumbai has celebrated Sri Sri Srimanta Sankardeva Tithi on August 22 at Assam Bhawan, Vashi, Navi Mumbai and August 23 at ONGC Lower Colony, Gakuldham,Goregaon (East), Mumbai. The celebration was started with “Naam Prasang” which is performed by “Bhakats” from different parts of Mumbai and followed with the distribution of “Mah Prakhad” and “Khichidi”. The Association has grateful to the Goregaon ONGC Lower colony people for their all support. The Association has also heartily gratitude to all for success the function.
The Guwahati based journalist Nava Thakuria has been elected as one of the Assistant General Secretaries of World Water Forum of Journalists (WWFJ), when the senior Bangladeshi environment journalist Quamrul Islam Chowdhury was re-elected as the General Secretary of the international forum for the year 2009-2012. The British environment journalist Alex Kirby was elected as the Chairman and the Pakistani journalist Zaigham Khan as the Vice Chairman of the organization, the head office of which is based in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka.
The new committee was formed during the 5th meeting of WWFJ held at the National Press Club, Dhaka during during the first week of September, 2009. The...
While Sony Pix is celebrating the pleasant autumn warmth with August Rush, Bangalore’s premiere music institute “Eastern Fare Music Foundation” ornamented the season with an enchanting musical offering of its own on 14th August, 09. The concert “Euphony, An autumn serenade” in collaboration with Furtados Music (India) Pvt. Ltd. marked the completion of 6 successful months of the Koramangala branch of Eastern Fare Music Institute and truly lived up to its name, with students and teachers exhibiting amazing musical ability.
It was indeed inspiring to see the performers’ ages range from tots to teenaged heavy metal rockers to 50+ retro music lovers. While the youngest artist for the...
The Gauhati High court has admitted a public interest litigation from the opposition Asom Gana Parishad for reopening the sensational Manabenda Sarma murder case.
The petition was moved by Sotea MLA Padma Hazarika and was admitted by the court of acting chief justice Ranjan Gogoi. Notably, Assam health and family welfare minister Himants Biswa Sama’s name has cropped up as he was allegedly involved in the case. Sarma was arrested under TADA.
It may be noted that the development has come up a few days after a former MP from Bihar Sukhdeo Paswan moved a writ petition seeking to withdraw his petition seeking reopening of the same case where the minister’s name was involved....
Normal life remains heavily disrupted in Sivasagar district of upper Assam on Tuesday following a 12 hour bandh-call by the Brihottor Asomiya Yuva Manch. The 12 hour bandh began at 5 in the morning and ended at 5 in the afternoon called in protest against the government’s failure to tackle of encephalitis in the district where over 50 persons were killed in the district. Government and private offices, schools and colleges and business establishments remained closed where all vehicles are off from the streets. Meanwhile, there some reports of stray incidents of violence in the morning where several vehicles were damaged by the bandh supporters were in a bid to make the bandh a...
In a big blow to the Assam Public Service Commission, the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday stays the list of the successful candidates in the combined competitive examination conducted by the Commission in 2007. The court order came as a division bench of High Court comprising acting Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Biplob Kumar Sarma was hearing the petition of a group of candidates who alleged gross anomalies and corruption in the examination.
The latest decision of the SEBA (Secondary Education Board of Assam) to make Hindi a compulsory subject for High School Leaving Certificate (Class X) examination would add to the percentage of failure for the Board. It is a torture to make a three-language formula to the already overburdened students. Already the two language structure (Assamese and English) is making things difficult for students in rural areas. How can they afford so many tuitions given that extra classes are a necessary evil to get a grasp of such voluminous curriculum of today!
The reasons cited by SEBA officials is that the move would equop the students of the state with a good skill over Hindi when they move to...
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