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.
The 25-year-old singer popular rock singer from Assam reaches the grand finale of an international talent hunt organised by an Australian music company. According to a music company SUTASI, Joshua Queah is one of the four contestants in Soloist Category from South Asia who has made it to the finals of the programme to be held at New York and Los Angeles next month.
There are three categories in the contest--Bands, Soloists and Songwriters--with one finalist from each category selected from each region-- South East Asia, South Asia and North East Asia. The singer, whose band 'Casino Blues' had won the coveted All India DSP Black Rock-i-lution Contest in Mumbai recently, is a familiar name...
SA Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs Little Champs, the largest talent hunt cum reality show for children is back in a new Avtar on Zee TV and is marching towards its peak in TRP. The program is aired every Friday and Saturday from 9:30 PM.
Out of over 60,000 contestants all over the country, 6 girls and 6 boys have been selected for the final rounds of this competition.
Antara Nandy is one of the final 6 girl finalist in this show and is representing Assam. Antara is 10 years of age and her home town is Guwahati (Noonmati). She was born at the Pragati Hospital, Sivasagar district of Assam. She started her education at “Budding Buds School” at Tinsukia district of Assam and...
On 18 July, 2009, Rini Kakati was presented with the prestigious "Glory of India Award" from the India International Society. The "Glory of India Award" ceremony was held at the St. James, Buckingham Gate, London. She is the first Assamese lady to receive this prestigious award.
An international organisation of global repute and influence, it represents the people of India, now nearing one billion living in India and millions more in other countries and Non-Indians of various nationalities, who support India. It espouses humanitarian causes, promotes universal brotherhood and especially works for India's development by campaigning for and mobilising NRI and foreign investment in India....
Women taking their meal under a tree after sowing paddy in their paddy field in a hot day in a village in Bongaigaon District of Assam on July 21.
Photo: UB PHOTOS.
A huge cache of arms and amminuion were seized during a joint operation by army and police from Mohanbari area at a from forest on Monday. According to information, acting on a tip-off, the team seized the explosives along with five gelatin sticks, a grenade, a pistol, 55 live cartridges of AK-47 assault rifle, five battle fatigues and a map of the airport from Tingkhong area. The arms, kept buried in a polythene bag, are suspected to belong to the ULFA's elite strike force 28th battalion. Police suspect that the proscribed ULFA had plans to blow up the airport, one of the busiest in the Northeast, on the insurgent outfit's 'Martyrs' Day' on July 28.
Two hardcore NDFB rebel was killed another captured at an encounter in Guwahati on Monday. According to information, the encounter took place at 2-30 in the afternoon at Moragaon area in Guwahati when police launched an operation in the area. The captured terrorist was injured and was rushed to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital for treatment.
The deceased was identified as Bathan Narzary, a dreded sergeant majoe of the Bodo insurgent outfit. Two other cadres, however, managed to escape from the spot. The encounter took place when normal life came to a grinding halt on Monday as the 12 hour bandh call given by the outfit's Ranjan Daimary faction alleging the killing of altogether 56...
Three suspected NSCN rebels were killed in an encounter with a joint force of the Army and police in Lakhimpur district of Assam on Monday. The incident took place in the morning at Harmoti area border Arunachal Pradesh. According to information, acting on a tip off a joint team of polic and army launched an operation in the area and thus the encounter came up. Arms were also recovered from them after the encounter in midnight. The insurgents exchanged fire with the security forces at Harmoti before they were killed on the spot. Three 9-mm pistols - two US-made and a Chinese one - three magazines, eight live rounds of ammunition and two mobile sets were recovered from the slain ultras....
The Journalists’ Forum of Northeast India (JFNI) has strongly condemned the attitude of militants of the region, who have been trying to dictate the media for many years. Referring to the present conflict between a section of militants and the media persons of Manipur, the regional forum has extended its full support to the decisions adopted by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU).
Mentionable that, the AMWJU decided to ‘not to publish’ any newspaper in the State on July 17 as a mark of protest against a militant outfit, which issued a press release to the newspaper houses to get it published in full-form (meaning without editing). The JFNI also...
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi says only the infusion of fresh blood would make the Congress party more vibrant. Addressing a function at the Rajiv Bhawan on Saturday, he says the youth Congress would get more members across the country. The meeting was addressed by PCC chief Bhubneswar Kalita and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.Thereafter, he left for the youth Congress summit at the Sarusajai and is scheduld to address it before leaving for new Delhi. Earlier, Gandhi arrived at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at 8 in the morning by an Indigo flight amnd was received by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi , APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita along with other senior party leaders...
Bokakhat MLA Jiten Gogoi was arrested again on Friday in connection with three more fresh cases. Gogoi was granted bail by a local court recently after he was remanded to judicial custody. He as arrested charging him with assaulting a forest officer on duty at the Kazianga National Park. He is expected to be produced before the court very soon. Details are awaited.
Comments
Pages
Add new comment