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.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur cast their votes at a polling station under Guwahati Lok Sabha on Dispur on Thursday.PM Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur arrived in Guwahati at around 11 in the morning and left for the city by a helicopter. They cast their votes at the polling booth number 156 at Dispur Government High School to exercise their franchise at around 11:40am amidst tight security.While Singh, who is elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam, had the voter serial number of 726, Kaur's name was placed next, at 727. Singh and his wife then headed back to the helipad for the airport to board their special flight back to Delhi. The prime minister did...
Moderate polling is reported in altogether eleven Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam after voting began at 7 in the morning. Barring a few stray incidents, polling is by and large peaceful. The turn out is said to be low during the early hours in most of these constituencies due to drizzle from early in the morning. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is casting his vote at the Dispur HS School. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has also cast his vote in Jorhat. There are reports of technical snags in some parts of the state.
Bigyan Jeuti, an Assamese science magazine published by Assam Science Society since 1962, has appointed science writer, activist, media and agriculture expert Mowsam Hazarika as Editor for the period 2009–2011. Interested contributors are requested to send science based write-ups for publication in the magazine in Assamese to: Editor, Bigyan Jeuti , Assam Science Society, Lamb Road, Latasil, Guwahati-781001, Assam. Email : mowsam2000@yahoo.co.in.
Amid tight security voting negins in Assam in its 11 Lok Sabha constituencies on Thursday. The voting began at around 7 in the morning to decide on the fate of altogether 127 candidates in the second phase of polling. Dhubri has 10 candidates, Kokrajhar 3, Barpeta 14, Gauhati 12, Mangaldoi 13, Tezpur 15, Nagaon 13, Kaliabor 8, Jorhat 8, Dibrugarh 10, Lakhimpur 15.
Assam is all set for the second and final phase of Lok Sabha voting on Thursday in 11 of the 14 Parliamentary constituencies. According to information, polling officials along with materials have already reached their respective polling centres. Elections are set to be held in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaliabor, Nagaon, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, Guwahati, Mangaldoi, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar.The state went to the first phase of polling in three seats...Silchar, Karimganj and Autonomous District in Assam April 16 with heavy polling recorded. An estimated 14.73 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the second phase in which 121 candidates are in the fray.The ruling Congress party...
Conservation organization Save The Frogs, USA recently declared April 28th as the first annual 'Save The Frogs Day'. The goal is to raise awareness of the rapid disappearance of frog species worldwide. Save The Frogs Day events are planned in several places , including Assam.In recognition of Save The Frogs Day, Peoples' Science Activists of worldwide will deliver presentations about the amphibian extinction crisis to local schools, zoos and community groups this April 28th. Teachers and students will focus on amphibian conservation, learning about threats to frogs and discussing ways to contribute to conservation efforts. Events for schools also include participating in frog art and frog...
Assam Election Watch (AEW), an organization monitoring the 2009 election candidates, has come out with the analysis of contesting candidates during phase I and II of the elections.
AEW looked at 155 candidates out of 158 total contesting candidates in 14 constituencies of Assam. Mr. Milon Singha and Mr. Soleman Khandeker independent candidate from Karimganj and Dhubri constituency respectively could not be analyzed as in place of their affidavit some other persons’ affidavits are found in the election commission’s database. On the other hand Mr. Jiten Sundi’s affidavit could not be incorporated in the analysis because of some technical problem.
In this election...
Aayushi Nimodia of Bokakhat has been invited by the visiting President Pratibha Patil. Ayushi met the President at Guwahati recently on her visit to Assam few days back.The reason for this that Aayushi sent a letter with these points, which impressed the President: 1. To solve the problem of flood during the rainy season and to protect soil erosion caused by the mighty river to the Kaziranga National Park by taking appropriate measures at war-footing.2. To establish a Woman's University in Assam.3. To arrange protection for all people to attend public functions like Independence Day.We wish Aayushi all the success :)
The electioneering for the remaining eleven Lok Sabha seats ends on Tuesday at 4 in the afternoon 48 hours before the commencement of the second phase of polling on Thursday.Speeches from fiery to fervent in the poll rallies are coming to an end as soon as the clock strikes at 4 in the afternoon. A host of national leaders has campaigned in the state for their party leaders. Congress sent Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi along with Pranab Mukherjee and others.BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani alongwith Sushma Swaraj, Narendra Modi, Dr Najma Heptulla campaigned for AGP and BJP. CPM politburo member Brinda karat and CPI leader A B Bardhan campaigned for...
Asom Ratna Bhupen Hazarika singing a song at the inauguration of the largest Japi of 40 ft. diameter, prepared under the supervision of the Airtel at Dighalipukhuri, Guwahati on 20-04-09 night. Photo: UB PHOTOS.
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