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.
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Security forces are spreading tentacles to nab the ULFA militants who are unleashing terror in Sivasagar town with a powerful blast that killed one person on Monday evening.
Ten others have been injured in the blast who were rushed to the hospital. The injured have been identified as Krishna Sahu, Prakash Yadav, Arun Dey, Hari Sahu, Sadhu Khan.
The blast took place amid a simmering war of words between ULFA’s anti-talk faction and superintendent of police.
The controversy erupted on Sunday when body of a local youth was found in Sonari. Police claimed it a handiwork of ULFA. ULFA’s anti-talk faction on Monday held SP Akhilesh Singh responsible for the incident.
NO...
Fellow Citizens of Bharatvarsha and Friends, Hari Om.
You might think this opening statement a pompous beginning to this evening’s proceedings, but as we go along I will endeavour to explain how this is one of the most illuminating ways to address one’s people and how that light shone in Assam over 500 years ago and its effulgence burns to this day in the hearts and minds of every Assamese.
It is this spirit of enlightenment that we would like to present and radiate not just here, but throughout India, and to every corner of the globe where human and sincerely secular values have a meaning.
In all my life, this is perhaps my proudest moment. At a time when Assam burns...
One person was killed and ten others have been seriously injured when ULFA militants exploded a powerful bomb in Sivasagar town on Monday only to make their presence felt.
The explosion took place with a huge sound at around 9 in the evening near the Central Market. The bomb was believed to have been planted at a motor cycle which exploded when the spot was teeming with people. Security forces arrived in the spot. One person died on the spot. The injured have been rushed to the Sarma Nursing Home and some of these people have been rushed to the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh. On the other hand, security forces have cordoned off the entire area in the town launching an operation to...
Krishna Kanta Handique Open University is gearing up for introduction of post graduate courses in a number of subjects from 2012-13 academic session. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Monday, open varsity’s vice chancellor Srinath Baruah said that these new courses include sociology and linguistic on semester system. According to him, the open varsity would impart training to the newly recruited teachers.
Hundreds of Assam Youth Congress and National Students Union of India activists hit the streets in Guwahati on Monday demanding immediate deportation of Bangladeshi immigrants. The protesters said that they wont rest until and unless the immigrants are flushed out. They further alleged that BJP was trying to divide the people in the name of religion and ethnicity. APYC president Piyush Hazarika said that BJP and BJYM were trying to extract political mileage from the immigrants issue.
The opposition Asom Gana Parishad on Monday alleged that FDI in retail would leave lakhs of youths unemployed in Assam. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta feared that FDI in retail would completely destroy local outlets where lakhs of youths are engage. He said that it would be a shocking chapter in a state like Assam where there is hardly anything to be called industrialization.
The overall flood situation remains unchanged. Toll has gone upto 9 where over ten lakh people rendered homeless in 16 districts. The water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries are still rising. Three children drowned in a boat mishap at Makum near Sadiya in Tinsukia district last night while NDRF rescued 42 others. Two others died each in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts and one each in Sibsagar and Nalbari on Sunday. The worst affected districts are Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup (rural and metro), Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sibsagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia.
Asom Gana Parishad on Monday strongly criticized Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his Japan trip at a time when the state is reeling under devastating flood waves. Talking to reporters in Guwahati, party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said that Gogoi is making a habit to stay abroad in the time of crisis. He further demanded more central funds for relief and rehabilitation of the flood-hit people.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday ordered deployment of helicopters and mechanised boats to step up rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas.
Gogoi in his telephonic conversation from Tokyo asked revenue minister Prithibi Majhi, water resources minister Rajib Lochan Pegu and Chief Secretary Naba Kumar Das to efficiently deal with the rescue and relief operations. He further ordered adequate food materials be supplied to the affected areas.
The Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has announced the third EMFA awards to be held in the second half of January 2013 in the city. The exclusive media forum for the television journalists and non-journalist employees has also invited entries for the 3rd EMFA Media Awards 2012.
Addressing the reporters in Guwahati Press club today morning the EMFA has also informed that the entries for the annual awards should be telecast between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2012 through the television channels and those must reach the office of EMFA (c/o Guwahati Press Club, Ambari, Guwahati-781001) by January 7, 2013. The awards will be given in 16 categories comprising on specific reporting,...
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