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.
Two persons died and nine others have been injured when a powerful bomb exploded at Bhagagarh area in the city on Thursday. That too minutes before the arrival of the Union home minister arrived in Guwahati. According to information, the blast took place at the vegetable market. The bomb was plnted at a bicycle which exploded at round 5-30. The injured persons have been rushed to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. Five of these persons have been seriously inured.The blast took place two and a half hours after the blast at Birubari area where one person was injured.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is arriving in Guwahati on Friday to review the security situation in the state in the wake many terror attacks.According to information, Chidambaram would meet Chief Minister Tarun Gagoi and unified Command to discuss the security situation. Hi visit is significant as the term for ceasefire with the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) expired on Wednesday.The Union minister is schedule to discuss extending Suspension of Operation when its hand behind the Assam blasts were suspected along with insurgent elements based in Bangladesh, he said the CBI took up investigation only on December 18 and no concrete evidence has been gathered about those...
Amid a widening crack within the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, the Bodo rebel outfit announced that their general council has sacked Ranjan Damry alias D R Nabla from the outfit.In a statement on Thursday, they said they were not satisfied with the recent statement of Daimary where he announced that he was still at the helm of affairs.NDFB president B Sungthagra said they are committed to peace process and that they will carry forward the process.
One person was injured when a minor blast took place in the city's Birubari area in the afternoon on Thursday. According to information, the bomb was planted inside a dustbin which exploded at around 2-45 in the afternoon.The injured person was waiting near the dustbin. Top ranked police officials rushed to the spot and investigation is on. The injury is said to be a minor one. Police say it an IED and that it's a handiwork of ULFA to terrorise the people on the new year's day.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi says the Centre is considering the extension of ceasefire with NDFB as the term expired on December 31. Talking to reporters on Thursday on the new year’s day the chief minister also unveiled a slew of schemes to uplift the state’s socio-economic and cultural front.Congratulating Bangladesh’s newly elected President Sheikh Hasina, the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi welcomed the change of guards in Dhaka as high expectations have been attached with the new regime’s prompt declaration of uprooting insurgent groups from its soil.
Army claims a major acheiecvement when it's Red Horn Division busted the KLNLF general headquarters at Laklangso in Karbi Anglong distirct on Thursday wee hours.According to information, acting on a tip off army conducted a raid at the General Headquarters of the rebel outfit, busted it after arresting a dreaded rebel. Besides, a huge cache of arms and ammunition have been seized from the camp. These include an AK-47 rifle, 51mm morter, four mines and 300 detonators and some cortex wires.
Eminent litterateur Rong Bong Terang has been selected for the prestigious Assam Valley Literary Award instituted by the Williamson Magor Education Trust for the year 2008. The newly elected Asom Sahitya Sabha president Terang will be formally presented the award at a function in Guwahati in March.
The age old heritage and bio-diversity of the northeastern region will be shining once again when the country hosts its Science Congress session in Shillong on January 3.According to Vice-chancellor of North East Hill University (NEHU) of Pramod Tandon, delegates would be coming from outside and they have their desire to visit places like Kaziranga National Park and Cherrapunjee during their stay.Tandon, who is the chairman of the celebration committee said over 4,000 participants from countries like US, China, Japan and Bangladesh are expected to attend the five-day meet that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 3.According to him, the grand event would help the...
Good bye 2008 and welcome to 2009. It’s time to welcome a new year after the end of a year. Some one will celebrate it with feasting and outing while some others have separate programme to enjoy it.But for some others, the new year has nothing to be celebrated.Talking to Assam Times, Dr B S Saikia said, “We have no time to join the celebration in this profession. But we can only wish the people a happy new year.” But they have a plan to spend time with their family members after all it’s a new year’s day.For those manning the vehicles on the streets? Same it is in this case . For them celebration means an extra duty hour.Md Rafikul Hussain, a traffic policeman...
Shameful arrest: Assam education minister Ripun Bora was arrested by CBI in Delhi on June 3 while he was trying to bribe one of its officials who was probing into the sensational Danial Topno murder case. The Second Coming: The breakaway group of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) along with PLP united to bolster the regional politics. Both the AGP factions reunited on October 4 at the regional party’s general convention at Golaghat. Farewell to arms: The cadres of A and C companies of ULFA’s crack unit ie 28th battalion announced an unilateral ceasefire on June 24 citing their aim at ensuring talk between ULFA and government. String of clash: At least 55 people were killed...
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