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 Assam Foundation of North America (AFNA) program 'Sponsor a Child' started off with a meeting at Snehalaya Guwahati. Debojit Bora of AFNA talked in detailed about this project. The meeting was attended by 1) Parijat Academy, 2) Asha Darshan-Tamulpur, 3) sSTEP, Society for Social Transformation and Environmental Protection 4) Atma Nirbhar-Ek Challange, Guwahati and 5) SHED , a rehab centers for Mentally Retarded...
In yet another big blow for ULFA, one of its hardecore cadres has surrendered before the Meghalaya police on Tuesday night.According to information, Hasmat Ali, alias Jahangir Ali surrendered before the Superintendent of Police in Mendipathar Police station in East Garo Hills District in Meghalaya.Joined the outfit in 2006, the ULFA rebel was involved in many strikes after he completed arms training at Barkaku in Sherpur District in Bangladesh. He was also an expert in explosives devices. He has submitted an AK 81 rifle, two magazines, a hand grenade and 71 live bullets.He is identified a s a resident of Mathia Garopara in Goalpara district, and he is the son of late Abdul Halim.
The simmering situation along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Lakhimpur refuses to die down a day after the Lakhimpur district administration dismantled check post at Moinajuli area set up by the Papumpara district authorities.Thousands of local residents are leaving their homes apprehending incidents of violence in the areas and thus this has forced the authorities to deploy more security forces in the area before the situation spans out of control. But a section of Arunachalese people are still asking the border people within the territory of Assam to vacate the place. Talking to Assam Times, local residents have alleged that section of policemen in Papumpara district are joining...
Body of a rhino was recovered at Chemeri Chapori in Golaghat district on Sunday morning . Local residents say the body was exhumed after the local residents saw a heap of soil on a rhino body. Forest officials later came and exhumed the body from a paddy field. The poachers took away the horn after killing the rhino possibly two or three days ago. They saw three rhinos in the area but the forest officials failed to pushed them back to Kaziranga.
An uneasy situation is again prevailing in Golaghat town on Sunday evening. A group of youths started assaulting a few businessmen after vandalizing their shops. Policemen had to take resort to lathi-charge to disperse the people who demanded stern action against the youths involved in it.It may be noted that people in large number burnt the effigy of Golaghat Deputy Commissioner alleging his failure to take action against a few youths who harassed a shopkeeper demanding money citing an AATASU function.
The Oil India Limited Duliajan had the last laugh in the prestigious 57th Bharat Ratna Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi trophy soccer title in the final match beating the Assam State Electricity Board by 3-0 goals at the Guwahati on Sunday. The first half of the match ended in a goalless draw. But in the second half, the OIL strikers managed to defeat the ASEB by 3-0 goals. The strikers who posted these goals are namely the African footballer Ejakul, Minto Boro and Lalremruata.
There is report of vertical split in the National Democratic Front of Bodoland. The chairman of the Bodo rebel outfit DR Nabla has claimed that he will lead the outfit despite the earlier order sacking him from the stint.Quoting Nabala as saying a section of media reports he would the lead the NDFB as it was for the 22 years to ensure national self-determination, independence and sovereignty.The outfit which is blamed for the October serial bombings in Assam, removed its Bangladesh-based president, Nabla, last week and announced its decision to contest next year's parliamentary elections either directly or indirectly.The NDFB general assembly on December 15 replaced its founder president...
At least thirteen ULFA cadres belonging to the 28th Battalion are set to join the pro truce faction in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district on Saturday.According to information, these cadres will join the faction at a function being organized at Kakopathar designated camp where top pro truce leaders including Mrinal Hazarika is present.
A major explosion was averted and lives of hundreds of people saved on Friday when an IED was found in a busy market in Sibsagar. According to information, the personnel of 316 Field Regiment Army and police recovered the 5-kg of IED from the Moran market where a large number of people had gathered for shopping in the evening. The Bomb Disposal Squad of Army later safely defused the bomb, they said adding search operations have been launched to nab those who planted the IED.
Over 40 persons have been injured when suspected Birsa Commando force militants set on fire a passenger bus at Bihali in Sonitpur district early in the morning on Saturday.According to initial reports, suspected BCF militants forcibly halted a passenger bus bearing No AS-075848 from Sivasagar on its way to Lakhimpur as it reached Monabari Newline and set on fire by pouring petrol. Over 40 passengers have been injured in the attack. The injured people have been rushed to the hospital. The incident took place half an hour before the area slipped into a 24 hour statewide Assam bandh called by Birsa Command Force.
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