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.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the gas cracker project at Lepetkota in Dibrugarh would be completed in time . The Chief Minister on Sunday visited the multi-crore project and reviewed its progress with high level officers. The senior officials of the project explained the progress of work with a map during the discussion. He admitted that various reasons forced delay in the project but of late, it is progressing rapidly.Prime minister Manmohan Singh laid the cornerstone of the multi-crore project in April 26, 2006.. The prime minister announced that the project would be completed within a period of five years.
Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS) and Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC), Cotton College have jointly organized an Interactive Meet between Journalists/students of Mass Com...
The government is considering a hike compensation for the culled poultry even as two more districts in Assam were suspected to have been affected by the avian flu. The authorities have already rushed teams to Sibsagar and North Lakhimpur district.Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Union Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Secretary N Gokulram said blood samples of the birds from the two districts were sent for tests to laboratories in Pune and Bhopal.Sibsagar and North Lakhimpur districts, however, were fresh areas where the avian influenza was suspected to have dispersed. He said action would be taken in the two districts, after receiving reports from the Bhopal-based High Security...
Authorities in Assam have beefed up poultry culling in several parts of the state as the killer bird flu is further dispersing in the state. A high level central government delegation is in the state to asses the over all situation.Altogether nine districts have so far sounded alert in view of the outbreak of the disease and sale and purchase of poultry and poultry products have been strictly prohibited to avert a major disaster in case the virus inflicts to human body.Several persons have so far been arrested in the city during the last two days for continuing the deal in poultry despite the ban clamped by the government. Police on Thursday night arrested three persons and seized 470...
Three Assam MPs namely Sarbananda Sonowal, Dr Arun Sarma and Rajen Gohain were asked by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee to go out of the House on Thursday as they were sticking to the protest alleging government silence on Assam situation.As home minister P Chidambaram was reading out his statement on the Mumbai terror attack, Assam AGP MPs flashed festoons demanding discussion on Assam situation saying the House cannot ignore the volatile law and order situation in the state. The two AGP MPs Dr Arun Sarma and Sarbananda Sonowal were joined by BJP MP Rajen Gohain who said there is no mention of Assam situation in the home minister’s statement.Speaker Somnath Chatterjee asked the...
Noted litterateur Indira Goswami has been conferred with the Netherlands' prestigious Principal Prince Claus Award for her work in Indian culture and its development, but the writer is all the more happy for another reason.The 2000 Jnanpith Award winning writer, the first Indian to win the Euro one lakh (approximately Rs 64 lakh) award, had a dream of setting up a hospital in her native village in Assam's Kamrup district.
Three hardcore DHD(J) cadres have managed to escape from jail in Haflong by exploding a powerful grenade early in the morning on Thursday.According to information, the rebels namely Danila Dimasa, Daku Singh Dimasa and Nanu Dimasa escaped from jail early in the morning moments after a powerful grenade blast in front of the jail at around 5-30 AM. Details are awaited.
Footballers from the country and abroad will not be seen in action this time in theBordoloi trophy football match slated to begin on December 16.Uzbekistan and Portugal teams who have earlier confirmed their participation along with some other team from the home country will also shy away from this clash this time in view of the state's law and order situation.The Guwahati sports Association who is organising the event invited two teams from Uzbekistan and Portugal. Same it is in the case of Mohun Bagan and Md Sporting, Vasco from Goa.GSA officials have confirmed that the clash this time will confine to Nagaland police, Assam Rifles, Assam Regimental Centre, Second Assam Special Security...
Union home minister P Chidambaram will soon visit Assam to take stock of the situation prevailing in the state.Disclosing this on Wednesday in Delhi Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, early in the day, he called on the Union home minister and apprised him of the state's law and order situation.According to Gogoi, when urged Chidambaram assured him that the Centre will not withdraw additional security forces from the state and that if need be the Centre is ready to rush some more forces to deal with the situation.It is learnt that Chidambaram is agreed to set up an NSG hub for the north eastern region in Guwahati.
The killer bird flu is dispersing to some more areas that could force the authorities to expand the culling operation.According to information, in the city also bird flu is being detected in Khanapara area. After being confirmed it, the Kamrup district administration has banned import and export of poultry. In the same order, sale and purchase of poultry and eggs have been banned.Similar restrictions have been passed by Dibrugarh distirct administration in upper Assam in view of the outbreak of bird flu in the upper Assam district.
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