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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Assam Congress mires in a mysterious incident much to the embarrassment of APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. APCC secretary Rajesh has been absconding with Rs.1 crore in cash he allegedly received meant for to party high command in Delhi. According to sources, Joshi and his family vanished from Guwahati after he received the money at Nakashtra Hotel in Guwahati. He received the amount one Tarh Koyu, a contractor in Arunachal Pradesh who brought the money on behalf of Chief Minister Nabam Tuki. The deal was struck on September 7. Koyu was sent to Guwahati to transfer the money to AICC. But under some mysterious circumstance, the money reached Joshi. The money...
For the first time the dangerous dengue strikes the state with altogether 13 cases. The cases reported mostly from Guwahati and its surrounding areas. Nine cases were reported from Kamrup (metro) district and one from Kamrup (rural) district on Friday. Three other cases have been reported from International Hospitals in Guwahati. NVBDCP sources said that over 10 cases have been reported so far forcing the department to start fogging and awareness programme in the affected areas. The disease is caused by the biting of aedes mosquito, which breeds in stagnant water.
The overall flood scene remains unchanged on Saturday. Fresh rains wreaked havoc in the form of flood inundating several villages in Dhemaji, Lakhmpur, Jorhat, Nagaon, Kamrup, Barpeta and Nagaon districts. Although there was no report of loss of life. District administrations rescued many affected people to higher ground. An alert has been sounded in Majuli, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sivasagar. The government has announced measures to provide relief to the affected people and instructed the deputy commissioners of districts accordingly.
ULFA militants exploded yet another grenade in Sivasagar district of Assam on Friday to make their presence felt.The blast took place at Sonari near petrol pump at around 10-40 at night. There is, however, no report of any casualty. Police officials have rushed to the spot.
Surging waters of the Brahmaputra have again threaten to ravage the Kaziranga National Park and Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Tinsukia.
Another worst hit area is the river island Majuli in Jorhat were submerged and it was also cut off from the mainland due to stoppage of ferry services.
Security forces are fanning the along the Assam-Mizoram inter state border in Cachar district following tension flare up from Friday. Efforts were on to initiate talks with Deputy Commissioner of Kolasib district in Mizoram and a letter had already been sent to him in this regard. Notably, several organisations took out a protest march on Thursday demanding immediate solution of the long-standing boundary dispute between Assam and Mizoram.The organisations - All Barak Youth and Students Association, Dalit Sena, several local clubs among others, alleged that a few days back the pillar between Assam-Mizoram border was destroyed by unidentified miscreants.
The Assam government keeps kept the air force on standby in view of the flash floods that renders lakhs of people homeless. Kamrup, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur districts have been submerged by the surging waters of the rivers. At least 25 villages in Kamrup district were affected due to floods.
Authorities have sounded alert was in most of the affected districts as the Brahmaputra river is flowing above danger level at some points - particularly in Dibrugarh and Jorhat districts and showing a rising trend at many places. Two youth - students of Doomdooma College in Tinsukia district were also drowned on Thursday as they w
Flood waves are back to wreak havoc. The situation has turned from bad to worse.Over ten lakh people have been affected in seven districts killing two youths in Tinsukia district and renders lakhs of people homeless. The government has also pressed into service the National Disaster Response Force to expedite relief and rescue.
The third special train for Bangalore left Guwahati on Thursday carrying altogether 1264 people back to the southern city. Amid tight security, the train left the Guwahati Railway station at 11 in the morning with the passengers, mostly, who left Bangalore at the height of rumours of attack on north east people. Earlier, two the Assam government arranged two special trains to carry hundreds of passengers back Bangalore who were willing to resume work or study.
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