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 killing of ULFA’s second lieutenant Sashanka Baruah stymie the on going peace initiatives if Mrinal Hazarika's strong message to Army is any indication. Hazarika, who is leading ULFA's pro talk faction made it plain and simple that if army further fails to stop the killing of ULFA cadres in the name of encounter, they will have no option but to give a reconsider the unilateral ceasefire.Talking to a private news channel, Mrinal Hazarika said," If these repeat we will be bound to reconsider the unilateral ceasefire."Army have claimed that Sashanka Baruah died at an encounter but the pro talk faction said it’s a cold blooded murder. They said spots of bullet attacks...
The family members of Prasanna Turung, who has been kidnapped with his wife 17 months ago from Margherita, staged a sit in strike in Guwahati on Tuesday demanding probe into it. Prasanna Turung and his wife have gone missing from Margherita in Tinsukia district of upper Assam from April 8, 2007. But the president of the Tirap Autonomous district council demand committee and his wife have been remaining clueless.The Tinsukia district administration has failed to find any breakthrough. Two names surfaced in the case. One is none other than Margherita MLA and senior minister in the Tarun Gogoin cabinet Pradyut Bordoloi while another is Juel Ali. A few months back, minister Bordoloi and Chief...
September 16 every year is observed as "World Ozone Day". The celebration of this day is made to pay our homage to the ozone layer, that saves our earth from the harmful ultra-voilet radiation of the Sun. The life on the Earth , depends on the energy provided by the Sun in the form of various radiations. Out of total energy received by the Earth, 35% will be reflected back to the space by the clouds, dust-particles and ice particles present in the atmosphere.14% of the energy , which comes in the form of ultra violet radiation gets absorbed by the ozone layer, thus saving the earth from the harmful effects like over warming of the Earth or diseases like cancer34% of the energy is...
Former Assam Minister Dipen Tanti has been injured in the Delhi bomb blast at Karol Bagh on Saturday but is now out of danger. According to information, Mr Tanti, who was a minister in the erstwhile Asom Gana Parishad ministry, had gone to Karol Bagh along with his wife and a friend for shopping. Tanti, who is currently undergoing treatment at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and doctors attending on him said he was out of danger and would be released in a day or two. He was getting his shoes polished when he heard a loud explosion and initially thought it was a cylinder blast. Later, they realised it was bomb blast and found blood oozing out of his head. He was rushed to the hospital by his...
Vice President Hamid Ansari on Monday has inaugurated the two-day North East Business Summit being organised by the Department of North East Region, DoNER in collaboration with the Indian Chamber of Commerce, ICC, Kolkata. The main objective of the summit is to showcase the potential of the NE States and to promote private sector investments.Organisers say the fourth summit of the kind will primarily focus on sectors such as tourism, food processing, power, infrastructure, information technology, handloom and cottage industries especially in the context of the Look East Policy on trade and investment linkages with ASEAN and SAARC countries.A special session on "North East on Fast Track...
Stung by an aroused criticism, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has announced a package of Rs 500 crore to deal with the flood fury in Assam.Addressing a press conference after winding up his aerial survey on the flood affected areas in the state on Sunday, Mr Patil also announced adequate compensation by the Centre to the next of kin of the 35 people who lost their lives in floods this year.Patil said, "after consultations with the prime minister, it was decided to announce Rs 500 crore to provide immediate relief and rehabilitation to the flood affected people. I only have one condition that the state spends Rs 300 crore first and when Rs 50 to Rs 60 crore is left, ask for the...
Flowers on the display at the 'Indigenous Crops: Our traditional wealth and future prosperity' was organised for the first time in Shillong by the Horticulture Department on 12-09-08. PHOTO: UB PHOTOS.
Golaghat College Unit, All Assam Gorkha Students' Union (AAGSU) observed the Freshers Social named NOWLO VET GHAT and along side paid rich tribute to Gorkha Martyr of Indian freedom Struggle movement Amar Shaeed Durga Malla by celebrating BALIDAN Divas recently at Golaghat D R College auditorium. The open Session was presided by Subash Limbu where Assam Times correspondent Nanda Kirati Dewan attended as a chief guest. Dewan outlined contributions of Gorkhas in particular in the socio economic and political field of Assam.
Aruni Kashyap, young English language poet from Assam, opened up for discussion several problems and issues relevant to contemporary Assam in a Poetry Reading Program held at Hansraj College, University of Delhi, on 26th August, 2008. This was the monthly reading series that the Department of English, Delhi University organizes. He read his poems along with eminent Hindi poet Jitendra Srivastava.Jitendra Srivastav teaches Hindi at Indira Gandhi National Open University and Aruni Kashyap is a student of MA English Literature at St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi. Jitendra Srivastav has published three poetry collections and they are In Dino Halchal (2000), Anbeli Katha (2003), and...
A hardcore ULFA cadre was killed at an encounter with army at Dirak Reserve Forest early in the morning on Friday.According to information, ULFA's 28th battalion cadre Sahaknka Baruah alias Ananta Gogoi was killed during an encounter with Army's 9th Kuman Regiment in the forest. Later army jawans recovered a AK-56 rifle from the sport.Top ranked police officials rushed to the spot to find out other ULFA cadres who have been staying inside the forest.
Comments
Pages
Add new comment