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.
Such an energy policy must be centered on a wide mix of renewable energy options -- solar, wind, small-hydel, biomass and others. Given the fast declining costs of such technologies globally, diverse resource base of India to support them, and their suitability for integration with decentralized community-managed systems, they fit the bill. Conventional large-scale options like nuclear and large hydro have failed to provide energy security almost everywhere in the world thanks to high capital costs and unresolved impacts on the local communities, environment and safety. Systems based on clean coal and natural gas, given their current domestic availability and low capital cost...
The main Opposition Asom Gana Parishad is finalising a pre poll pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The deal was finalised on Friday when AGP top guns now camping in New Delhi called on BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and discussed the groundwork in detail.Talking to Assam Times, senior AGP leaders said both the parties have started finalising the seat sharing formula for the same. The process for finalising seat sharing deal has yet to complete, they said adding that a few seats have yet to be finalised. According to information, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Barpeta will go to AGP while BJP will be fielding its candidates in Nagaon, Mangaldoi, Silchar,...
ULFA advisor Bhimakanta Buragohain said talks between Government and ULFA possible only when it will be approved by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and military chief Paresh Barua. Talking to reporters at the session court premises, the jailed ULFA leader denied speculations that there was a split in the ULFA following declaration of unilateral ceasefire by the two companies of 28 battalion.On the other hand, the Assam govt on Friday welcomed the initiative for a peaceful solution to the insurgency issue in the state of the 'A' and 'C' companies of banned ULFA's 28 battalion. In a statement released on Friday, the government considers the step taken by the two companies as encouraging and...
Newly appointed Assam Governor SC Mathur rues that despite potential a plenty Assam is GDP growth is lingering in the backstage of progress. Addressing his press conference after being sworn in on Friday, the veteran Congressman from Rajasthan said he was strange to find that Assam has its beauty and bounty of nature but GDP growth is much below than the national figure by 30 per cent. For the former Rajasthan Chief Minister, the infiltration is problem which is not confined to Assam only and that it’s a national problem which could be resolved through negotiation.According to Mathur, there will be an end to all the problems, including insurgency, which have been confronting the north...
Morigaon CPI leader Manoj Deka who was struggling with death at the Guwahati Neurological Research Centre died on Friday morning. Doctors at the GNRC called it a case o brain haemorrhage and tried their level best but ultimately failed. The end came at 8-43 in the morning. The Morigaon district CPI general secretary was rushed to the city based nursing hospital on Tuesday night after he was severely beaten up by police duty in the evening. The incident is set to touch off a seismic wave of reactions across the state’s political parties, organisations and individuals. Former MLA and CPI leader Munin Mahanta have called it a cold blooded murder and that they will not tolerate it. The...
Veteran Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur was sworn in as Assam Governor in Guwahati on Thursday at a function held at Rabindra Bhavan. He was administered oath of office and secrecy by acting Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice Aftab Hussain Saikia. The former chief minister of Rajasthan was also member of the 10th Lok Sabha. The 82 year old Mathur is the 9th Governor of Assam since the reorganisation of the Northeast in 1972. The last politician-governor that Assam had was Lok Nath Mishra, who served the state from 1991 to 1997.
Newly appointed Governor of Assam Shiv Charan Mathur taking the guard of honour at the LGBI Airport in Guwahati on 03-07-08 after he arrived in Assam after being appointed as Governor. Ex CM of Rajasthan Shiv Charan Mathur going to replaced former Governor of Assam Ajai Singh.Pix by UB Photos.
A 12 hour country wide Bharat bandh is disrupting normal life in Assam on Thursday along with other states. Sponsored by Viswa Hindu Parishah on Amarnath land transfer row, the bandh began at 5 in the morning on Thursday in Assam when all schools, banks and other business establishments remained closed. Roads are wearing desert look and barring few vehicles of police and security forces others are not plying on the streets. The Assam State Secreteriat is witnessing a thin attendance of employees. Our correspondents from upper Assam have informed that backed by BJP, bandh is total and by and large peaceful. There are some reports of arrests of VHP activists while they staged protest during...
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh releasing the “North Eastern Region Vision 2020” Document, in New Delhi on July 02, 2008. The Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar and other dignitaries are also seen.
Bodo Teretorial Council (BTC) Chief Hangrama Mohilary blames lapse in security for the Kumarikata blast on 29/06/2008 that claimed seven lives including three women and injuring more than 70. Talking to this correspondent in Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) after visiting the injured of the blast he said that as a part of the government I owe responsibility for the blast and condemn the heinous crime what so ever may be the reason behind it. When asked who do you think may be behind the blast, gesturing he replied there are a number of armed militant outfit operating in the region. “It can be the handiwork of any of the militant outfit. In fact we have demanded enquiry of the...
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