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.
14 Nov 2019 - 6:37pm | AT News
Guwahati: Paying tributes to legendary cultural revolutionary Dr Bhupen Hazarika on his 8th death anniversary, an acclaimed feature film titled Chameli Memsaheb will be screened at Guwahati Press...
22 Sep 2016 - 6:34pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Hundreds of activists from PJACM,ABSU and several organizations shouted slogans against Lok Sabha MP Naba Kumar Sarania(Hira Sarania) and hangs his effigy along flyover near Tengapara today in...
1 Nov 2016 - 8:03pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Four poachers arrested along with tiger skin in Bhuyanpara range of Manash National Park in Baksa district on Tuesday. According to Ranger of Bhuyanpara of Manash National Park, four poachers...
4 Dec 2016 - 9:16pm | Shajid Khan
The post demonitazation woes continue to surround every business segments of the society. The exhibitors of the ongoing national trade fair at the Bordoloi Bhawan premises of Tangla registered their...
Atleast 20 people have been injured when ULFA exploded a powerful grenade in Tinsukia. The incident took place at 7 in the evening in Doomdoma where ULFA militants lobbed the powerful grenade at a police outpost which exploded with a huge sound. Twenty people injured on the spot who were rushed to the hospital.
Dr JK Bajaj, director of Centre for Policy Studies, Chennai will attend the Guest of the Month programme of Guwahati Press Club on September 11. The programme will begin at 12 noon. A research scholar in Theoretical Physics, Dr Bajaj also studied Humanities and for some time and he used to work for Janasatta as its resident editor in New Delhi.Dr Bajaj authored several books and papers including Indian Economy and Polity, Indian tradition in science and technology, Ancient Indian medicine, Green revolution: A historical perspective etc.Member-journalists are requested to participate in the interactive session.
Morigaon police have arrested a police officer in connection with a number of sensational cases. Identified as Bhaktiran Kakoti, the suspended police officer was arrested from room no 306 of the games village complex in Guwahati in the wee hour by a team of Morigaon. Kakoti has a number of criminal cases pending against him in several police stations. He was suspended a couple of months and yet he openly criticized the DGP.
A three member panel of the national commission for protection of rights visited the relief camps in Kokrajhar on Tuesday and took stock of the plight of the affected children. Led by its chairperson Shanta Sinha, the team visited the camps at Gambaribil and Tulsibil where thousands of children have been languishing in the refugee camps. Talking to reporters at the Kokrajhar Circuit House, Sinha deplored that the plight of the affected children has not been taken into consideration during the stock—taking visits of the various delegations. She said that a sub committee should be set up to deal with the pathetic condition of the children refugees. The commission would send a team of...
A BPF MLA was among the 14 people who procured anticipatory bail from the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday in connection with an ethnic clash that killed 5 refugees in Chirang district recently. The BPF MLA is Kamal Singh Narzary who was allegedly involved in the incident where five refugees were killed by miscreants when they were shifted to another camp in Amguri area. Others include Bodo Women Justice Forum chairperson Anjali Daimary. Cases have been registered against them with Bijni police station. Bijni police have also registered a case against BPF MLA Pramila Rani Brahma who is yet to move the court.
An earthquake of mild intensity struck the state on Tuesday triggering panic among the people of Guwahati and parts of the north-eastern region. The quake with a magnitude of 3.1 on the Richter scale, rocked the region at 1:13 noon. The epicentre of was in Morigaon district. There was, however, no report of damage to life or property. There are also reports of tremors being felt in some parts of the north-east region.
Dispur is preparing a white paper on steps to check infiltration in the state. According to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the white paper would be published by October 1 to throw some lights of the steps on the issue. Taking a jibe at AGP and BJP, Gogoi dared them to come out with a white paper. He said that AGP, BJP AASU talked of yet another agitation to expel illegal immigrants. But I do dare them to reveal what they did to solve the problem.
The state government has not imposed ban on processions, demonstration and dharnas in the state. Talking to reporters in Guwahati on Tuesday, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that he only requested political parties and organizations to refrain from holding demonstrations and dharnas fearing fresh any violence.Gogoi’s comment assumes significance after his appeal drew flak from the various outfits who called the situation an undeclared emergency.
Opposition AIUDF on Tuesday threatens to sue BJP MLA Prashanta Phukan for calling the party president Badruddin Ajmal as a Bangladeshi. In a statement party general secretary and MLA Hafiz Bashir Ahmed Kasimi said that he found it hard to believe how Phukan can call Ajmal a Bangladeshi. He said that his party would demand an explanation from him. Notably, the BJP MLA from Dibrugarh, called Ajmal an immigrant at an interview with a local TV channel.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi claimed to have improved the over all situation BTAD areas and Dhubri. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, Gogoi said that around 2.42 lakh displaced people have returned to their homes. He said that there has been no new fresh incident of violence during the last few days.He said that the next meeting of the coordination committee would be held at Kokrajhar on September 6.
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