Skip to content Skip to navigation

Anti dam protest greets Jairam Ramesh in Guwahati

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.


Comments

Hayang's picture

--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.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Season of foundation stones in BTAD

19 Jan 2018 - 7:10pm | AT News
Kokrajhar: Bodoland Territorial Council(BTC) chief Hagrama Mohilary laid 13 foundation stones for construction of developmental works under 5th Assam Finance Commission in Kajalgaon sub-division of...

Assam engineer’s forum bats for pragmatic flex-fuel policy

12 Feb 2022 - 10:32am | AT News
Guwahati: All Assam Engineers Association (AAEA) appreciates the latest initiative taken by both the Union government in New Delhi and the State Government in Dispur to encourage the use of green...

Tension along Indo-B’desh border

3 Nov 2012 - 4:36am | editor
Tension is simmering along the Assam-Bangladesh border in Cachar district following reports of entering extremists from entering the district for creating law and order problem. The district...

Delhi university helpdesk

1 Jun 2013 - 10:54pm | Abdul Gani
The Delhi University Student’s Union is establishing a temporary Official Helpdesk in order to answer and solve the queries related to courses, admissions, forms and submission of forms of the...

Other Contents by Author

Assam Congress hailed Tarun Gogoi's state budget for 2008-2009 saying it a pro poor people.The party has welcomed the proposals for food processing park in Chaygaon, Rs 75 crore to revive the Assam Finance Corporation, Palstic park in Tinsukia with a hope that these will go a long way to strengthen the state's economy. According to the party, the proposal for engagement of 21,000 youths with Sarba Sikhya Mission and along with 10,000 more youths through National Rural Health Mission is a step like never before. The steps virtually to reduce the prices of potato, onion, suji, atta will be a big relief for the common people.
The Kingkhap Assamese ladies association of Kharghar celebrated international women's day at Mile Stone party hall in a befitting manner. Noted journalist Sobita Goswami, welknown physician Dr. Bobbita Ghodke were invited to grace the association as guest of honour . The function started with lighting of the lamp by the honoured guest followed by the felicitation with Assamese Gamosa and a bouquet. The kingkhap is a newly formed ladies organisation. President Deepali Das delivered the welcome address and Secretary Ruma Hazarika also spoke about the significance of women's day. Sobita Goswami presented a valuable speech on the importance of women in the society. Dr. Bobita Ghodke stressed...
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has tabled a Rs 2189.23 crore crore deficit state budget on the floor of the House on Monday pledging to make Assam a healthy and wealthy state. In his speech, Mr Gogoi, who also holds the finance portfolio said the state has been making progress on several fronts. In his budget, Mr Gogoi proposed 65,000 new jobs for the youths in this fiscal. In addition to this for the unemployment youths, the Government has proposed interest-free loans for the self help groups.Besides, the works on the gas cracker projects in Tengakhat are going on rapidly to complete the project by 2012, said the Chief Minister adding that the project will go a long way to address the...
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is all set to table the state Budget for 2008-2009 on the floor of the House today. Speaking to Assam Times, Assam legislative Assembly officials here say Mr Gogoi who also holds the finance portfolio will table the budget today on 10 in the morning. The budget is expcted to be for the common people.
Much ink have been spilled on the racist and indecent attitudes in Delhi and its neighbouring areas towards those hailing from the seven sister stats and Sikkim but these refuse to die down. Over the years, the things have gone from bad to worse. That too at the instance of a section of ‘mainstream’ but muddle headed journalists and writers who boast of championing for the dumb millions but hardly knowing all about what is there in the home country. Nothing underscores this more painfully than a recent feature carried by The Times of India.Written by Nona Walia, the entire feature Spa with a difference, has some off- the-cut-remark which nothing but an insane can accept....
ULFA is set to target against the Hindi speaking people in Assam forcing the authorities to beef up security arrangement in upper Assam. The banned insurgent outfit shot dead three brick kiln workers near Udalguri tea Estate in between Tengakhat and Chabuwa on Sunday midnight.According to information, a group of armed youth stormed into a brick kiln owned by one Shyam Gohain at around 10-30 on Sunday evening Immediately after entering, they started indiscriminate firing on the workers who were sleeping. Three of them killed on the spot while three others managed to escape from the spot. Police and civil officials arrived in the spot later and started investigation.
Local people blocking a road to stage demonstration in protest against the police and paramilitary atrocity for several hours at Duliajan on 09-03-08. Yesterday evening, police and paramilitary forces beaten and tortured innocent people in Duliajan after a grenade blast in a CRPF camp. Pix by UB Photos.
As many as six people have been left injured in upper Assam's Dibrugrah town when the suspected ULFA militants exploded a powerful hand grenade on Saturday evening. According to information, the blast took place at the Cole Road of the town at around 7-45 in the evening. All these injured people have been shifted to the Assam Medical College Hospital. The Hospital has already two people who received injury at the Tinsukia blast that rocked on the afternoon. Police and civil officials are there on the spot and have started operation to nab the culprits involved in it. It may be noted that 20 people were injured in two other blast in the state earlier on Saturday. Four of them in the city'...
A mass wedding ceremony of 52 couples of diferent religion were held today at Siajuli Baba Dham Namghar organized by the Seva Bharti and Marwari Sanmelan Mahila Manch at Lakhimpur on 8th March 2008. Pix by UB Photos.
As many as sixteen people have been injured while a powerful bomb exploded in Tinsukia town at around 1 pm on Saturday. According to information, the blast took place at the busy GNB Road in front of a grocery. The injured people have been rushed to the hospital. High level police and civil officials have arrived in the spot to start operation. Meanwhile, one more crude bomb have been recovered just before a while. Details are awaited.