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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In a shocking incident, a 50 year old man named Tapan Pal of Juria in the Nagaon district woke up while he was being taken to the funeral. The incident happened on Saturday afternoon when his family...
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Lt Gen Pranab Kumar Bharali, Vishist Seva Medal, has been appointed as the Director General of Army Aviation Corps at the Army Headquarters, Delhi. Army promoted an officer from army aviation corps...
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The first "Dehing Festival" will be celebrated on February 1-3 at Dehingmukh, Demow, Sivasagar district. The festival will feature various events - sports, ethnic food, cultural function, exhibition...
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Following the Silapathar incident where an unknown Bengali organisation ransacked the office of the All Assam Students' Union demanding Indian citizenship for Hindu Bengalis who came to Assam...
A 12 hour statewide Assam bandh is disrupting normal life on Tuesday. Barring police army and vehicles, the streets are wearing a deserted look. Shops and other business establishments are also closing. The schools in the morning are also remaining closed. The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom is calling the statewide Assam bandh demanding immediate release of PCG member and human rights activist Lachit Bordoloi and demanding killing of innocent youths in the name of encounter.
The Centre is all set to start oil exploration in the Brahmaputra river basin saying it could boost oil production. Addressing the golden jubilee function of Oil India Limited (OIL) here on Monday, DONER Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said the basin has huge potential of oil reserve which had to be exploited. He said the exploration work will start as soon as the required environmental clearance was received. According to Aiyar, oil exploration work would also start in Tirap and Changland districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Guwahati based journalist and a regular contributor to 'Assam Times', Nava Thakuria has been awarded with the first media fellowship on refugee issues sponsored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES). The Fellowship with the theme, 'The Chins of Myanmar: Refugee Life in a Distant Neighbour', with a focus on Protection and Durable Solutions for the Chin ethnic group from Western Myanmar, which lives in challenging conditions in the Northeast as well as in New Delhi starts from 1 March to 31 May.The announcement was made by a Committee comprising Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika, C-NES Managing Trustee, journalist...
With much fanfare and cultural extravaganza, the colourful Karbi Youth festival is going on atop the Karbi hills. The colourful cultural event of the Karbi youths was inaugurated by Assam Governor Lt general (retd) Ajoy Singh on Saturday. The event marked its beginning with a glowing tribute to the Karbi culture legend Rangsina Sarpo. In his address, the Governor said he was really mesmerized by the Karbi songs and dance adding that has turned 75 but never did he enjoy these cultural festival. In his address, veteran Karbi political leader Dr Jayanta Rongpi said only autonomous state could restore permanent peace and prosperity in the hills district.
Assam BJP leadership has come in for sharp criticism following the party’s poor performance in the recent panchayat polls. Several leaders within the party have openly criticized the state unit president Ramen Deka saying he failed to reach the grass root level. With this it has become clear that dissidence against Ramen Daka is resurfacing within the party. The recent panchayat polls have painted a dismal picture for the party where only 1600 have been elected out of more than 8000 candidates the party fielded across the state. It was quite deplorable compared to the performance in 2001.
The Assam BJP has demanded a specific set of policy from the Government on conversion saying it is mother of all social tension in the state. Addressing a press conference on Sunday in the city, state BJP president Ramen Deka said conversion has been the main reason behind the simmering social tensions in Assam. Saying it inadmissible, Mr Deka added that conversion is still going on in Assam adding that a clear cut policy should have to be there to regulate these. He further said infiltration has already disturbed the state’s demography and it will be more harmful if conversion continues.
The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad has staged a statewide silent protest on Saturday demanding immediate release of PCG member Lachit Bordoloi, stopping police harassment on lawyer Nekibur The AJYCP activists in Guwahati staged the silent protest with black clothes in their faces demanding an end to the autocratic rule of the Tarun Gogoi government. The agitating student leaders said the arrest of PCG member Lachit Bordoloi is nothing but a bid desperate bid to foil the peace process. They further threaten to intensify the agitation if the government fails to ignore these demands.
A microlite glider of the Indian Air Force nose landed in a tea estate near the IAF eastern aircommand base at Chabua in Dibrugarh district on Saturday at around 10-30. The pilot sustained minor injury in his hand while co-pilot escaped unhurt. The two-seater glider also did not suffer much damage,. The glider developed a technical snag, two minutes after taking off from Chabua.
United People's Front, Manipur Organized a Mega Marathon 2008 in Manipur with theme 'Run for your Nation' on 17-02-08 from Khuman Lampak Main Stadium. This is second time which is biggest ever in Manipur. Pix by UB Photos.
Four hardcrore ULFA cadres were killed in Sonari during a joint operation by Army and Sivasagar police on late Friday night. According to information, Army’s 316 Field regiment jawans and the Sivasagar police conducted a massive raid in Naphuk Naharani gaon under Sonari police station and found out these ULFA cadres in a house. These four cadres died on the spot during the operation while the police suspected that two or three more cadres have escaped the operation. Two of these militants have been identified to be Phatik Handique and Ranju Hazarika. The others have yet to be identified. The police have recovered a AK-47 rifle, 4 grenades, one 9mm pistol some ammunitions and mobile...
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