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

Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award-2012 to NERIST professor

12 Jul 2012 - 9:27pm | editor
Debabrata Maji of Mechanical Engineering Department of North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) was awarded the prestigious ‘Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award-2012 (...

City hosts Intl Conference on Asian Values and Human Future

6 Jul 2015 - 9:51am | CM Paul
A city university is collaborating with a Chinese counterpart to organize a three-day international conference on Asian values and human future.Some 80 scholars and delegates from 11 countries are...

Trouble for Ranee, Gaurab!

22 Mar 2014 - 1:12pm | AT News
In a major development that can jeopardize the poll prospects of two ruling party candidates, Chatra Mukti Songram Samiti on Saturday has moved the Election Commission alleging false information by...

Stress on border trade for North East development

21 Apr 2012 - 4:01am | editor
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday stressed trans border trade with Myanmar to ensure a speedy economic development in the north eastern region. Addressing the platinum jubilee...

Other Contents by Author

Assam forest minister Rockybul Hassain on Saturday finally has admitted the sharp rise in the poaching of rhinos in the Kaziranga National Park. But the students across the state sit in stir demanding actions to check poaching in the state sanctuaries. Addressing press meet, the forest minister Rockybul Hussain said the government has taken steps to prevent poaching in all the sanctuaries. He said high level committee submitted the report detailing the circumstances behind the killing of rhinos on Saturday before Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Hussain said AASUhas no right to demand his resignation
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said his government will dole out more sops for the students for outstanding performance in the international level. Giving away the Anandoram Barooah award with a personal computer at a function at the Judges’ Filed for the students securing first division in the last HSLC examinations, Mr Gogoi said the award will help them hone their skills. The award contains a citation, a personal computer with an UPS. In his address, education minister Ripun Bora said the award will encourage the students to get themselves prepared for the competitions examinations. Of the 12,692 candidates who secured first division in the ,last HSLC examinations 11,...
Manipur has hogged the limelight in the North East Games which ended on Saturday. The guest team has claimed altogether 58 gold medals. Manipur is followed by Assam while third position has gone to Mizoram..The champion team topped the medal tally with 58 gold medals 32 silver and 41 bronze medals. Assam got 41 gold medals, 46 silver and 44 bronze medals while Mizoram has 16 gold medals, 18 silver and 23 bronze medals. On the other hand, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have been ranked third, fourth and fifth, sixth, seventh amd eight position respectively On the other hand, Assam beat Tripura in men’s football on the concluding day with the brilliant...
School children's walk passes by the closerd shops at Circular road, Dimapur on 02-02-08. The normal business establishment in the commercial hub of the state has been affected by the 12 hour bandh by the business community ion Dimapur where some unidentified gunmen adducted a poultry owner on Monday and shot dead on Friday morning. Pix by UB Photos.
In yet another notable verdict, the Gauhati High Court has ordered the Assam government to remove three directors of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank for their failure to repay the loans they borrowed from the bank. Hearing a writ petition on Friday, the Court has also asked the Reserve Bank of India and NABARD to monitor the functionings of the bank.
German has evinced keen interest in the exchange of experts in sev eral sectors with Assam. This was disclosed on Friday while a 15-member delegation of German parliamentarians called on Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Dispur and discussed it in details. The delegation has informed Mr Gogoi that the country is interested to explore the state’s rich resources. They hoped it could bring in outside investments. The delegation of the foreign parliamentarians arrived in the city on Friday evening and straightly met Chief Minister and showed their keen interest in the north eastern states.
A major fire broke out in the Paltanbazar area in the city on Friday midnight which damaged properties worth crores of rupees. The accident took place while a loaded truck hit an electric post which jolted a PVC wire to result short circuit. The fire brigade officials took more than three hours to douse the fire that have already ravaged some tin sheet shops and hardware shops. The extent of damaged has yet to be ascertaind.
The Dhubri district administration will cull as many as two lakh poultry along the Assam-West Bengal border in view of bird flu which is dispersing in an area of five kilo meter in the district. The decision to this effect was taken following the instructions received from the Centre. The Dhubri district administration hold a meeting on Friday at the office of the Deputy Commissioner Ganesh Kalita which instructed the animal husbandry and veterinary officials to cull the poultry in the area paying Rs 40 only to the owners for each of the culled poultry. But the culling has yet to begin in the area in the absence of the required materials ansd instruments. Top ranked police officials were...
The United Liberation Front of Asom has strongly criticised the government for lack of interest to end the arms conflcit in Assam.In its latest mouthpiece Swadhinata, the proscribed out said the government has gone back to its words for paving the way for a meaningful dialogue. They said even Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh assured them of discussing the issue of sovereignty.But both Governor and the Assam Chief Minister have gone one step further saying there will not be an discussion on sovereignty. They further charged BJP veteran L K Advani with trying to destroy the state's communal harmony with his recent statement saying “the Artisans and labourers from Jharkhand, Bihar,...
A former Meghalaya MLA died tragic a road accident at Chaygaon near Guwahati on Friday morning. According to information, the former Meghalaya legislator P D Sangma was injured at the mishap while he travelling from Shillong to Tura. The incident took place at around 11 AM. His vehicle collided with a stationary truck near Chaygaon. Sangma died on the spot, the driver, Sangma's wife and owner of the vehicle were also seriously injured. His body was rushed to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital with his injured wife and driver .