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

Candle light by ABSU

4 Mar 2016 - 7:21pm | Hantigiri Narzary
A candle lighting rally was organized by the All Bodo Students Union paying homage to former Lok Sabha Speaker and Tura MP PA Sangma, who breathed his last today at his own New Delhi residence...

Dr Pramad Chandra Bhattacharya passes away

12 Nov 2018 - 8:28pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Eminent linguist, folklorist and scholar of Assam Dr Pramod Chandra Bhattacharya breathed his last on Monday. He was 93. Dr Bhattacharya had contributes a lot toward uplift and development of...

Assam all party delegation leaves for Delhi

28 Jan 2009 - 2:40pm | editor
Assam on Wednesday rushed an eighteen member delegation to visit the Prime Minister at the All India Institute of Medical Science to wish him quick recovery. Headed by Assam Assembly Speaker Tanka...

Reshuffle: Guwahati in the lurch!

23 Jan 2015 - 5:39pm | AT News
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi finally reshuffled his cabinet on Friday. But the major reshuffle has raised the eyebrows of the Guwahati denizens who have no representation in the council of ministers....

Other Contents by Author

The Gauhati High Court has asked senior Congress leader and minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman to appear before the court on December 11 charging him with violating the court order regarding the reinstatement of two lecturers in Barkhetri in Nalbari district.The governing body of the college headed by Dr Barman refused to comply with the order of the court and that of the Director, and did not allow them to join as lecturers and permitted Lokman Ali to continue as Principal.The two lecturers approached the Court by filing a contempt case against Dr Bhumidhar Barman and Md Lokman Ali. In pursuance of the court order, the Director conducted a fact-finding inquiry and directed the college authority...
MLA Jiten Gogoi of Bokakhat, whose name appeared in the Justice KN Saikia Commission report pertaining to the 'secret killings', has expressed serious concern and said he would move even the Supreme Court to clear his name from the report.Expressing his grave resentment over his name being associated with the issue, Gogoi alleged that Justice Saikia never met him even for once during the enquiry.Terming his indictment as intentional, he spoke about his determination to take the matter to the court and to institute a defamation suit.Gogoi also apprised newsmen gathered at the Bokakhat Circuit House premises that when secret killings took place, he was neither an ULFA or SULFA man....
A string of group clash that leaves twelve people dead, as many as one hundred people injured has forced the authority to clamp curfew in the city on Saturday. The condition of thirty is reported to be critical.The violence began as soon as the Advasi people in large numbers were holding a rally demanding Scheduled Tribe status for the community.The Adivasi protesters damaged as many as 150 vehicles while these were plying in the Beltola areas. Moreover, some of them vandalized some shops and markets in the area.The angry people in general retaliated by attack and the clash left 5 people to death.The city police sprung into action and dispersed the Adivasi people from the protest rally site...
Assam is holding its first ever International Tea Convention at the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium in Sarusajai. As many as 33 delegates from across the world are attending the grand event. The praise on the quality of Assam is pouring on. The convention is talking about modern technology to uplift the tea industry. The inauguration ceremony on Thursday was attended by Uinion commerce minister Jairam Ramesh, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, his industry minister Pradyut Bordoloi and Tea Board of India Director.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi called on Union minister of shipping, road transport and highways, Thiru T.R. Baalu here on Tuesday and discussed the issues relating to road development in the state.According to information, Mr Baalu directed NHAI to take up repair work from Khanapura to Jorabat and Jorabat to Nagaon on top priority and requested the Mr Gogoi to expedite the work relating to the acquisition of land, cutting of trees and shifting of utilities for the progress on East-West corridor.He proposed diversion of about 90 km on the stretches of NH 37, which has to be 4-laned by NHAI to avoid Kaziranga National Park and offered in alternative route on NH-52 between Tezpur and...
A Violin Recital progam by Sunita Bhuyan will be held on 24th November, 2007 Saturday (7 pm) at Carter Road Promenade, Bandra, Mumbai. Its an open air free entry program. You are welcome to get your friends and family. For details of the festival you can check: www.celebratebandra.net or call Ms Bhuyan at 9821614829.Celebrate Bandra Festival 2007 is all about turning the spotlight on one of Mumbai's oldest and definitely her most happening suburb. Whether you want a taste of Bandra's heritage, her talent or the fantastic food on offer, the festival will leave you satiated yet begging for more.It's no exaggeration that Celebrate Bandra Festival has now established itself as the...
Normal life in central Assam is partially disrupted following the 48 hour bandh call by three Tiwa students bodies from Monday morning..The roads are wearing a desert look from early in the morning. Thin attendance are there in the schools, colleges along with other government and private institutions.The government is beefing up security arrangement to ensure normalcy during the bandh period Nagaon and Morigaon districts. However, no reports of any untoward incident has been reported so far.The student bodies are striking in protest against the government move to hold panchayat polls in the areas falling under the Tiwa Autonomous District Councils.They are preparing for a three hour long...
he north eastern students vow to stop illegal infiltration from across the border in the region.They will care not even an iota to go to any extent to check it.This is more or less of what the speakers at the North East Students’ Organisation meeting said in Itanagar on Saturday.Addressing the session, the chairman of the region’s students body came down heavily on the Centre and the Assam government saying both the governments have been downplaying the serious issue.Our agitation will continue so far as the problem confronts, said Dr Bhattacharjee.NESO advisor A Shirmey apprehended said if the influx further goes unabated the indigenous citizens will become beggars in the own...
Legendary football player of Northeast, Gilbertson Sangma will attend the Guest of the Month programme of Guwahati Press Club on November 20 (Tuesday). The programme will begin at 12 Noon. Mr Sangma is supposed to recall his experiences of his days as a member of Assam police football team particularly during the Bordoli Trophy tournament.
Stunned by the High Court directives on the secret killing reports, Dispur is holding talks with legal experts to tide over the Catch-22 situation and to ensure a hassle-free proceeding for Thursday’s Assembly session.According to information, the Assam government finds it difficult to table the Justice K N Saikia Commission report on the floor of the House along with the Justice J N Sarma Commission report which was rejected by the Tarun Gogoi government in its previous regime.“If an acceptable legal option fails to come up on Wednesday evening, the government will not be able to table the report on secret killings during the Mahanta regime. Submission of the Justice J N Sarma...