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.
21 May 2008 - 4:14pm | editor
The preparations are underway to conduct the social audit of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Miyaganj development block of Unnao district in UP.The National Rural Employment...
4 Mar 2015 - 5:17pm | Dibya J Borthakur
The Tiwa Mathonlai Tokhra (The Tiwa Sahitya Sabha) is taking up comprehensive steps in order to revive and contemporize the traditional culture of the Tiwas in Nagaon district. A one month long...
13 Oct 2010 - 4:10pm | DigantaTalukdar
About 1500 activists of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) marched a rally at Nagaon on Tuesday. The activists of KMSS gathered at Nehrubali and marched a rally and demonstrated infront of the...
11 Jun 2012 - 1:44am | Jayanta Kumar Das
Setting an example of determination for a peaceful community living,all the leading citizens, politicians, journalists,representatives of various organisations of Udalguri district namely- Bodo...
A BSF jawan was caught red handed in Guwahati for trying to outrage the modesty of a girl on Tuesday. The jawan was caught in the evening at Maligaon area were he proposed to go with a girl. When denied, he passed lewd comment on the girl. When it came to the notice of the local residents, he was caught and after public assault he was handed over to police.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi has sent a group of ministers and parliamentary secretaries to BTAD areas to help the affected people restore confidence and to oversee relief operations. Parliamentary secretaries Bhupen Bora and Rana Goswami are touring Kokrajhar and Chirang on Wednesday. Revenue Minister Prithibi Majhi, Planning Minister Tanka Bahadur Rai and Social Welfare Minister Akan Bora who are visiting Bongaigaon. They are on a stock taking visit to Kokrajhar on Wednesday. Agriculture minister Nilomoni Sen Deka visited parts of Barpeta and Nalbari districts. Transport minister Chandan Brahma is camping in Chirang. Education and Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Dhubri and...
Army would seize arms in BTAD areas which would help the violence-hit areas to build confidence among the fear-stricken people. The government has already made it clear that miscreants responsible violence would be identified and action will be taken against them.
Amid violent bandhs chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday said that these would only complicate the situation. Talking to reporters in Guwahati he said that the time was not proper to call bandhs. “Instead of bringing calm, bandhs only increase the temper and also affect the economy,” he said. Gogoi deplored that some parties have failed to keep his request made during the all-party meeting of August 17 to refrain from any provocative statements for two months.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday appeal to the political parties and organizations to refrain from calling bandhs saying that these wont help the matters. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, he accused the BJP and AIUDF of making provocative statements which fuels the cycle of violence in the state. He said called upon leaders of the two parties to restrain their cadres.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday calls BTAD violence unacceptable and that no government can ignore such treacherous activities. Addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party she said that strict action would be taken against those who are mongering trouble in the state. She said that every effort should be made to ensure that people still living in camps return to their homes as quickly as possible.
A police officer was injured and his vehicle was burnt down during a string of violence in Nagaon on Tuesday. The sporadic incident took place in Kampur where police and CRPF jawans clashed with a group of bandh supporters in the town before curfew was clamped to bring the situation under control. The police official managed to escape from the spot but his vehicle was burnt down. In Bongaigaon at least 15 people have been injured when police resorted to blank-firing to disperse a group of bandh supporters in Abhayapuri who blocked the national road. Indefinite curfew was clamped in Aambagan where a local Congressman was injured in attack.
Two persons were killed and 12 others have been a vehicle carrying them rammed into a rail line during the 12-hour Assam bandh on Tuesday. The incident took place when a section of bandh supporters pelted stones at the vehicle before it lost control on way to Tinsukia from Dibrugarh. The injured have been rushed to the hospital.
One person was killed and many others have sustained injury when a group of youths clashed with some businessman in Barpeta Road areas on Tuesday during the statewide Assam bandh. A section bandh supporters burnt down some shops in the area forcing the district administration to impose indefinite curfew in the area.
Army will rein in the situation. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that police will help army bring the situation under control. Gogoi has appealed to both the sides to exercise maximum restrain. According to him, it would help the state restore normalcy in the violence-hit areas. He further appealed to the political parties and organizations to refrain from making any provocative statements.
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