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

6th Kaziranga Elephant Festival rescheduled for April 18-20

26 Feb 2008 - 2:14pm | editor
The 6th Kaziranga Elephant Festival has been postponed to April 18-20 due to the ongoing examinations, elephant census in the KNP scheduled from February 20 to 26 as well as some other reasons....

নতুন বন নীতিলৈ পিঠি মোদী চৰকাৰৰ

22 Sep 2023 - 10:24pm | Tapasya
নতুন দিল্লীঃ ২০১৭ চনৰ জুলাই মাহত তেতিয়াৰ পৰিৱেশ, বন, আৰু জলবায়ু পৰিৱৰ্তন মন্ত্ৰী ড০ হৰ্ষ বৰ্ধনে সংসদক আশ্বাস দি কৈছিল যে সুদীৰ্ঘ ২৯ বছৰ পিছত নতুন বন নীতিৰ খচৰা প্ৰস্তুত কৰা হৈছে। এই নীতিৰ লক্ষ্য...

Assam tops crimes against women

6 Jul 2014 - 6:40am | AT News
Assam is most unsafe for women. The state tops the list of crimes against fair sex in the entire north eastern region. According to the National Crime Records Bureau report the state remains in the...

TIP Conclave with Star Power, fashion show & music

6 Dec 2013 - 11:39pm | Raktim Baruah
Final day of the TIP Conclave will showcae Star Power session with celebrities come together where they talk about the their role and possibilities to address social issues, especially regarding...

Other Contents by Author

Milan : During the opening of 23rd Milan Festival in The Hague, on Friday, 23rd July 2007, Vedajoyti Ozah, a young talented dancer from Assam with extensive performance experience both in and outside India presented for the first time in the Netherlands the Sattriya dance of Assam. The festival was opened by the mayor of The Hague Mr. Deetman. The ambassador of India Mrs. Neelam Sabharwal was the guest of honour.Veda captivated the audience with her graceful presentation. After the performance she received invitation to perform in other cities of the Netherlands as well as in Belgium. Veda is a recipient of All India Competitive Talent Scholarship in Bharatanatyam sponsored by Ministry of...
Koliabor: Guwahati has won the 44th Junior Inter District soccer title for Santosh Lahakar Trophy. In the final held at Koliabor on Saturday they defeated Golaghat by a solitary goal.K Priya Kumar Singh gave the visitors the lead in the 51st minute to seal the fate of the match. He was also adjudged the best player of the final.Partho Chakravorty
Raha : World Bank officials from Nigeria Mr D Zaudu,Mr Ligachi and Dr M Patri visited the Sub-divisonal agriculture office of Raha in July 25th. They had a talk with the farmers of the locality and discussed on various agricultural issues specifically Investment of funds,Production of crops, Irrigation problem in fields etc. The Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon Dr J Balaji, Joint Director of agriculture and Divisonal Head Md Abdul Mannan also, apart from the officials, attended the meeting.
Guwahati: Zubeen Garg is set to join other organizations to create awareness to save animals in Kaziranga National Park (KNP).KNP has been declared as a world Heritage site by the UNESCO. KNP has always faced a problem of poaching and especially this year the numbers have been alarming as nine rhinos have been already killed till date. Moreover, many animals are killed due to accidents in the NH – 37 when they cross the highway to move to the safety of the hills especially in the monsoons. Sometimes the villagers also kill animals when they come out of their shelters due to floods.Zubeen will attend four awareness meetings at Kohora, Burapahar, Kuthari and Bokakhat on 1st of August....
Bokakhat : Karbi Anglong police arrested two ANLA actvists from Bokakhat on Friday evening. They have been identified as Rishard Tirki and Rupa Mardi of Bokolia Molestbasti.Tirki is the self styled commander of the Adivashi Militant outfit.
Guwahati : City Police have arrested two ULFA militants in Guwahati on Friday for plans to destabilize the Independence Day celebrations. The arrested militants have been identified as Mushhary Siphung and Uday Das. In a joint operation conducted by the Police,para military and the CRPF,the two militants were arrested from Garobasti under Dispur Police Station. 3 bombs with cordex wire, 1 PTED switch and 2 detonators have been recovered from them.
Tezpur : On 25th July,2007 All Assam Hills Tribal Council had organised a meeting in Sonitpur District in village Missamari. Benudhar Tumung, President and Nripen Ingti General Secretary of All Assam Hills Tribal Council was present in the meeting. In the meeting the Sonitpur District Committee has form to work for the Hills People living in plains. The new unit was formed with Chikari Terang as President and Sarching Teron as General Secretary. All Assam Hills Tribal Council is Non Government, non religious, non political organisation. The Head Office is at Guwahati. The Organisation is working for the upliftment of Hills people living in Plains.
Guwahati / Imphal: Assam Government has banned the import of poultry from the neighboring states after laboratory tests confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in Manipur.Laboratory tests conducted on 144 dead poultry confirmed the presence of HBIN virus. This was detected in a suburb of Imphal. The government of Manipur has already started taking precautionary measured to prevent the flu from multiplying.The department of poultry and livestock in Assam has swung into action and has ordered all border posts to be alert and ban illegal trade. They have also asked for sample tests to be conducted in border areas.
Haflong: Fierce fighting broke out between the Black Widow extremists and security personnel in Semkhor near Maibong around 44 Kilometers from Halflong on Thursday. The 72 field regiment and the Maibong police recovered a Rocket Launcher and an AK 47 rifle after an encounter that lasted around 20 minutes. The extremists however managed to escape. Juwel Garlocha is the Chief of Black Widow which is anti talk faction of Dima Halom Daga, a Dimasa militant outfit
Guwahati: City Superintendent of Police has suspended Mr Utpal Das officer in charge of Hatigaon out post under Dispur Police Station. The city SSP was forced to suspend him as a lower court has issued a non bailable warrant against him for contempt of court. The contempt of court case has been slapped against him as he was not following the courts instructions in an earlier case related to a land dispute.