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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Police opened fire to disperse bandh supporters when they blocked the Natioal Highway-31 at Joghighopa in Bongaigaon district and three bandh supporters were injured.Tension erupted in Dhubri district with the CRPF and the police opening fire to disperse bandh supporters, who burnt the effigy of Mohilary near No:2 Kali Mandir on NH 31 at Gauripur.AMSU activists also blocked NH-31 at New Hatipota near Bilasipara, ransacked the Bodoland Peoples' Front office in Gauripur as well as eight shops at Asharkandi besides forcibly closing shops at Gariapatti.
Fresh incidents of violence takes away the chance of peace in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bagsa and Dhbubri districts when the All Assam Minority Students' Union’s bandh call disrupted normal life across the state on Tuesday.The Army jawans are patrolling the violence-hit areas and more security forces have been deployed in BTAD areas with night curfew. Normal life was paralysed with sporadic incidents of violence in several districts during the 12-hour bandh called demanding scrapping of the Bodoland Territorial Council and the arrest of its chief Hagrama Mohilary.
Normal life comes to a grinding halt across the state on Tuesday following the 12 hour bandh call by the All Assam Minority Students Union demanding action to atop the BTAD violence. The bandh that began at 6 in the morning has crippled normal transport service and business activities in the state. The impact is heavy and total in the minority-dominated areas of the state. A section of bandh supporters tried to enforce the bandh even with a string of stray incidents. The bandh crippled normal life a day after the Bajrang sponsored-total and peaceful bandh called demanding arrest of AIUDF president Badaruddin Ajmal.
One person was killed and five others have been injured in fresh violence in the Kokrajhar district on Tuesday.Four incidents of firing were reported from the district on Monday. One was killed in Bhumki in the Salakati town, four others were injured in the Pakritol village after unidentified gunmen opened fire. Another person was also reported to have sustained injuries in Gossaigaon.
Security has been beefed up in the riot-hit BTAD areas after fresh incidents of violence from Saturday. Indefinite curfew has been clamped in Chirang district since Saturday evening after unidentified miscreants killed five persons in a fresh orgy of attack. Assam Police and paramilitary forces launched a massive operation to nab the perpetrators. Two senior police officials have been rushed to monitor the situation in Chirang district. Eighty additional CRPF companies have also been deployed to bring the situation under control. Army jawans continued flag march on Sunday to maintain peace.
The United Liberation Front of Asom on Sunday warned of attacks on outsiders if the killing of Assamese youths are allowed to continue. A statement signed by Paresh Baruah, ULFA alleged that 14 Assamese youth had been killed outside Assam.
The statement reads that the atrocities inflicted on the people from Assam must be stopped immediately. ULFA further charged All India United Democratic Front president Badaruddin Ajmal with spreading communal tension for political mileage.
Five persons were injured in a fresh incident of violence in Kokrajhar district on Sunday. The incident took place unidentified miscreants persons attacked five persons including a child near Salakati Railway Station in Kokrajhar in the wee hours. The injured have been admitted to the Bongaigaon civil hospital.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday ordered BTAD administration to crush the spine of the trouble mongers in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts. He asked the administration to open fire at anyone who resorts to arson and violence. Gogoi has asked a team of his cabinet colleagues to visit the BTAD areas to assess the situation.
Four boys were injured when group of students clashed in Morigaon on Saturday. The incident took place at a boys' hostel of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Morigaon Saturday night. According to police, hostel inmates of Class 11 and Class 12 were involved in the clash, in which both sides used sharp weapons. Police rushed to the school and brought the situation under control. Hostel inmates have vacated the place on Sunday morning fearing further violence.
Assam Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi on Saturday expressed his deep gratitude to Karnataka government for taking measures to tackle the issues facing people of the North East origin. Talking to Karnataka deputy chief minister R Ashoka, Gogoi said that he was impressed with the way in which the Government of Karnataka and in particular the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka R Ashoka swung into action and tackled the issue.
The Chief Minister also thanked his Karnataka counterpart over telephone in the presence of the delegation and said that there are a large number of people from Karnataka settled for generations in Assam and similarly Bangalore is home for a large number of people...
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