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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Amid an uneasy situation union home minister P Chidambaram on Friday visited the on going NHPC project at Gerukamukh in Dhemaji district bordering Arunachal Pradesh. He held a meet with the top...
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HOJAI: The police in Hojai have stepped up operations to rescue a minor boy who has gone missing from the town two days back. The incident took place on Friday even where Yashir Ahmed Talukdar from...
Our Guwahati Correspondent: All is not well with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) as it is mired in yet another internal bickering.Former AASU leader and the sitting AGP spokesman Prabin Boro is up in arms against former Health and Family Welfare Minister and sitting MLA Dr Kamala Kalita.Mr Boro has sought stern action against Dr Kamala Kalita for making contradictory statements before the media regarding the reunification decision in the recent meet at Mangaldoi.According to Mr Boro, what he briefed the media on the Mongaldoi meeting was the “not his personal comment”.Notably, Dr Kalita had said that regarding reunification Mr Boro’s statement before the media was his...
Our Jorhat Correspondent: A set of draconian laws are there to prevent the 100 year long tea industry from flourishing in Assam, says the Assam Tea Planters’ Association President Raj Baruah.Addressing the 70th annual general meeting of the tea planters’ body, at the Jorhat Gymkhana Club on Saturday, Mr Baruah said a tea estate owner should be free from all statutory liabilities for availing the benefits under the Special Purpose Tea Fund for the rejuvenation and replantation of tea bushes.Mr Baruah stressed on the need to amend the relevant sections of the Plantation Labour Act to provide relief to the tea industry and urged the Government to ensure that there was no...
India’s great singer of Assamese origin Dr. Bhupen Hazarika has been requested to perform on the occasion of the 60th Independence Day celebrations at the Parliament House, New Delhi. The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh has invited Dr. Hazarika on behalf of the Central Government to perform two songs on this historic event at the parliament on 15th Aug, 2007. The two songs that he has requested Dr Hazarika to perform are the Hindi versions of” BISTIRNO PARORE” and “MANUHE MANUHOR BABE”.
GUWAHATI: The body of abducted Food Corporation of India Executive Director (North Eastern Regional Office) Dr P.C. Ram was recovered from Anandapur village in Lower Assam’s Baksa district on Saturday. Baksa Superintendent of Police Kankanjyoti Saikia has intimated that the decomposed body of Dr Ram was dug up from the village. It was later identified to be that of the FCI official by his former domestic help Junu Murmu who is like his adopted daughter. The body was taken to Nalbari Civil Hospital for post-mortem. Dr. Ram was abducted along with his driver by ULFA from Srinagar area of Guwahati on April 18 while on his way home from office. Police said the body was found buried in...
Our Guwahati Correspondent: Fourteen hours after the arrest of its five top guns, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) killed FCI Zonal Manager Phul Chand Ram in its captivity on Saturday (as per the earlier update) and has also exploded three bombs in Upper Assam killing 2 persons.According to information, Dr Ram’s dead body was found on Saturday at Anandapur in Baksa . When his body was discovered half of it was found buried in the ground. Investigations are going on at present and the Police and Para military forces have cordoned off the entire area. It may be mentioned that Dr Ram was kidnapped by ULFA militants on April 17 on his way back to his working place along with...
Our correspondent Guwahati Latest reports have confirmed that The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has killed the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Zonal manager Phul Chand Ram in their captivity. Dr Ram’s dead body has been found on Saturday. He was kidnapped by the militants on April 17, 2007 while he was on his way back to the capital. It has been learnt that ULFA was demanding a ransom of Rs 21 crores from Rams family but the police are yet to confirm it. Further details are awaited.
Guwahati: The kidnapping of Food Corp of India (FCI) Executive Director Phulchand Ram took another twist today as self proclaimed ULFA leader, Mr. Parthajit N claimed responsibility and said that he would be released if two of their associates who are in police custody are released in return. He also mentioned that Mr. Ram was not keeping in the best of health.In the meantime police have gheraoed around 20 villages falling under the Barbari Thana as they suspect that Ram is being kept somewhere there.It may be mentioned that the police have already arrested four people in this connection. They have been identified as Ganesh Das, Bakul Das, Satya and Mahendra BoraFCI officials are worried...
Sibasagar : Heavy downpour in Sibasagar district has effected normal life and floods have been reported in various parts of the district.The district administration is trying its best to bring the situation under control.One casualty has been reported. Mr Prakash Thapa the deceased is reported to have drowned while sleeping. Thapa was around 25 years old
Sibasagar : Sarbashikhsha Abhijan, an educational organisation set up by the Government to improve the educational system in Assam has committed some grave follies in the examinations held at primary level class five in Sibasagar.The first day the Mathematics question paper had a lot of errors and the second day the English paper had Hindi questions in between.
Guwahati : The Assam Sahitya Sabha is organizing a two-day Assam Maha Sanmilan at Rabindra Bhawan on July 1 and 2 next to discuss the socio-economic issues concerning the State and also its present law-and-order situation. The Maha Sanmilian would be inaugurated by Homen Borgohain, a leading writer and journalist. Several leading personalities and intellectuals are expected to attend the Maha Sanmilan said a Sahitya Sabha press release here.
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