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.
22 May 2010 - 3:04am | sankal
Showing solidarity to the rest of the nation in shunning terrorism, the employees of Guwahati Refinery, the top management and the security forces solemnly took the pledge against terrorism on...
13 Oct 2015 - 9:35pm | AT News Itanagar
Taking serious note of the existing road condition of the twin capital city of Itanagar and Naharlagun, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki convened a high level meeting of PWD minister Gojen Gadi,...
17 Sep 2015 - 9:40pm | AT News
Hundreds people across the state took out missiles on Thursday evening in protest against the Centre’s move to allow the non Muslim Bangladeshi immigrants to stay as refugees where Assam will have to...
4 Aug 2013 - 9:32pm | AT News
Violence refuses to die down in Karbi Anglong over the demand for a
separate state with government offices.
Office of the additional chief engineer of irrigation department and
the Khadi Board...
If magh bihu comes can community fishing be far behind? From early in the morning people in several places across the state are landing in community fishing a few hours before the feasting festival. Armed with the various traditional weapons, people, mostly, living near the rivers and water bodies are engaged in fishing.“It is our tradition of fishing on Uruka day. I have a good catch of fish half an hour after I landed in this water body. I need no longer to stay here,” Jiten Barman told Assam Times in Nalbari who joined the fishing early in the morning.Tridip Das a local resident of Jalukbari area is equally happy after he caught a fish during the community fishing in deepor beel, a well...
Braving a biting chill, the entire state is soaked in Magh bihu festivity on Wednesday. Every household is busy with the last minute preparations a day before the much vaunted festival of feast.Today is uruka, the day of feast festival. Shops and markets are teeming with people for last minute shopping for the evening feast. Fish, meat and vegetables are flooding in the markets from early in the morning. Apart from feast a series of cultural programmes are lined up on the occasion.After the whole night celebration, the bihu would take place on Thursday morning by liting up the wooden made meji to offer puja to the god of fire. Governor PB Acharya, chief minister Tarun Gogoi along with many...
Only a day is left for Magh Bihu, the much vaunted festival of feast and merriment. But soaring prices seem to have embittered the real taste of the festival. Shops and markets are teeming with the people for bihu shopping. But a sudden price hike makes it difficult for the common to buy the commodities in the shops and markets.“Beaten rice is available in the markets. But the price stands at Rs 60 per kg. We the common people can hardly afford cream. Price of curd, pulse, coconut and molasses are also going up,” said Ananta Saikia in Ganeshguri.Jina Devi, a housewife in Beltola told Assam Times that a tight purse has not allowed them to buy more commodities in the market. She said, “We...
The North East Research and Social Work Networking (NERSWN), an NGO of Kokrajhar base observes its 10th foundation day with two day long progrmme from Monday at Gwjwn Dera NERSWN Complex, Chnandrapara in Kokrajhar. Deputy Commissioner Themeswar Malakar inaugurated the Children’ Mela where the different types of Science Exhibition, Magic Show, Sports, Literarily and cultural by the student children displayed. Children from different schools of lower Assam participated and displayed their talent in the field of science, arts, Technologies etc.A Seminar on “Civil Society Space in Promoting peace and Reconciliation in Zone of Conflict” was also organized the seminar was...
Senior bureacrate Himanshu Sekhar Das took oath as chief commissioner of RTI on Monday. Governor JB Patnaik administered Das the oath of office and secrecy at a brief fuction at the Raj Bhawan in the morning. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was also present in the function.
The Assam Government will confer Sukapha award to noted lawyer KN Saikia on Tuesday. The former Supreme Court judge will receive the award from chief minister Tarun Gogoi at a function at Rabindra Bhawan in the afternoon.
A total of 702 tribal families were given away land pattas, covering 300 bighas of forest land under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 under Chirang Forest Division at a function held at Dhunabari Lower Primary school in Chirang Tuesday. BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary handed over the papers in the presence of BTC Deputy Chief Kampa Borgoyary, Deputy Commissioner, Chirang, Virendra Singh Mittal, DFO, Chirang, Subash Chandra Brahma and Project Director Deba Kumar Kalita. BTC Speaker Paniram Brahma and former Transport Minister, Government of Assam, Chandan Brahma were also present in the meeting.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh put in his papers before the President on Saturday. Dr Singh, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, rushed to president Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 12.30 in the afternoon where he tendered his resignation letters. Mukherjee accepted his letter and requested Dr Singh to continue the office till the next candidate takes over as the prime minister. Dr Singh, a professor and economist and former RBI governor was inducted in the Narasimha Rao cabinet as finance minister in 1991. In 1992, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam. Later in 20 04, when the party regained power he was sworn in as prime minister. He continued the office when...
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that he would quit taking moral responsibility of his party's dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls. Talking to Assamtimes at his Koinadhara residence on Friday, a visibly Gogoi said that he would send his letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking her consent. Same this was what APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita said after his party was trailing behind BJP in 8 seats.
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