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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NDFB(P) on Saturday alleged that arms are flooding BTAD areas which is why, trouble refuses to die down. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, NDFB(P) leader Govinda Basumatary held AIUDF president Badaruddin Ajmal for the entire string of group clash in the BTAD areas.
Education minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma’s resignation still mires in utter confusion. Dr Sarma, who has already put in his papers from the cabinet has not yet formally made any announcement. He further has sent resignation letter to Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi to quit as MLA. But Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has not so far confirmed the receipt of the resignation. When asked, Gogoi on Saturday refused to divulge anything.
Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar claimed on Saturday that normalcy is back to Bangalore. He expressed confidence that the north east people would soon be back in the city. He said that some rumours have forced the north east people to leave Banglore and that not one untoward incident has taken place in Bangalore. But five persons have been arrested by the police. The Karanataka chief minister also said ministers from northeastern states had inspected the steps taken by his government and had expressed satisfaction.
Unidentified swindler duped a 67-year-old woman drawing a huge amount of money through ATM in Jorhat on Satrday. According to police, Baharti Kalita asked a stranger at the counter on Friday night when the ATM near her failed to respond properly. After he came to know the secret code, the stranger handed her a fake ATM card and vanished from the ATM counter. Rs 1.54 lakh was missing from her account when the woman came draw the money with the fake card. An FIR was filed by her in the Jorhat police station against the stranger.
Fresh violence is reported from Kokrajkhar where one more person was killed on Friday. According to report, unidentified miscreants shot dead a person at Kokrajhar. The shoot out took place at around 7.30 in the evening where three assailants came on motorbikes.
Police in Bangaluru on Friday have arrested five persons charging them with spreading rumours of impending attack by miscreants. Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar intensified measures to instill confidence among the northeastern community that has been leaving the state following ethnic violence against them. The state government has also asked all agencies to scan all social media platforms to check for inflammatory and offensive content. Cellphone operators have been told to block all bulk SMS-es and videos.
Yet another cabinet team has reached Hyderabad on Friday in a bid to stop the exodus of the north east people from Andhara Pradesh. Ministers Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain, and MLA Bikshapathi Yadav reviewed the situation in Anajaiahnagar and Siddiquenagar where a large number of Assamese people are fleeing to their home state fearing attack.
The Assam government on Friday rushed to cabinet teams to Bangalore and Hyderabad to help the states stop massive exodus of the north east people. Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka and Transport Minister Chandan Brahma arrived at Bangalore Railway station. They would meet the state government in Karnataka to review the situation. Brahma met the students and other members of the Assamese community living in Karnataka. He said that he would remain in Bangalore for the next two days. Karnataka Home Minister R Ashok and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar along with Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes, G Parameshwar and Dinesh Gundu Rao were also present on the...
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ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua on Friday said the internal conflict between a senior minister and the Chief Minister has resulted in the BTAD clash. In a statement, ULFA urged the people of Assam to support the ‘call of sovereignty’, failing which the cycle of violence in the region would continue.
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