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.
The acrimony over the molestation incident in Guwahati seems to have spread to New Delhi when hundreds students staged dharna in front of the Assam House on Friday. The outrage against the incident continued as members of the civil society staged a protest before the Assam Bhavan in the national. The protestors met the Resident Commissioner of Assam in New Delhi and urged him to ask Dispur to take strict action against the incident.
The Assam government on Friday set up a one-member inquiry commission on the recent incident in the heart of the city. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has set up the panel under Additional Chief Secretary Amili Chaudhary who has been asked to file the report by the next 15 days. Gogoi, who has directed DGP to nab all the culprits, has ordered disciplinary action against police officials found guilty of dereliction of duty. Opposition BJP also took out a protest rally in Guwahati against the 'failure' of the state government on the law and order front.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday inaugurated a solar power plant at IIM-Shillong campus to meet the needs of the institute. Gogoi inaugurated a 50 KW solar power plants aimed at providing clean energy to the IIM campus in Shillong. He said that armed struggle can’t change the face of a nation. According to him, it can be resolved only through economic development and by providing employment opportunities.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said that his government was keen to settle the border row with Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Participating at a function at Indian Institute of Management-Shillong, Gogoi said that the north east must live peacefully as good neighbours. The chief minister was greeted with black flags by the Khasi Students Union alleging encroachment on Meghalaya lands in Lampih.
Debabrata Maji of Mechanical Engineering Department of North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) was awarded the prestigious ‘Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award-2012 (instituted in the memory of Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi) from Sriprakash Jaiswal, Hon’ble Minister of Coal, Govt. of India, New Delhi in a glitering function of the presentation ceremony held on July 10, 2012 at Speaker Hall, Constitution Club, New Delhi. This award is presented by Seemapuri Times, a Lucknow-based News Magazine. This award presented to Maji for his Excellence in work, meritorious services, outstanding performance and remarkable role.
North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has joined the relief effort to give succor to the victims of the devastating flood that has recently swept across the state of Assam. A team was sent to Nalbari district with provisions, mosquito nets, tarpaulin sheets, baby food etc. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi flagged off the effort. B P Muktieh, CMD NEDFi was present during the flag off ceremony.
The Assam government has set up a panel of additional chief secretary PP Verma to probe the attack on Congress MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Jacky Zakir at Karimganj on June 30 last. He will inquire into all aspects related to the incident and submit a report within 15 days. The Commission would also inquire into the circumstances leading to the attack. The Commission would also draw up a list of directives to be followed in case of a similar situation arising in the future.
Somewhere, a wall of mountains, frames the western horizon, where mighty waters follow their inevitable course, where crisp clean air rolls in from thick alpine forests, where tall prairie grasses bend gently in the breeze, there is a spirit, there is a welcome, there is a place called "Calgary" . It is the heart of the new west in North America. A fast growing city in the province of Alberta, Canada. On July 30th & July 1st 2012 more than 200 people came from different parts of the world including all over Canada, US¸ New Zealand and India. This convention at hotel Sheraton Cavalier was an International affair, the 33rd major social event of the Assamese community living in North...
Good news for Assam and its people. The state’s evergreen Bihu will be shining in the London Olympic slated for August. Bihu exponent Ranjeet Gogoi and his team have been invited to perform in the opening London Olympic ceremony. Gogoi and his team are scheduled to leave for London very soon. This has brought cheers for millions of people in Assam.
Dibrugarh andTinsukia are all set to get CNG fuel for automobile. The proposal is awaiting clearance of Public Investment Board. Assam Gas Company Limited ( AGCL) preparing a blueprint to launch the CNG project in all the Upper Assam districts within a short spell of time. But the state is yet to have CNG connection. AGCL sources said that there are lot of scope for CNG fuel in Dibrugarh town where the commercial vehicle would be benefitted as the town is near to Duliajan. The project is expected to come up within a year.
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