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.
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi charged Congress MLA in Dharampur Nilamoni Sen Deka with masterminding the attack on him on Friday where he was injured.In his FIR moved at the Nalbari police station, the RTI activist alleged that the attack was carried out by six youth Congress activists at the instance of Assam Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilamani Sen Deka who hails from Dharmapur constituency.Gogoi received head injury when a group of miscreants attacked him on his way to the flood-hit Punni village. Gogoi was admitted to the Nalbari Civil Hospital in a critical condition.The police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Presidential hopeful Pranab Mukherjee on Friday renewed his appeal to Trinamool Congress legislators to help him win the race for Raisina Hill. During his interaction with legislators from the North East in Guwahati on Friday, he said that AIUDF and BPF have already backed him and that he appealed to those parties who have not taken any decision to consider his candidature. He hoped that TMC would vote him.Amid a simmering controversy over his nomination papers, Mukherjee declined make any comment on his rival candidate and former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma.
The overall flood situation seems to have improved following a halt in the incessant rains tha lashed Assam last week. Over 2 people of 335 villages are still reeling under water in Dhemaji.Death toll mounted to 121 so far in flood and landslides. Another 16 people have been missing. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday visited Nalbari and Barpeta district to take stoke of the situation. He visited a few relief camps and said that there would no drought of funds for relief and rescue works. The chief minister also instructed the district administration to take special care of women and children who have been taking shelter at relief camps.
Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee on Friday pined hopes on overwhelming support from the north east legislators for the polls slated for July 19.Beside marathon meeting with the chief ministers from Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam along with other leaders of the party from Nagaland, Manipur, he called on All India United Democratic Front leaders and sought their support.Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, his Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh counterparts Dr Mukul Sangma, Lalthanhawala and Nabam Tuki assured him their support. Earlier, he was received by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Assam Congress president Bhubneswar Kalita along with other senior leaders when...
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi sustained serious injury when a group of miscreants sprang upon him in Nalbari on Friday. The acctack, allegedly by a group of youth Congress men, took place when the RTI activist visited the flood-hit people in Punni village in Dharmapur. He was attacked with sticks and other sharp weapons. Later police rushed to the spot but by then the miscreants vanished from the spot. A case has been registered on the basis of the complaint of the Team Anna member. Investigation is going on.
Fresh trouble awaits Congress MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband. A legislator of her own party on Friday filed an FIR against Nath alleging that the couple had illegally entered his residence and assaulted visitors suspecting them to be involved in the mob attack.
A FIR was filed after Congress MLA Kamalakhya Purkayastha from North Karimganj, who was not present in the quarter during the incident as he was in his constituency, faxed the complaint to the Dispur police station on Friday.
He alleged that Nath, her second husband Jacky Jakir and two of her escorts forcibly entered his official quarter at Dispur capital complex late last night and beat up at least four of his visitors and...
Barak valley still erupts in violence even a week after the mob attack on MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Jaki Jakir. In a fresh orgy of untoward incident, miscreants set on fire a temple at Maijgram in Karimganj district where Congress MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband were beaten up. The blaze was doused on Friday morning after villagers noticed the incident. Police enquiry is going on. Nath, who represents the Borkhola assembly constituency in Barak Valley, had created a furore by announcing her marriage with Jacky Jakir without divorcing her first husband.
Meanwhile, Silchar Press Club in an emergency meeting has demanded a probe into the attack on three journalists allegedly...
Police arrested a suspected Maoist activist in Guwahati on Friday. identified as Swapnil Barman, he was caught from a house near the Raj Bhawan. Acting on a tip-off, police arrested the activist from a house at Jayanagar area on Friday wee hours. The activist worked as a data entry operator in a local company.
Police on Friday arrested two poachers in connection with the recent killing of a rhino in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district. According to police, the duo were arrested from Buraburi village in the Mayong police station area of the district and another person who had allegedly shot the rhino was still absconding. An adult male rhino was killed by poachers inside the heavily flooded Sanctuary on the night of July 4. The poachers came by a boat and killed the rhino before fleeing away along with its horn.
At least 70 persons have taken ill after they consumed prasad at a religious function in Kamrup Rural district on Wednesday night. According to police, the ailing people complained of vomiting and stomachache after taking the prasad consisting of sprouts, gram, coconut at Hholmari village near Bijoynagar town of the district. The affected have been admitted to local hospitals in Palashbari and Mirza. Senior district officials have gone to the spot and samples of the offering has been sent for tests.
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