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.
Kamakhya Temple is all abuzz. Ambubachi Mela is set to begin from Friday. Thousands of pilgrims are pouring in the must –visit spot atop the beautiful Nilachal hill to attend the four-day religious festival. Security has been beefed up in the entire Nilachal Hills stretch with more than 500 policemen and some 150 NCC cadets have been called in for maintaining law and order at the shrine during the festival. Apart from this, paramilitary forces have also been given responsibility to carry out round-the-clock checking.
A number of Naga organizations have asked KPLT for to release two Naga workers who were taken hostage along with several others from Karbi Anglong district on June 10. In a statement, the Naga organizations including the Naga People's Movement for Human Rights, the Nagaland Contractors' and Suppliers' Union and the Angami People's Organisation, have asked the Karbi insurgent outfit to free unharmed at an earlier dtate.
They said that two Naga workers - Kelesel Kikhi and Khroviho Kikhi - from Viswema village were abducted along with others from the project site and that KPLT should adhere to human values. These organizations added that the Naga bodies believe that issues and...
As a part of the social project of Darwin School of Business (DSB), U Stan group which has done activities connection with ageing and old age organized an interactive session with the members of Amar Ghor and Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Trust. U Stan group conducted survey amongst young people in the city which reveals younger individuals are more concerned about old age people but many are not taking action for the same. Interactive session was attended by Mahadev Deka, Former Mr. Universe, Dr Anirban Choudhury, Director of DSB, Ranjan K Baruah, Social Entrepreneur, representatives from Amar Ghor and Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Trust.In his speech Mr. Mahadev deka said that passion must be there...
Three KPLT militants were killed when security forces launched an intensified operation in Karbi Anglong districts on Wednesday. The incident took place in the wee hours near Dolamara Tarapung area under Borpathar police station in the hills district. According to police, three AK-47 rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the trio. The militants were yet to be identified. Some others managed to escape.
Assam Border Minister Siddeque Ahmed on Tuesday made it plain and simple that Dispur will never tolerate any encroachment on its land by any neighbouring states. During his visit to Lakhimpur on Tuesday, he directed the district authorities to evict all encroachments.He said that the government has decided to set up nine border outposts in the district along the 158 km border with Arunachal Pradesh. The minister held a meeting with Lakhimpur deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and other senior officials of the district to discuss the recent alleged encroachments by people of Arunachal Pradesh on Assam's land and constructions there later dismantled.
The Centre-NDFB peace process is set to be expedited when the a delegation of the Bodo National Conference will sit in talks with the Centre within the next couple of days.Led by Khampha Borgayari, the BNC delegation visited NDFB chairman Ranjan Daimary inside the Guwahati Central Jail on Tuesday morning where they tried to sort out the implications hindering the peace process.Later talking to reporters, Bargayari said that they would again meet prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union home minister P Chidambaram to mount pressure on the Centre to formally initiate the peace process.
Train services in parts of lower Assam remained paralyzed on Tuesday following an eight-hour rail blockade called by the All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union (AAKRSU).AAKRSU called the blockade demanding separate Kamatapur State and Schedule Tribe status of Koch Rajbongshis living in Assam.Hundreds of AAKRSU activists, led by its President Arun Ray, squatted at Salakati Railway crossing and railway tracks since morning with poster and banners and shouted slogans in support of their demands. There was, however, no report of any untoward incident. Northeast Frontier Railway controlled the Up Intercity and Rajya Rani Express train at Fakiragram railway station while down Rajdhani Express...
The overall flood scene remain unchanged on Tuesday. But the death toll have gone up to 8. The mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries are flowing above the danger level. More and more areas are coming under the surging waters rendering thousands of people homeless. Incessant rainfall in catchment areas during the last week has led to a rise in the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, affecting 15 districts.Large-scale erosion was reported from Leduamukh area under Lahorighat revenue circle in Morigaon district rendering about 300 families homeless. In Barpeta district, waters of the river Kaladiya breached dykes and embankments at many places, inundating villages and...
The State Bank of India has increased its agriculture advances in Northeast India from Rs 1272 Crore in 2009-10 to Rs 1745 Crore.
This was what SBI Chairman of SBI, Pratip Chaudhuri said on his two days visit to Northeast to take stock of the bank's activity in the region. Chaudhuri met Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi and discussed banks activity in the state.
The credit deposit ratio (CD) of SBI in Assam has improved from 36 percent of 2010-11 to 38 percent in 2011-12. Presently Assam has a CD ratio of 39.5 percent. The number of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) disbursed by SBI has increased from 70539 to 139411 in Northeast India.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi assured the media persons of basic minimum facilities recommended by the labour laws and statutory wage boards of the country. Gogoi who attended the Guest of the Month program of Guwahati Press Club on Monday also expressed his goodwill for the entire journalist fraternity and promised that he would do the needful for the press club as well.
The third time chief minister of Assam in northeast India, Gogoi also promised the pioneer press club a plot of land in the heart of the city. On the occasion, a power point presentation was made in front of Gogoi, where a number of pictorial slides of the proposed press club building and its spacious campus were...
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