THE RECENT report of the Expert Committee formed to assess the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri roject has given some hope to the people opposing the construction of mega dams. The expert committee which consisted of experts from IIT, Guwahati, Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University has recommended that construction of mega dam over Subansiri is not feasible.
The panel recommended reducing dam height, attention to indigenous people’s rights, embankments of the river to be raised and strengthened, catchments areas needs to be afforested, etc.
The Assam government had set up the expert committee as there were demands from various groups to make a downstream impact assessment of the project comprising experts from the region. The movement against big dams which was started few years back had taken momentum after the report of the expert committee was submitted. On 14th July, 2010, noted activist Medha Patkar participated in a protest rally organized by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti(KMSS) at Guwahati. Ironically the Deputy Commissioner did not come out and take the memorandum which was supposed to be handed over to him by the protesters.
It is to be mentioned that in the case of the lower Subansiri, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which is the construction authority, has violated legal norms. It has violated the norms of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. The public hearing, which was organised by the NHPC on the September 4, in 2001, was controversial and doubtful. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has not been up to the mark and it did not follow the recommendations given by the Supreme Court on April 19, 2004. It has not agreed to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People over land and resources.
The Congress led Assam Government in the state has not made its position clear but recently the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) stated that it was against big dams and the construction company should follow the experts’ recommendations.
This might be a political game by Congress as they are under pressure from opposition parties as well as various environmental groups. Now, it depends upon the central government to decide whether the construction will continue or the work on the dam would be done as per peoples wishes.
“We appeal to Arunachal Government to withdraw all the MoU signed in connection with big dams as Arunachal Government has responsibility towards the people living in downstream”, said Keshav Krishna Chatradhara, the secretary of the Peoples Movement for Subansiri Brahmaputra Valley (PMSBV). He also said that there will be more movements if governments do not listen to peoples' voice regarding the mega dams.
0 comments:
Post a Comment