ITANAGAR, July 8: Alleging the NHPC of failing to act on the recommendation of an expert panel that pointed out perils of ongoing Lower Sunasiri hydropower project, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) today intensified their ongoing movement by jointly blocking movement of construction materials to the project site.
Hundreds of members of the organizations today staged a dharna in front of the NHPC godown at Gogamukh, a town near the interstate boundary and refused to let vehicles carrying construction materials move to the project site at Gerukamukh.
The agitating organizations have raised serious allegations against the state governments of Assam and Arunachal. They claimed that both the state governments have to act on the recommendations of the expert committee as it was set up under the aegis of Assam government.
The said Committee, with technical experts from Universities of Guwahati and Dibrugarh and IIT Guwahati, was formed to study the downstream impact of the power project following a tripartite meeting between the state government, the power corporation and the AASU in December 2006.
Talking to The Sentinel at Gogamukh today, the President of Dhemaji district unit of AASU, Chitraranjan Basumatary said that Tarun Gogoi-led Assam government had an “escapist” attitude regarding the issue since the expert committee panel on the downstream impact of the ongoing Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project had submitted its recommendations.
“We have intensified our ongoing movement in protest against the NHPC authorities for continuing with construction of the dam ignoring the expert committee report on the downstream impact of the dam project. Our delegates on Tuesday met the Assam Governor, who had assured to pursue the matter with the central government. We have decided to meet the Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu within next week for apprising him of the situation,” said AASU Finance Secretary Tularam Gogoi, who was also present at the dharna at Gogamukh today.
Referring to the 495 page expert committee report on the downstream impact of the dam, Gogoi said the experts have suggested three main recommendations. According to him the expert committee report reveals that there was no viability to construct such mega dam in such a high seismic prone zone.
“We are demanding for halt of the dam construction. We have also resolved to move the Union Power minister for his intervention,” Gogoi added.
The agitating organizations have alleged that the project is being executed by NHPC 13 km north of Gogamukh along the Assam-Arunachal border to generate 2,000MW of power. The estimated project cost is Rs 6,285.33 crore and the projected year of commissioning is December 2012.
Announcing the first phase of agitation today, the students’ union leaders said they would continue the blocking movement of construction materials to the project site till July 11.
“We will chalk out the next agitation programme in the joint central executive meeting to be held within a week,” the agitating leaders informed.
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