SIVASAGAR: Continuing its protest against construction of mega dams at the site of Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), the Sivasagar district unit led by its district general secretary Raju Gogoi, advisor Lu-chun-Shyam Gohain, publicity secretary Jadumoni Bora and Nari Mukti Sangram Samiti, Sivasagar district president and sister of the peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, Ambika Gogoi Saikia today, led a procession from the Boarding Field here to Sivasagar DC Court, and staged a dharna demanding immediate halt to the construction of the dam.

NEW DELHI, May 22 – Assam may be reeling under massive power shortages, but Union Power Minister is still sitting on the proposals to grant long-term coal linkages to Chandrapur and Margherita thermal power plants. Applications seeking long-term coal linkage and Letter of Assurance (LoA) for setting up 60 MW thermal power project at Chandrapur and 500 MW Margherita project were received by the Ministry of Coal and sent to Ministry of Power for recommendations.

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Shramik Krishak Kalyan Parishad (AASKKP) has decried the role of the State Government and the police in the atrocities being meted out on anti-dam protesters at Lakhimpur and Dhemaji district. In a meeting of the central executive committee of the workers’ body held in Guwahati today, the alleged police atrocities on the anti-dam protesters was strongly condemned.

With rich forest and wildlife the Northeast is known as ‘Green Lungs of India’.

The region is one of the seven original biodiversity hotspots in the world, but most of its animals and birds are increasingly ending on food tables not only of the tribals who traditionally take such food but also of others including the large number of forces posted there.There are startling revelations that armed forces also indulge in hunting for food and sports in the border region.

The risk of there not being enough water in the stream — the ‘hydrology risk’ — is the “single largest risk” that a small hydro project faces, says a study of the rating and analysis agency, ICRA.

The study went into the question of why small hydro projects — projects of less than 25 MW capacity — have not been happening on a scale consistent with the potential in India. It found out that after ‘hydrology risk’, the risk of ‘containment of capital cost’ was the second biggest stumbling block.

Guwahati, May 16: Buddhist lamas from Tawang have asked Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to put a moratorium on hydroelectric projects in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh as it will damage the ecology and threaten the local culture. The lamas, under the aegis of Save Mon Federation Region, have submitted a memorandum to the minister on Tuesday evening. Tawang district, with an area of 2,085 square km, is crisscrossed by seven rivers in the Tawang river basin and 13 hydel projects have been planned on this river basin at various locations.

Government today dismissed reports that Brahmaputra river in Arunachal Pradesh has dried up and said that its average monthly flow has been better than the previous years.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Water Resources Vincent H Pala said, “There is no evidence that Brahmaputra river had dried up in the state recently.

GUWAHATI/NORTH LAKHIMPUR: The anti-big dam groups like the KMSS, Asom Jatiyatabadi Tuva Chattra Parishad, All Assam Deuri Students’ Union, TMPK and others have said that they would continue their protests against the Lower Subansiri Project on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Addressing the reporters jointly on Sunday, the members of the agitating groups, including KMSS general secretary Akhil Gogoi said that the anti-big dam groups would continue to block the transportation of construction materials to the Lower Subansiri Project site.

Guwahati: Accusing the NHPC of flouting norms in the formulation and implementation of the Subansiri Hydro Electric Project, RTI activist J N Khataniar said this could lead to “serious ecological and seismic problems in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring areas.”

Releasing details secured by means of RTI from the NHPC, the Brahmaputra Board and the Ministry for Environment and Forest, Khataniar told reporters here on Tuesday that the state sector power giant gave “misleading advertisements” in newspapers and media regarding the project.

Despite losing its prestigious ‘tiger State’ tag to Karnataka last year, Madhya Pradesh has failed to moot the much-needed Special Tiger Protection Force till date, overlooking the Centre’s special advisory about two years ago, this when the Centre is providing 100 per cent assistance for setting up the force.Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, PK Shukla told The Pioneer, “Correspondence with the Centre is on and matters would definitely move ahead once a consensus is arrived at.”