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.

A team of TN public works department (PWD) engineers will visit Mullaperiyar Thursday to fill holes dug by experts to study structural safety of the dam.

Principal secretary (PWD) M. Saikumar said the work would be completed in four days starting Thursday. The experts appointed by a Supreme Court-constituted empowered committee (EC), which studied safety of the 116-year-old structure, reportedly dug seven six-inch wide and 130-190-foot deep holes across the 1,200-foot main dam.

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Lawyers’ Association has slammed Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his statement on Akhil Gogoi’s hunger strike in the city.

The Chief Minister dismissed Akhil’s protest stating that the government was not going to invite him for talks. The Chief Minister stated, “Akhil’s protest had political motives. But we are not going to invite him for talks.” General Secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Akhil Gogoi, who has been leading the anti-big dam campaign in the State, started his indefinite hunger strike in the city from May 19.

Environmentalists have slammed the environmental impact report of the controversial Mae Wong Dam, saying it was poorly conducted and underestimated the likely damage to wildlife and forest ecology.

The project's Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (Ehia) study was put up for final public review at a forum in Lat Yao district yesterday.

Around 1,000 people and some veteran environmentalists attended the forum, organised by Creative Technology Consultant, which was commissioned by the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) to conduct the study.

To make judicious use of irrigation water, the Punjab government has launched a mega project costing Rs 36 billion titled “Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement” under which drip & sprinkler irrigation system would be installed on 120,000 acres along with improvement of 9000 water courses for which farmers will be provided huge subsidy.

Approximately 3000 Laser Land Levelling Units would also be provided on subsidized rates to farmers for land levelling under the project. This was disclosed by Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad.

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.

NEW DELHI: Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday said there was “nothing to suggest” that China was building dams to divert the waters of the Brahmaputra river towards its northern regions.

Replying to supplementary questions in the Rajya Sabha, Bansal said India has been assured by the Chinese government that all dams being built on rivers that flow into India are only for generating electricity, and will not store water.

Raising the issue during the zero hour in the Lok Sabha on Monday, AIADMK member from Pollachi K. Sugumar said that Karnataka was also trying to divert the flow of the river to its territory depriving of the benefit to Tamil Nadu.

The construction of the check dam and diversion of water of Thenpennai by the Karnataka Government would affect Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts in his State, he said.Karnataka had not communicated to Tamil Nadu about the proposal and also had not sought its consent.

Chennai: After raising the Cauvery water dispute with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has shot off another letter to him, this time over the proposal of the Karnataka government to build check dams and diversionary structures across the Pennaiyar river. The river flows through five districts of Tamil Nadu and irrigates nearly 4 lakh acres.