The third public hearing for the 2700 MW Lower Siang Hydro Electric Project scheduled at Aalo, headquarters of West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, has been postponed indefinitely following pressure from protestors opposing the mega project in the Siang Valley. The first public hearing on the project at Jeying in Upper Siang district on April 17 and the second one at Rottung in East Siang district yesterday were postponed after clashes erupted between anti-dam protestors and security forces.

GUWAHATI: The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS), spearheading a movement against the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project located along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, said that the time had come for the people of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to jointly oppose the construction of big dams in the North East.

Akhil Gogoi, general secretary of the KMSS, told The Sentinel over phone today that people of Arunachal Pradesh had realized the ill effects of big dams in an ecologically fragile region like the North-East and so they should join hands with the anti-big dam protesters in Assam.

Beijing: Claiming that its hydropower project on Brahmaputra river in Tibet was not obstructing the water flow to India, China on Friday said its dam was “not big” enough to affect the lower riparian regions.

“…you might have noted, Foreign Minister (S M) Krishna and other Indian officials have remarked to the knowledge of Indian government, China has not developed new hydroprojects on the river,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here.

Beijing, 2 March: Claiming that its hydropower project on Brahmaputra river in Tibet was not obstructing the water flow to India, China today said its dam was “not big” enough to affect the lower riparian regions. “...you might have noted, foreign minister (SM) Krishna and other Indian officials have remarked to the knowledge of Indian government, China has not developed new hydroprojects on the river,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here.

Itanagar: The Siang (Brahmaputra) river originating from Tibet was suddenly found to have almost dried up at a town in Arunachal Pradesh, a state government spokesman said on Wednesday night. People of Pasighat town in East Siang district found the water level of the river receded so much on Wednesday that it almost dried, Tako Dabi said. Dabi, also the political adviser to CM Nabam Tuki, expressed apprehension that China could have diverted the water of the river, which is known as Yarlong Tsangpo in Tibet, or there could be some artificial blockade due to which this has happened.

ITANAGAR: Three districts of Arunachal Pradesh have been facing acute shortage of essential commodities due to on going indefinite economic blockade.

The agitation is spearheaded by Krishan Mukti Sangram Samiti(KMSS) in several parts of Assam in protest against the Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Project (LSHP).

GUWAHATI: Failing to elicit any response from the Assam Government towards their road blockade programme, anti-dam activists today said that they will extend their blockade of vehicles carrying goods to the mega dam site at Gerukamukh for an indefinite period, even as they threatened to launch an indefinite economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh if their demands were not addressed within the next five days.

ITANAGAR: The National Disaster Management Authority of India (NDMA) has selected two districts of Arunachal Pradesh for implementation of National School Safety Programme (NSSP) among 43 districts of the country.

Lohit and East Siang districts have been selected for the implementation of the demonstration project to promote culture of safety in schools, official sources said here today.

Guwahati, Sept. 21: WWF India will begin its tiger estimation effort in the picturesque Tale wildlife sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh with camera traps in the first week of October.

The area in the Nameri-Pakke landscape has the largest tiger population in Arunachal Pradesh, said the 2010 report on Status of the Tiger, Co-Predators and Prey, released recently.

“The habitat is good and the place has potential of holding tigers,” Jimmy Borah, assistant coordinator of Tiger programme, WWF India, said.

ITANAGAR, Jan 24: Koyu and Rina villages of East Siang district are set to get a major facelift after a 2 MW MHP was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu on Sunday in presence of Home Minister Tako Dabi and MP Ninong Ering. An official statement today said that the Micro Hydel, constructed with an amount of Rs. 2947 lakhs, shall benefit 28 villages in the vicinity.