Seminar highlights dangerof big river dams Correspondent TINSUKIA, Oct 14 A two-day seminar on danger of construction of big river dams was organised by NEEDS, a Jorhat-based NGO, at the Fishery Training Centre here on October 10-11.
The seminar discussed about the danger of the Electricity for all in 2012 project for which big river dams are being planned in the north-eastern region, especially in Arunachal Pradesh. The speakers of the seminar Suresh Gogoi and Girin Chetia, president and director of NEEDS, Neeraj Waghlekar, member of Kalpabriksh, an NGO working on environment, Dr DK Mishra, activist, Water management, Barmukti Abhijan, Bihar, etc, expressed that the decision to make the mountains of the North-east region as production ground of electricity by taming the mountain rivers is a dangerous move of the government. This policy would wash out not only the plains of both the valleys of Brahmaputra and Barak but would also change the geography of the entire region.
Referring to the recent horrific experience of untimely flood created by Ranganadi and Kapili dams, the speakers expressed that if the government has good intention for development of this region, it should go for small dams which would both benefit people as well as lead to overall development. It has been revealed that presently the Central Government has undertaken to construct 168 river dams in Arunachal Pradesh alone and out of these, 68 will be big ones with the highest one being on the Dibang river at 288 metres. Besides keynote addresses, other programmes namely participatory discussion, group discussion and presentation, streamlining of strategic intervention, were held on two days of the seminar.
When the people of the North-east have to raise demand for every developmental project like refineries, broad gauge rails, IITs, Central University, bridges, etc, then why is the Central Government so eager to spend billions of rupees to set up mega hydro electric projects in this region, that too, without any demand, even though, according to the experts, it is an earthquake-prone region, the question was raised. Appealing to the people of the North-east, the office-bearers, namely Girin Chetia and Suresh Gogoi of NEEDs at a press meet held on October 11, that is on the second day of the seminar, to oppose the construction of mega hydro electrical projects in the name of development of the region. They stated that the move of the Central Government is nothing but a conspiracy to garner electricity for the entire country by putting the people of this region in great danger. Speaking at the press meet Dr Dinesh Kr Mishra, activist, water management, Barmukti Abhijan, Bihar said that big river dams damage the environment and biodiversity of the area as well destroy social fabric by bringing outsiders for the project. Moreover, he said, the government should have considered the opinions of the people of the downstream areas of the projects prior to signing of the memorandums of understanding between the governments and the construction companies for these projects. By not considering this very important fact, government has violated the rules of the land itself, he added.
