ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Feb 27:Reiterating immediate cancellation of proposed 10,000 MW dam at Upper Siang, the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFA) on Tuesday accused the state government of intentionally overlooking the sentiments of communities inhabiting the Siang River basin and environmental concerns raised by environmental activists since last one year over the proposed dam.

The forum which has been rigorously protesting since word of the dam proposal broke last year are worried about its  possible impact on the environment and threat to downstream areas once the dam is built over the Mighty Siang River at Upper Siang.

Informing  about the assurance given by the present government to solve the stalemate over the dam with power developers in a meeting held on December last year, Secretary, SIFA, Tasik Pangkam in a press conference today expressed resentment that no action has been initiated so far despite passage of more than three months time.

“It is also unfortunate that no elected legislators of the affected areas seem concerned about safe guarding the land and lives of indigenous populace despite knowing that its people would have to bear the brunt of adverse environment hazards once the dam comes up,” he adds.

 “If this dam is constructed, all living organism in the vicinity would perish,” Pangkam said adding that the so called development project comes at an immeasurable cost when considered in terms of the displacement of lakh of local populace, besides annihilation of forests, biodiversity and fragile ecosystem.

Giving an overview of the project, Pangkam said that the proposed dam with 300 meter high walls would bury the whole district headquarters Yingkiong under water including the downstream land in Assam thereby forcefully displacing people from their ancestral land.

Armed with RTI documents, Pangkam also sought explanation from the government on white paper  where it spent an amount of 200 crore, out of  250 crore sanctioned by the NEEPCO as upfront or procession fees for the stage (II),(3750)MW mega dam project at Upper Siang.

He claimed that the forum possessed a challan receipt payment of rupees 50 crore which was deposited to state exchequer on May, 2013 last by NEEPCO regarding the stage (II) project, which they obtained from Project manager of NEEPCO at Yingkiong on September 2015 last.

Pangkam also alleged that the decision was taken without conducting public hearing nor constituting a social impact assessment committer to assess public views and opinions.

‘The proposal was dropped by previous government led by Nabam Tuki following stiff resistance by locals, but again renewed by the present government with reasons best known to them,’ the forum said.

Affirming to go to any extent to save its land, SIFA said that  the government cannot force the project as the dam site falls in tribal area and it is upon the locals to decide whether to allow it or not.

Further alleging that without any prior intimation, Pangkam claims that power developers attempted to run their trucks through farm lands to open roads, develop infrastructure for the said project and applied dirty tricks to move the dam forward, but were later forced  to stop construction works by locals.

Further disclosing that their pleas for an appointment with the Chief Minister went unheard despite several requests, a dejected Pangkam however said that the forum will fight “tooth and nail” and continue its protest until the government draw steps to cancel the agreement with power developers.

 

---

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List