Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, February 25:
Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Project (ACTIP) quoting reliable sources in the Ministry of Environment and Forests said that the Tipaimukh Project has failed again to receive environmental clearance (EC) from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects of the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests.
ACTIP statement issued by its convenor Nanda Kamei, co-convenors Kinderson Pamei, Bikramjit Oinam and Ratan Thokchom said that the Committee had re-considered the proposed 1.5 GW Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Project (THEP) on February 22, under pressure from the Prime Minister�s Office (PMO).
�Information provided in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and Application does not have crucial survey data of the project area during the heavy monsoon and post-monsoon seasons according to the sources,� said the ACTIP statement.
It also said that NEEPCO has given �an excuse that it could not carry out the survey due to heavy insurgency in the area.� To this development ACTIP denounced the claim of the NEEPCO saying that insurgency has been an issue since many years in the region and not a �seasonal activity�.
�The fact is that project survey was not carried out thoroughly as NEEPCO believed that with high-level political patronage from the PMO and Santosh Mohan Dev (Union Minister for Heavy Industries) the clearance matter is merely a bureaucratic hurdle.
The hypocrisy and subterfuge of NEEPCO stand exposed,� it alleged.
It also pointed out that there are two writ petitions before the Gauhati High Court challenging the legality and propriety of the Public Hearings held in Churachandpur and Tamenglong District Hqs at the DCs� office premises on November 17 and November 22 last year respectively.
Legal notice was also served on the EAC regarding these writ petitions, added the ACTIP statement.
�The last time that the EAC considered this project was at an hurriedly convened one-day meeting of the committee on 25 November last year.
The committee did not give environmental clearance and raised many queries regarding the project application covering a range of issues from the public hearings, the project affected families and villages, resettlement and rehabilitation, seismic information, bio-diversity and the cost-benefit of the project,� it conveyed.
It further stated that the proposed project is a �dead end project� that is being foisted upon the people of Manipur.
The project is far away from being cleared.
The laying of the foundation stone for this project at Tipaimukh in Manipur by two Union Ministers is illegal.
The concerned parties and persons must be brought before the law of the land, and booked, said the ACTIP leaders.
ACTIP condemned this continued attempt to elicit the environment clearance for this anti-people and anti-nature project which has no sustainable benefit to the indigenous people or the land of Manipur.
The Manipur Government must now urgently review the MOU signed with NEEPCO, in view of the controversial circumstances entailing serious violations of the law, statutory norms, human rights and natural heritage of Manipur,� concluded the ACTIP statement.