Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 10:
The Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD) has strongly condemned the plan of the State Government to lay the foundation stone of the controversial Tipaimukh project by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his forthcoming visit to the State on November 25.
A statement issued by CCDD also flayed the initiatives of the Manipur Pollution Control Board and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) to hold public hearings on the project already disapproved by people on November 17 and 22 at Churachandpur and Tamenglong respectively.
It asserted that the people of Manipur has been demanding for total scrapping of the MoU signed between the State Government and NEEPCO for construction of the Tipaimukh project.
The preparation to lay the foundation stone of Tipaimukh project by the Prime Minister would be yet another attempt to suppress the democratic call and movement of the people of Manipur and peoples of Mizoram, Assam and Bangladesh who are most likely to be affected by ill conceived mega project, it remarked.
The process for holding public hearings lack mechanisms to meaningfully address the grievances and concerns of people likely to be affected by the high dam in an accountable and responsible manner and as such the public hearing scheduled at Churachandpur and Tamenglong will be a sham exercise to create misunderstandings, confusion and division among the people of Manipur.
Saying that the people of Manipur would stand firm against all arbitrary process of modernisation that threatens the survival of people and sustainability of environment and ecology, CCDD urge the Prime Minister, the State Government, NEEPCO and all those concerned to desist from laying the foundation stone of the Tipaimukh project and its construction without free, prior and informed consent and approval of the people.
Calling for thorough assessment of the possible impacts of the project with the active participation of the people of Manipur, Assam and Bangladesh, it asked the State Government and NEEPCO to abide by the statutory norms and guidelines recommended by the World Commission on Dams for such mega projects.
It also pledged its support to the general strike called on November 11 and other forms of democratic protest agitation against the proposed Tipaimukh project which goes against the wish of the people of Manipur.