Imphal, December 14: In connection with the controversial Tipaimukh Project, the North East Dialogue Forum has demanded publication of all the details concerning the project.

Addressing a press meet today at Manipur Press Club, representative of the Forum, Chaoba Sharma asserted that the details of any project conceived by the Government for the welfare of people should be made known to the public before it is implemented.

Saying that Manipur needs only 140 MW of power, he questioned the rationale behind the plan to build a mega dam of 1500 MW power capacity.

Taking serious note of the people's equivocal opposition to the Tipaimukh Dam, Chaoba asserted that the Tipaimukh Project would be in violation of several articles of the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples' Rights.

In place of the environmentally disastrous mega dam, numerous small and mini-dams should be built to facilitate development of the State, he remarked.

Taking strong exception against the manner in which the public hearings were conducted recently at Churachandpur and Tamenglong, Chaoba rued that the concerned people were not given the opportunity and freedom to share their views on the controversial dam.

As such, the Government should not interpret that more people are in favour of the Tipaimukh Project on the basis of the highly undemocratic public hearings, Chaoba said.

All the villagers likely to be affected by the Project should be properly rehabilitated and resettled under a viable Rehabilitation Policy before the dam is constructed, he said.

Field executive of the North East Dialogue Forum L Ninjan noted that the issue can be raised at the level of the UNO as the Tipaimukh Project violates Articles 10 and 28 of the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples' Rights.

Mega dams which have the potential of destroying ecology, rare flora and fauna and indigenous peoples have been rejected all over the world, Ninjan noted adding people across the globe are looking for alternatives means to produce power which would be friendly to the ecology and environment of the area.

On the other hand, a sit-in-protest was staged today at Naransena against the Tipaimukh Project.

The protest was held under the aegis of North East Dialogue Forum, Sustainable Development Centre, Thamnapokpi Naransena Women Development Association, Meira Paibis and members of SHGs.

The protesters also held placards reading, "Don't destroy our environment, let's save our bio-diversity", "We oppose Tipaimukh Project", "Don't divide the people of Manipur" etc.

Comment