Barak Valley people observed World Environmentment Day as 'Anti-dam Day'
- Committee On Peoples And Environment (COPE) -

Silchar,June 5 2010

COMMITTEE ON PEOPLES AND ENVIRONMENT(COPE)
Ismile Market, Central Road,
Silchar, Assam 788001
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

The people of Barak Valley in Assam observed world Environmentment Day as 'Anti-dam Day today. People staged Dharna in front of Deputy commissioners office at Silchar opposing construction of Tipaimukh and other dams in the region.The programme included postering, Dharna, Memorendum submission and others following an appeal given by COMMITTEE ON PEOPLES AND ENVIRONMENT(COPE), a joint front of many organisations fighting against dams.

It can be noted here, people both in Manipur and neighbouring Bangladesh strongly opposing this project for long days but the NHPC, Sutlaj Jal Vidyut Nigam and Manipur government are signniong MoU to start this 1500MW project soon.

They later sent memorendum seperately to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, Jaypal Ramesh, union minister for forest and environment, Tarun Gogai, Chief Minister, Assam and O Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister, Manipur and Lalthanhaola, Chief Minister, Mizoram through Deputy Commissioner, Cachar.

In these memorendum they raised few pertinent issues and expressed their concern about the impact on people and environment emanating from the construction of Tipaimukh Dam at the upstream of Barak river. They observed that during recent days, lot of hue and cry are being registered, all opposing the construction of a water bomb at Tipaimukh. A handful of protests have been witnessed in Manipur, Mizoarm, Barak Valley of Assam, besides lot many from neighbouring country, Bangladesh.

They believe that there should be an extensive downstream environmental impact study from the proposed dam site upto sea-mouth should be jointly conducted at the initiative of the Government of India and Bangladesh where experts from Non Government Organisations particularly from the environmental outfits, IITs, NITs and Universities must be included to asses the possible detrimental impact on the environment and life of inhabitants in the catchment areas at large. Without downstream impact study, if a clean-cheat to the project is given it would be detrimental for both environment and people at large and poor rural people of both in India and Bangladesh in particular they added.

They further mention, the proposed dam falls at the confluence of Indo-Burma, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese Biodiversity hotspot zone. These areas are characterised by the presence of a large number plant and animal species like tiger, hoolock gibbon, hornbill, turtle, dolphin, etc. many of which are not seen or seldom witnessed in rest part of the world. A large number of them have been categorised as endangered and threatened as the IUCN Red Data book and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Once the dam is constructed, these innocent endangered and threatened species would have no other alternative, but to perish! Moreover many of the tribal people including Hmar, Zeliangrong, Kuki, Mizo and others those who have been living there for generations will have to leave the place for ever. Under such a situation, does the construction of a dam in the proposed site speak quite well in favour of Biodiversity conservation?, they ask.

They strongly believe and observe with deep concern that this rock filled 390 mts. long and 162.8 mt. high dam to be constructed at the earthquake zone-V, Wherein there will be constant pressure of water, if for any reason cracks, the entire civilization of the whole of downstream will be washed down in no time. The age old Barak-Surma culture will live in history only.

Besides the above mentioned burning issues, other important impact like flush flood, water scarcity, Crop cultivation, navigation, siltation, ecological imbalance, river pollution, extinction of aquatic life forms, livelihood change and the like are never the less important frontier areas that deserve careful and serious attention, before construction of the dam, it added.

They further mentioned that few new dams are to be constructed on river Sonai, Rukhni, Dhaleswari and Singla in Mizoram effecting both people and environment in Mizoram and downstream Barak Valley.

They later urge to consider all the matters seriously and looking the entire issues from the Pro-environment and Pro-human point of view to scrap the proposal of construction of the Tipaimukh and other dams, the life time curse for the inhabitants of Barak-Surma basin.

Pijush Kanti Das
Sec.Gen. COPE
Silchar, Assam
E-mail: [email protected]