Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 11:
Raising the same apprehension of massive destruction in ecology and social environment, a public discu- ssion programme today at Leingang Mangjing community hall within Kumbi assembly segment resolved a number of reso- lutions against the Tipai-mukh project.
The main resolutions adopted in today's meeting were to suspend all efforts to construct the Tipaimukh dam, rescind the MoU signed between the Government of Manipur and NEEPCO and constitution of a Tipaimukh dam review committee with experts and resource persons in the field as its members.
Speaking as resource person in the meeting, field executive of North East Dialogue Forum Director L Niranjan informed that currently Manipur needs only 110 MW of power.
Quoting reports of NEEPCO, he said that the dam would be built over the confluence of Barak river and Tuivai river at the border of Manipur, Mizoram and Assam in Churachandpur district.
The dam would be 162.8 metres in height and 390 metres in length while the project is expected to produce 1500 MW of power.
Once the dam is built, 1195 villages of Tameng-long and Churachandpur would be inundated.
Moreover, 2525 hectares of agricultural land would be submerged permanently besides 6160 hectares of land fit for horticulture.
Because of the dam, a momentous problem of homelessness would be-set the State.
Further, de- prived of the natural resources which provided livelihood to the villagers as a result of the dam, peo-ple would begin indulging in various anti-social activi -ties for lack any means of livelihood, said Niranjan.
The project planned with the aim to generate to power and irrigation of fields would be death trap for the people of Manipur, he remarked.
The field executive noted that the plan to construct a huge dam with 1500 MW power capacity against the State's requirement of just 110 MW of power is ridiculous and the people of Manipur ought to oppose it with all their might for it is almost certain for the dam to produce disastrous impacts on the lives and livelihood of the indigenous people.
Mere provision of land to the displaced people would not be able to resettle the people in the true sense who have been uprooted from their ancestral land.
He questioned whether one could lead normal life when all the natural resources and ancestral cultural heritages have been submerged under water for eternity.
He stressed on the importance of safeguarding one's identity in life.
Today�s public discussion programme was presided by the Pradhan of Borayangbi Gram Panchayat.