‘Stop big dam projects to save us’

JORHAT, Nov 26: “The Central Government must stop the big dam projects erected on Suansiri River in Arunachal Pradesh for the greater interest to save the people from a horrendous affect in the near future”, said Dilip Pegu, president of Namoni Suansiri Jalabidyut Prakalpa Birudhi Oikya Mancha, a united body of  thirty-six organizations of Assam after the successful completion of 36-hour Majuli, Dhemaji and Lakhimpur bandh at 5 pm today. He said, “We, the 36-organizations of the State unanimously protest the decision of the Central Government to build up a number of big dam projects on Suansiri River in Arunachal Pradesh without thinking about the people of Assam those located in the lower part of the river. He said that, despite Arunachal Pradesh being an earthquake prone region of the country, the Government has been trying to build up the biggest (116 metre high) dam project with the capacity of 2,000 megawatt in the region, which will cause to be major affect of as many as 936 villages of Dhakuakhana, Majuli, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji areas. Apart from this, the Government also proposes to take up another 104 nos. of dam projects in the said areas ignoring the very fact that if the dam would break down, lakh of people would be submerged by the flowing water within a few minutes.

Coming down heavily on the MPs of Assam due to their failure to present the matter into the Parliament, the organization said that, the MPs of Assam are not skilled enough to present the burning issue in the floor of the Parliament. The organization urged the Assam Government as well as the MPs of Assam to take the matter seriously and to induce the Central Government over the matter. They said that, they would organize public meeting from corner to corner of the State in support of their demands and to take up serious agitation immediately failing to fulfil their demands. THE SENTINEL