The frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to extend all necessary support to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation for commissioning of 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project facing strident protests in Assam with students organisations and political parties raising environmental concern over construction of mega dams.
Asserting that protests are politically motivated, former students leader and Congress MP Sanjay Takam told this newspaper that groups in Assam have no moral or legal right to oppose the Lower Subansiri Hydro project construction work going on in the territory of Arunachal Pradesh.
Arguing that more than 2,500 employees out of 4,000 employed by the NHPC on the project site are from Assam. Mr Sanjay said: “We never raised these contentious issues. We never asked that Arunachalee should get preference in jobs too.” He pointed out: “I have seen all the reports of the expert committees constituted by Assam government. These committees were not constituted by the government of India.”
Mr Sanjay, who is among the founder of North East Students Organisation, however, clarified that they are, of course, in favour of taking care of people living in down-stream of the mega-dam.
The firebrand leader of the frontier state said that they also want that measures should be taken to study the impact of dam feared, if any, in the down-stream of the river Subansiri. “I am surprised over the demand of closing down the project at a stage when the NHPC has completed majority of its work with an investment of more than `5,000 crore so far,” he said adding that this was the first major project that his frontier state has got from the central government still hankering for industrial development.
As chairman-cum-managing director of the NHPC, Mr S.K. Garg, who was here last week, said, “The construction work of the Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project is at a very advanced stage and we hope to commission three units in March 2012 and the remaining five units by December 2012.”
He, however, assured that the NHPC was open to take necessary steps if necessary for the safety and security of down-stream population. “We are open to mending ourselves if required. The safety of the people is of paramount importance to us and we are not going to compromise on safety norms,” said Mr Garg.
The NHPC chief also made it clear that all prior environmental clearances were taken before starting construction of the project.
Mr Garg, who had a meeting with Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, also said: “We had taken clearances from the Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Authority, and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for the Subansiri project.”
Moreover, experts of the NHPC are of view that timely completion of the project would add another feather to the cap of the NHPC for completing the mega dam project within a record time period.
The Arunachal Pradesh MP, who is vehemently opposing the protest in Assam, said that all these politically motivated protest will die down immediately after the elections in Assam next year.
“So, question of stopping construction of the Lower Subansiri Hydro project simply does not arise and that would continue in full swing to enable the NHPC to commission by 2012,” he said, reiterating that fears of adverse ecological impact of dam in Assam was unfounded.
Prominent among those who have joined the protest of the mega-dam project of the frontier state include Asom Gana Parishad, All Assam Students Union, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity and some NGOs in Assam.
Though there were attempts to motivate people of the frontier state also to join the protest, the anti-dam lobby is yet to make its presence felt.
The growing protest of the mega dam also forced Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh to organise a day-long consultation with various civil society and environmental groups on the issue of dams in the Northeast.
“I would let the Prime Minister know about the apprehensions of the people of Assam regarding building of dams in Arunachal Pradesh. This is not just the issue for Assam, this has been an issue for the entire nation,” said Mr Ramesh who had to engage himself into angry debates with the anti-dam leaders in Assam.
The groups opposing the mega dam project said, “Big dams would lead to catastrophic environmental hazards in downstream areas in Assam.”
They are referring to the reports of expert committees constituted by Assam government to which the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh does not consider a ground for stopping the project nearing completion.
The Congress MP Mr Sanjay, who is the strongest voice of the region supporting the mega dam, also argued that this project would also help in changing the power-scenario of the region as they are insisting and determined to ensure that North-eastern states should get the priority in distribution of power generated from Subansiri Hydro-power Project.
The Assam Congress was also in dilemma over the project but Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has made it clear that he was not opposed to the construction of mega dam, but proper care will have to be taken to the environmental impact of such projects on down-stream populations.