*ABNS* *ANGIKAR BANGLADESH NEWS SERVICE * Bad News From Manipur, India! *Laying of Foundation Stone for Tipaimukh Dam on 16 February,2007.* **
*According to a news item published in The Telegraph on 12 December, 2006, the Indian authorities is going to lay the foundation stone of the controversial Tipaimukh Dam on 16 February, 2007. The dam,if built, will spell immense disaster to the Meghna/Barak basin. This news will sure toarouse a strong mass protest struggle in the basin arena. * ** ** *Message sent by : Muhammad Hilaluddin.* http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061213/asp/northeast/story_7130676.asp Tipaimukh project past final hurdle OUR CORRESPONDENT Protesters demonstrate against the proposed Tipaimukh project in New Delhi earlier this year. (PTI) *Silchar, Dec. 12:* The much-delayed Tipaimukh multipurpose dam project in Manipur crossed its final official hurdle late last week with the Union forest and environment ministry giving the mandatory green signal. The site chosen for the dam on the Barak river is in Manipur and borders Assam and Mizoram. Now that the environment ministry's clearance has come, Delhi has decided to go full steam ahead with the Rs 6,800-crore mega project. The foundation stone will be laid at Tipaimukh on February 16. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the Centre's determination to start the project without losing any more time while he visited Imphal for a day on December 2. However, he will not be able to be present at this foundation laying ceremony since he is travelling to Japan on an official tour at that point of time. In his absence, Union heavy industry minister Sontosh Mohan Dev and Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde will perform this ceremony. Prithviraj Chouhan, minister in the Prime Minister's secretariat, would also be present at this function, official sources said. The project, which aims at taming recurrent floods in the south Assam districts and generate 1,500 MW of hydroelectricity by harnessing the Barak upstream, will be funded by the Centre. The public sector North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) has been entrusted with the responsibility of setting up this mammoth project in a bid to wipe out the power famine in the Northeast. Neepco has submitted its detailed project report on this scheme to the Central Electricity Agency (CEA) on December 15, 2000. The governments of Assam, Manipur and Mizoram, which will benefit from this project, had signed a memorandum of understanding with Neepco. Manipur will get 10 per cent of the total power generated free of cost to help it tide over its power crisis. The sources said the reservoir could submerge some 190 square km of virgin forests in Manipur, displacing around 2,000 tribal families from their homes. Opposition to this project had centred round this issue, but the Centre has promised full rehabilitation of oustees in appropriate farming sites and in other occupations after training them. Dev today said over telephone from New Delhi that initial opposition to this dam by environmental groups in Manipur has considerably weakened following the Centre's promise to look after the oustees' interests. The dam and the reservoir could also submerge two portions of National Highway 53, linking this town with Imphal through the hills. The Union surface transport and national highways ministry has decided to foot the bill for relocating these along different route. Development of the people,by the people,for the people. ------------------------------ Cheap Talk? Check out<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/postman8/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=39663/*http://voice.yahoo.com>Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. Development of the people,by the people,for the people. ------------------------------ Have a burning question? Go to Yahoo! Answers<http://answers.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTFvbGNhMGE3BF9TAzM5NjU0NTEwOARfcwMzOTY1NDUxMDMEc2VjA21haWxfdGFnbGluZQRzbGsDbWFpbF90YWcx>and get answers from real people who know. Development of the people,by the people,for the people. ------------------------------ Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42297/*http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta> -- Development in harmony with nature. -- Development in harmony with nature. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
