WHY NOT A PIL? (against mega DAM )

WHY NOT A PIL?
(An Open letter to all concerned organizations regarding- The Lower Subansiri Hydro-Electric Project, Gerukamukh, Dhemaji, Assam by NHPC.)

Strong voices have been raised, against the mega dams’ constructions going on the foothills of Himalayan. Different socio-economic and indigenous organizations are expressing the fear of the danger from these big dams.

State government was compelled to look into the matter and Govt. of Assam, the dam construction company NHPC has agreed with the biggest student organization AASU’s demand for formation of Expert’s committee to study the feasibility and the impact of the big dams. Eventually a specialist committee has been formed with inclusion of Scientists from IIT, Guwahati and Experts from the Government universities of Assam including Environmentalists and Engineers from Hydro-electric power sector. The committee has submitted its report and many seminars, discussions held in the public domain about its recommendations about the proposed big dam.

The main important suggestions from the expert committee available in the public domain is the Oversize design of the NHPC dam which is under construction, and it is suggested to re-engineer the design to smaller ones to accommodate the power generation requirement and also to minimize the danger level which is feared from a mega sized dam in the tectonic plate boundary area and with higher earthquake sensitive area like Assam. From geologist point of view the formations and rocks of the hills of the exploiting area is also not so mature one to bear such a load of mega dam of 1000MegaWatt.

From Environmentalist view, it will change the whole bio-diversity of the river. The heavy rainfall and cloudbursts in this area are always making dangerous floods.  Its effects are not being pre-calculated and a complete failure of the Government has been observed to manage these situations. It’s a shameful history of our Nation to make my home district as the most flood affected district in India. Landslides and water logging behind these huge landslides in deforested Arunachal hills also acted as water bombs making huge losses also on record.

The democratic organizations of Assam are doing the job of arranging democratic demonstrations. But NHPC is not ready to look after the suggestions made by the Expert Committee formed by them only, but unfortunately came out against their interest. Despite of the democratic demonstrations NHPC is continuing with the BIG DAM project without re-engineering and targeting to commission the project by 2012. Despite of peoples appeal they are ignoring people’s demands, expert committee’s advices and continuing their job and declaring 70 percent completion of the project work spending the public money against the interest of the public (as it is a public limited company of Govt. of India).

In view of the recent huge earth-quake in the Foothills of Himalayan and growing democratic demonstrations, time has come to seek strong intervention from the PRIME MINISTER and PRESIDENT of India regarding the expert committee recommendations, re-engineering of the project and to re-assure the people of Assam living in the downstream of the mentioned Mega Dam. Let us send letters to these offices and also to the main stream national news papers.

We know power sector is a very dangerous and volatile area with thousand cores of rupees involved.  Power lobby has the ultimate money & lobby power even to change ruling Governments (As observed in Arunachal during the last decade).
Even then, in the Republic of India the common people’s life and safety is/should be the foremost thing which requires your urgent intervention in this matter to relook, re-engineer and re-assure the people to march with the country with a safer life.
Intervention from the court of justice need be sought in the Public Interest by a strong PIL in High court.

Because, the state Government is now ignoring the voice of the Mass in a cunning way. NHPC is not hearing and doing its best to keep up the Companies interest. Then who will hear the voice of the people?  Mass organizations are doing movements, but the points are to be judged in any of the decisive and effective platform. Exchange of views in public domain will not give us a scientific, effective and logical solution.

I request mass organizations to move to HIGH COURT with a strong PIL. And also seek your suggestions in this regard.