Anti-Tipaimukh Dam rally at Senapati District Headquarters
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 27 2012:
A mass rally cum sit in protest was held today at Senapati District Headquarters against the construction of Tipaimukh Dam.
The demonstration, jointly organised by the Senapati District Women Association and Rural Development Association today demanded revocation of the MoU signed among the Government of Manipur, NHPC, and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited in 2010 and 2011 for the construction of Mega Tipaimukh Dam in Manipur.
It also demanded revocation of the Environment Clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forest in 2008 .
The other demands of the rally cum sit in protest included conduct of holistic impact assessment on social, economic, environment, cultural health, etc, to take free, prior and informed consent of the affected people as recommended by the UNCERD Committee.
Addressing the rally, President of Senapati District Women Association, Lolia Mao said the construction of Tipaimukh Dam would only leave many people homeless and hearth-less though the dam is intended to provide adequate power to the State.
Protesters were seen holding placards reading 'No mega project without people's consent,' 'No big dams in NE,' 'Let the river flow freely,' 'Save our rivers,' 'Revoke the MoU,' 'No privatisation of rivers in the name of development,' 'Save flora, save environment, save people, save the future,' etc during the mass rally.
Later, a memorandum was submitted to the State Government after the rally.
The memo demanded the revocation of MoU and environmental clearance.
It also urged the forest advisory sub-committee of MoEF to be aware of the fact that nothing can compensate the loss of 7.8 million trees and bamboos and 25, 822 ha of the community forest land.