Cycle rally says No to Tipaimukh Dam
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 19, 2012:
As part of the ongoing campaign against Tipaimukh Dam, a cycle rally was taken out today in Lamsang, Sekmai and Saitu Assembly segments.
People belonging to about 10 villages located around Sangaithel in Imphal West district took out a cycle rally demanding annulment of the MoU signed between the Government of Manipur, National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) on April 28, 2010 which was again endorsed on October 22, 2011. The rally organised under the aegis of Village Women Coordinating Committee was flagged off from Sangaithel village and wound up at the Juvenile Club, Salam Mamang Leikai after passing through Karong, Kachikhul and Maklang.
The rallyists carried placards which read as "No big dams in NE", "Don't kill people by big dams", "Respect the rights of indigenous people", "Revoke the environmental clearance on Tipaimukh Dam", "Annul the MoU signed for Tipaimukh Dam", "First inform the people about the merits and demerits of Tipaimukh Dam" etc.
Village Women Coordinating Committee secretary M Renubala stated that Loktak Hydro Electric Project which was commissioned hopes has belied all the hopes, negating the earlier promises.
On the contrary, the project inundated more than 30,000 hectares of paddy fields thereby forfeiting means of livelihood of tens of thousands of people.
Even as thousands of people have been displaced or their paddy fields robbed off, they have not been rehabilitated yet.
Contrary to the promise of uninterrupted power supply throughout the State, Loktak Project is unable to supply power even for four hours in a day, Renubala pointed out.
Likewise, demerits of Tipaimukh Dam would far outweigh its merits, she said quoting experts.
The Government should take due note of the Forest Advisory Committee's report that Tipaimukh Dam would destroy 7.8 million matured trees, 25,822 hectares of community forests and bamboo groves.
After winding up the rally, a memorandum was dispatched to the Indian Prime Minister.