Tipaimukh Dam:: Meet presses FAC to desist from granting EC
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 09 2013: A day-long public consultation on "Tipaimukh Dam and Forest Clearance" held at Manipur Press Club here today has pressed the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEF) to desist from granting Environment Clearance (EC) for the proposed construction of Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project.

The public consultation was jointly organized by Citizens Concern for Dams and Development CCDD), Committee on Land and Natural Resources (COLNER), Committee on the Protection of Natural Resources (CPNRM), North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) and the Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Dam Project (ACATDP) .

After a serious deliberation on the issue, the public consultation also adopted a number of resolutions.

The resolutions said that granting the Environment Clearance for Tipaimukh Dam would amount to violation of the rights of the indigenous people in Manipur.

So, FAC should take cognizance that all indigenous people of Manipur have full rights over their lands and resources.

Furthermore, FAC and MoEF should refrain from making recommendations for Compensatory Afforestation as Manipur is such a small State with huge pressure on land and forest and therefore, India Government should ensure that the proposed 1500 MW Tipaimukh HEP is not constructed without Free, Prior and Informed Consent of indigenous people.

Demanding MoEF to revoke the Environment Clearance Granted for Tipaimukh Dam Hydro Electric Project in October 2008 despite stern objection by the affected communities in all the five hearings conducted from 2004 till 2008, the public consultation resolved that the MoEF should recommend that the proposed Tipaimukh dam should adhere to the recommendations of the World Commissiopn on Dams, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and the recommendations from the UN CERD Committee in 2007 .

The public consultation also demanded the MoEF to recommend revoking of the MoU signed on Tipaimukh Dam by the Government of Manipur with the Government of Manipur, National Hydroelectric Project and Sutlej Jal Nigam Limited on 28 April 2010, reaffirmed on 22 October 2011 .

Among others who participated and spoke on the occasion, Dr RK Ranjan, Chairman of CCDD, pointed out that according to the statement released by the State Government in 2012-13, the State requires only 250 MW of power.

From this, 200 MW of power is provided to the people and they are left with just 50 MW of power.

So, to say that the proposal of setting up Tipaimukh Dam which would have a production capacity of 1500 MW just to make up the deficit 50 MW is a matter of serious concern to the people.

The deficit power supply can be easily made up from the Solar, Wind and Micro Hydel Projects being taken up by the State government, he contended.

Dr Ranjan further maintained that the proposal for unnecessary production of power by constructing Tipaimukh Dam is not in the interest of the people of the State, but for the benefit of various big industries.

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