'Revoke clearance on Tipaimukh'
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 08, 2013:
A discussion session on the proposed construction of Tipaimukh Dam organized under the aegis of United NGOs Mission-Minipur (UNM-M) at Manipur Press Club here today unanimously resolved to press the concerned authority to reconsider and revoke the Environmental Clearance given by the Ministry of Forest and Environment for Tipaimukh Dam project on October 24, 2008. The discussion which was attended by members of various NGOs took a number of resolutions which included � the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India should desist from granting the forest diversion proposal for the Mizoram part of the Tipaimukh project; the Indian government should fully implement the recommendation of the World Commission on Dams, the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous People and the UN Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination on Tipaimukh Dam; the Government of India should revoke the earlier "Environmental Clearance" on the mega project granted on October 24, 2008; Bangladesh should refrain from compromising on Tipaimukh Dam over Barak River for more water, power and other stakes; the proceedings of the Indo-Bangladesh Sub Group on proposed 1500 MW Tipaimukh Dam Project should be made open and transparent; both India and Bangladesh should respect the rights of the indigenous people; a holistic impact assessment of the proposed Tipaimukh Dam should be conducted with due participation of all affected communities and their experts both in upstream and downstream of the Barak River; the Government of India should abandon the plan to construct 1279 mini hydel plants in the NE region and the NHPC should immediately shut its office and leave Manipur.
Various resource persons spoke on occasion sharing their views on various issues related to construction of dams and its environmental impacts.