Community protest meet held
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 17 2016:
Pabram Village Authority, Concerned Committee Over Pabram Hydroelectric Project, Naga Women Union, Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur, Peace Core Team, Manipur jointly organized a community protest meet on the proposed 190 MW Pabram Hydroelectric Project over the Barak River at Lungdi Pabram village, Tamenglong
district yesterday.
The event was organized as part of the 3-day observation of International Rivers Day from March 14-16.The international River Day at L Pabram village is organized with the theme "Protection of Barak River".
Villagers of Lungdi Pabram, Taipram, Philong, Taningjam, Tharon in Tamenglong district attended the meet.
Aram Pamei, ex-president, Naga Women Union, Jiten Yumnam, secretary, Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur and Enoch Neumei, Committee Concerned Over Pabram Hydroelectric Project delivered speeches as resource persons on the issues and challenges of mega dams over rivers of Manipur.
Aram Pamei shared the possible socio economic and livelihood impacts of proposed Pabram dam project and other human rights challenges.
She expressed concern with the lack of information and failure to take community's consent by project authorities.
Aram stressed the need for protection of rivers, forest and land, which are crucial survival sources of communities.
Enoch Neumei explained how the project proponents of Pabram dam project failed to consider the inter-generational impacts on communities due to the loss of extensive tract of agriculture land in the upstream portion of Barak River from dam site.
He opined the Government's move to generate more than 2000 MW as against the State's requirement of hardly 200 MW, is to facilitate profit making of corporate bodies and politicians by destroying peoples land and natural resources.
Jiten Yumnam shared how MoUs on mega dam constructions are pursued in Manipur even as mega dams constructed and commissioned in Manipur, such as the Khoupum dam, Khuga dam, the Singda dam and other energy projects such as the Leimakhong Heavy Fuel Power Plant have failed to generate single unit of electricity, besides the failure and underperformance on other defined objectives.
He suggested to generate energy from alternative source and based on communities' needs.
The participants later adopted several resolutions, especially to "Let the Barak River Flow Free", to take the consent of all affected communities for all mega dam projects planned over the Barak River system, to provide the Detailed Project Report, copies of MoU on Pabram HEP and other dams planned over Barak River system and to adhere to the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007 and recommendations of World Commission on Dams etc on all dam decision making.