Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 23 2010:
Reiterating its position that the review of Rehabilitation and Resettlement by the Expert Review Committee of the upstream and downstream affected villages of the Mapithel Dam should be conducted and implemented prior to completion of the dam, Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD) has lamented that it is going the opposite.
While the effort to complete the dam is underway with visible urgency, there is no clear sincerity of commitment to conduct and complete the review of Rehabilitation and Resettlement, indicating that the affected people come last in the scheme of things, a statement jointly signed by CCDD co-convenor Aram Pamei and co-ordination Ramananda Wangkheirakpam observed.
The statement pointed out that in a recent visit to the dam site, the CCDD team observed that construction activities have begun possibly trying to complete the dam within early next year although there is no progress on the expert review process.
According to the Rehabilitation Plan of the Oustees, 1998, prepared by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD), Government of Manipur for Thoubal Multipurpose Project (Mapithel Dam), Page no.52 Para 8, it is stated clearly that 'Rehabilitation plan will be completed before one year of the completion of the project' .
In addition, Government has accepted the Terms of Reference (of the Expert Review Committee constituted by GoM order no.20/1/2005-IFC (Pt) dated 18 January 2008) No.12 which requires that the 'Rehabilitation and Resettlement should be completed at least one year before any submergence takes place' These are excerpts from legally binding documents and must be strictly adhered to, the CCDD statement pointed out.
The urgency for completion of the project must be associated with ethical treatment of the affected people, CCDD said while calling for immediate halt of dam construction activities until proper completion of the review of Rehabilitation and Resettlement and its implementation.
CCDD would not stand mute to neglecting the affected people and it may left with no option but to take the matter to the people and the court in order that the affected people are rehabilitated first for the completion of the dam .