Imphal, August 03: The Mega hydroelectric power project builders (NHPC, NEEPCO, Reliance etc) are treating the North-East In dia region like what the British East India Company once did to the Indians, stated Rickar Taipodia of Arunachal Pradesh, a member of the North East Dialogue Forum.

He along with the Forum members was addressing a press meet at the Conference Hall of Anand Hotel, here in Imphal on Friday.

While claiming that the North East was one of the most fragile and ecosystem of the world, Rickar Taipodia of Arunachal Pradesh and KK Chatradhara of Assam, both members of North East Dialogue Forum pointed out that the region has been identified as 'India's future powerhouse' and that 168 large dams of a cumulative capacity of 63,328 MW are planned some of which are under construction.

This includes 22 projects having potential of 15,191 MW in the Subansiri river basin.

However, several uni que features of the North East geological fragility, location in a highly seismic zone, diversity of ethnic communities, etc pose a challenge to these ambitious plans, pointed out Rickar Taipodia KK Chatradhara.

While the centre and the States are pushing for hydel projects, large dams were emerging as a major issue of conflict in the region, said Rickar Taipodia KK Chatradhara while adding that a major emerging concern was the livelihood and the ecological impact in the areas downstream of these large dams.

Loss of fisheries, changes in beel (wetland) ecology in the flood plains, agricultural losses, massive boulder extraction and sudden water releases from the reservoirs in the monsoon increasing flood vulnerability, they said.

However, downstream impact studies continue to be poor, they added.

While pointing out that the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro-Electric project, proposed to come up at Gerukamukh on the Assam-Arunachal border was the largest and the first of its kind to be constructed in the Subansiri basin, both the members objected to the construction of the project stating that the concern construction authority National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has been violating all the legal norms.

These are the forest Conservation Act 1980, Doubtful Public procedure hearing (4th Sept, 2004), poor EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), undermining the recommendation given by the Supreme Court (19 Apri 1, 2004) including the UN declaration of indigenous peoples rights over land and resources.

The Forum members also pointed out that the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in its concluding observation of 69th session held in the month of March 2007, have urged the Government of India to fully respect and implement the rights of ownership, collective or individual, of the members of tribal communities over the lands traditionally occupied by them in its practice concerning tribal peoples in accordance with International Labour Organisation Convention 107 on Indigenous and Tribal Populations.

The State Party (Govern ment of India) should seek the prior informed consent of communities affected by the construction of dams in the Northeast or similar projects on their traditional lands in any decision making process related to such projects and provide ad equate compensation and alternative land and housing to those communities, they added.

In this relation Rickar Chatradhara stated that the construction of the Lower Subansiri and Tipaimukh large dam is against necessity, priority and welfare of the people and hence the construction should be stop immediately.

We strongly oppose the construction of any dam which has not been ap proved by the people after an informed and participative decision making process, said both the Forum members making the North East Dialogue Forum's stand against the construction of the dam.

Subansiri is a trans boundary-river and participation of China upto Bangladesh should be ensure from the beginning on any water management and construction process" they added.

They appealed to recognise the region-specific impacts of dams.

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