Meet urges GoI to adhere to WCD recommendations
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 04 2015:
A public meeting on UN declaration on rights of the indigenous people and impact of Tipaimukh Dam on environment held at Nungba on Feb 3 strongly recommended to urge the Govt of India to fully adhere to the recommendations of the World Commission of Dams and UN Declaration on the Right of Indigenous People before pursuing the Tipaimukh Dam.
The public meeting convened by People's Action for Development (PAD) also recommended to urge the Govt of India to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 and stop all militarization in the name of development that curtails the wishes and aspirations of the communities.
To urge the GOI and the Jubilant Oil and Gas Private Limited to stop all petroleum exploration and drilling exercise in Manipur until and unless there is free, prior, and informed consent of all indigenous people in Manipur; to urge the GOI and Manipur Govt to fully adhere to the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous People in 2008 and to stop exploitation of the rights of the indigenous people of Manipur and the North East are amongst other recommendations of the public meeting.
People Action for Development (PAD -NH 37) is an organization formed by 10 village based organisations.
PAD has sent a copy each of the recommendations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister; Jual Oram, Union Tribal Affairs Minister; Dr Najma Heptulla, Union Minority Affairs Minister; Dr KK Paul, Governor, Manipur; O Ibobi Singh, CM Manipur and Justice KG Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC.
In a statement, PAD said that the proposed Tipaimukh hydroelectric dam requires submergence of 227 sq km of prime forest land in Manipur that will destroy 82.47 lac trees.
According to official records, Tipaimukh hydel project requires more than one-fifth of the total 118,184 hectares of forest land diverted for execution of 497 hydel projects in the entire country after the Forest (Conversation) Act, 1980 came into force, the statement said.
Requirement of 24,329 hectares of forest land for the project will destroy vast swathes of the forest and rare bamboo clumps on land that are used by indigenous communities for livelihood for many centuries which cannot be replaced.
In fact, the forest land required for the project is more than 100 times average rate of diversion of forest land for 497 hydel projects for which approval under the Forest (Conversation) Act has been accorded by the MoEF, it asserted.
By the Government's own admission, the area is home to endangered flora and fauna.
A senior State Forest official has noted that no compensatory measure would help in mitigating the adverse impact wrought by loss of such large forest tracts on the habitat, flora, fauna, biodiversity, micro-climate and environment unless additional non-forest areas in affected districts or adjoining districts are taken up for compensatory afforestation.
The Environment Ministry too said that despite the compensatory afforestation in all the forest divisions, this vast stretch of forest area proposed for diversion will lead to loss of the State's forest area, as well as forest cover, it said.
It also pointed out that the UN Committee on Racial Discrimination also urged India not to construct this controversial Tipaimukh Dam in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 .
"We are preparing to take up the issue of Tipaimukh Dam construction at the National Green Tribunal," it conveyed.
Therefore, PAD urged the GOI to respect the UN Declaration on the Right of the Indigenous People (2009) where India is also a State party to it.
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