Assam’s leading organisations Krishak Mukti Sangram Somiti (KMSS) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) have resumed their movement against construction of 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) at Gerukamukh near Assam-Arunachal boundary.
The KMSS staged statewide protest in Assam on Monday and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the respective deputy commissioners demanding immediate closure of the mega dam project at Gerukamukh for safety of the people living in the downstream of river Subansiri.
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The Dhemaji district committee of KMSS staged 2-hour sit-in-demo in front of the office of Dhemaji DC to mark the protest.
Also read: Assam: Lower Subansiri project likely to be commissioned by 2022-23!
The protest against the hydropower projects resumed in the wake of the central government’s recent decision to re-start the dam work at Gerukamukh without settlement of the issues pertaining to mitigation policy for the people living in the downstream, who will be affected due to the project.
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The KMSS leaders say that the mega dam project at Gerukamukh would collapse ecosystem and demography of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Majuli districts in the downstream of river Subansiri.
They alleged that the state and central governments in spite of knowing disastrous effect, forcefully trying to continue project works ignoring the people’s woes.
“The expert committee report on cumulative impact of SLHP revealed that the big dam was not constructed at suitable location while the authority was not taking proper mitigation policy of the probable disaster,” said KMSS’ Dhemaji district committee president Bhavan Haloi.
The SLHP site is located at 15 km north from Gogamukh town in Dhemaji district and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is taking up the project.
It may be recalled that construction work at the project site came to a halt in December 2011 after massive protest in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
But the central government is making all-out efforts to resume the construction activities at the project site without any settlement of effective mitigation policy for the people living in the downstream who will be affected by the project.
“We are demanding the authority to close down the mega dam project at Gerukamukh. We will resort to rigorous movement against the government and construction agency if our demand is unheard,” the protesters warned.
Earlier too, KMSS, AASU, AJYCP and various local students’ unions of Dhemaji staged a series of protest against the hydel projects in Arunachal.
Recently, AJYCP Dhemaji district unit also resumed its ongoing protest against the Lower Subansiri hydel project.
The leaders of protesting organisations warned the government not to play any game with the lives of the people by going ahead with the mega dam project, which they have been opposing since long.