Guwahati: A House Committee of Assam Assembly on downstream impacts of mega dam projects, in one of its recommendation stated that mega dams which might pose threat to lives and property of people in downstream areas of Assam, should not be constructed by government and agencies concerned
The committee was constituted in the wake of mass rising in Assam against construction mega dams in upstream of rivers in Arunachal Pradesh especially the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro-electricity Project that is being constructed by National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) at Gerukamukh along Assam -Arunachal Pradesh boundary.
The House Committee is of the opinion that no dam should be allowed to be constructed in the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh without proper comprehensive and scientific downstream impact assessment.
It also said, “The State Governments concerned should also carry out comprehensive downstream studies through their own agencies and consult experts before issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for setting up of hydro-electric projects. If necessary, the existing procedures / laws should be amended.”
It also called for steps by the State Government to take up the recommendations made by the Expert Group of the State at para 10.2.1(in Part –I) of its report with the Government of India ‘without delay.’
The Expert Group of the State, comprising the experts of the IIT-Guwahati, Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University, had in the said para of its report, submitted on June 18, 2010, stated, “The present investigations carried out to examine the downstream impact of the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Dam project reveal gross inadequacy in the relevant facts relating to the construction of the dam at the present site by the authorities concerned. The selected site for the mega dam of the present dimension was not appropriate in such a geologically and seismologically sensitive location. The seismic design parameter is not properly chosen for the project. According to the investigation, the recommended seismic design parameter is at 0.5 or more. Therefore, it is recommended not to construct the mega dam in the present site.”
Following the recommendations of this Expert Committee and the apprehensions expressed by the overwhelming majority of the State’s people on the adverse impacts of the Subansiri Lower Project (SLP), or, Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project (LSHEP), the then Union Minister of State (Independent) for Environment and Forests,Jairam Ramesh held a public consultation on the issue on September 10, 2010 in Guwahati.
Following the popular opinions expressed at the meeting, he wrote to the Prime Minister on September 16 that year to scrap the LSHEP ‘completely.’
