From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill (FACAAB), a group comprising senior intellectuals and leading citizens, has demanded a judicial probe into the pipeline burst at NEEPCO’s Kopili hydel project at Umrangso in Dima Hasao district of central Assam.
Four officials of the public sector undertaking are still trapped in the basement turbine room of the Umrong reservoir since October 7 even as rescue operations began in the wee hours of Sunday.
Addressing reporters here on Monday, FACAAB chairman, Hiren Gohain held the Centre primarily responsible for the mishap and that the Assam government had failed to show any urgency to tackle the situation after the incident.
“The Centre is primarily responsible for the mishap as the requisite funds were not sanctioned for regular maintenance and repair of the equipment of the project (commissioned way back in 1976),” Gohain alleged.
The forum demanded that operations at the site be stopped till the project was declared safe and fit for hydro power generation.
“We demand a judicial probe be instituted at the earliest to ascertain the cause of the mishap. The institution of a probe led by a DIG-level police officer is hard to fathom as without a technical inquiry, the cause of the mishap cannot be ascertained,” he said.
A high-level team led by hill area development minister, Sum Ronghang visited the site on Sunday to take stock of the situation. The team will submit a report on the incident to the chief minister after discussions with local NGOs and political leaders and meeting the family members of the trapped officials. The forum also warned the danger posed by the Lower Subansiri hydro-electric project and urged all state organisations and conscious citizens to launch an agitation against the mega dam.
“Under no circumstances will the people of Assam allow the Lower Subansiri project to be commissioned in the state. We all want development but not at the cost of public safety. The government has formed a task force to take the project forward. However, if such mega dams are imposed on the people of Assam, then they would take measures as and when required for their safety,” Gohain said.