IMPHAL, Feb 11 (Newmai News Network): Various NGOs say 25,822.22 hectares of forest land of Manipur will be affected by the controversial Tipaimukh Dam which will also lead to felling of 7.8 million (around 90 lakh)) trees and bamboos, and such action will not only have serious impact on community livelihood and survival but also exacerbate species and induce climate change impacts due to destruction of absorption capacity of Green House Gases (GHG).A one-day Review Meet on Tipaimukh Dam was held at the Manipur Press Club here Saturday, jointly organized by Committee on Land and Natural Resources, Citizens’ Concern for Dams and Development, Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Dam, North East Dialogue Forum and the Sinlung Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organizations.At the discussion, the civil bodies affirmed, “Our rivers, forests, wetlands and lands are the sources of our life and not for plunder, invasion, and that we will strive to defend and protect the integrity of our land for survival of the coming generations.”Calling upon the Government of India and the Government of Manipur in a draft resolution, they say they are concerned about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) involving the Government of Manipur, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam limited (SJVNL) on April 28, 2010 which was reaffirmed on October 22, 2011 without the prior consent of the indigenous people of the State as well as all the people, who are likely to be affected by the proposed dam, in Mizoram, Assam and further down in Bangladesh, it demands urgent revocation of the above MoU. The resolution says the NHPC and SJVNL, companies which are likely to be involved in the project have extremely poor environmental, social, accountability and human rights records from their previous projects such as Teesta V (Sikkim) and Loktak Project (Manipur).The NGOs also demanded for the revocation of the Environment Clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India on October 24, 2008.The resolution further urges both the Central and State governments to conduct Holistic Impact Assessment on socio-economic, environmental, cultural, health and human rights impacts likely to be caused by the proposed dam.
