IMPHAL, March 27: The Senapati District Women Association, SDWA in collaboration with the Rural Development Association, Senapati organized a mass rally cum sit in protest against the Tipaimukh dam construction at Senapati bazar.
The people later on handed a memorandum to the Senapati Deputy Commissioner to be submitted to the Prime Minister of India.
The rally was attended by around 400 people carrying placards that read “No Mega project without people’s concern”, Nothing can compensate the loss of 78 lakhs of trees”, “Scrap Tipaimukh Dam”, “Save Environment, Save People”, We don’t want big dams”, “No privatisation of rivers in the name of development”, “No big dams in North east” etc.
Speaking to media persons on the sideline of the public protest, president SDWA Lolia lamented that the construction of Tipaimukh dam will harm to the environment due to the loss of trees and we can only apprehend the kind of destruction it will bring to the people, in case on any damage to the dam after its construction as the dam lies inside a high seismic zone, which is prone to earthquakes.
She further appealed to the people of the state to jointly raise voice against the construction of the dam.
Meanwhile, the memorandum has urged upon the government to save and protect the environment, natural heritage and culture of the people of Manipur, to take free, fair, prior and informed consent specifically on Tipaimukh dam as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples.
It has further appealed the government to revoke the MoU signed between the state government, National Hydroelectric project and the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited for the construction of Tipaimukh dam.
Instead of the Tipaimukh dam, the memorandum has further appealed to the government to build micro-hydel projects at different locations that can generate sufficient electricity for the state and bring equal area development.
The memorandum has also urged the government to stop the proposed Khongnem Chakha HE-project at Maram, Senapati.