IMPHAL, May 4: A one day consultation on Mapithel Dam and its impact on the people of upstream and downstream was organised jointly by the Mapithel Dam Affected Villagers Organisation and JAC on Mapithel Dam Downstream Affected People at Youth Hostel today.
Addressing the gathering, Konthoujam Tentenba, member of the JAC lamented that villagers of six villages namely Nungbrang, Laikhong, Nongpok-Keithelmabi, Tumukhong, Itham, Moirangpural situated in the downstream of the dam have been widely affected due to the blockage of Thoubal River as most of them depend on the river for livelihood such as fishing, collecting stones, sand, etc.
He said that the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) commenced blocking Thoubal River and filing up of the Mapithel Dam Reservoir from January 2015 onwards in an attempt to commission the dam which is a component of the Thoubal Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project.
Reiterating that the people residing in upstream and downstream of Mapithel Dam have been urging to halt its ongoing construction and free water blocking of Thoubal River, he demanded the ongoing construction of the dam be stopped until the government reviewed it minutely.
The filling up of Mapithel dam reservoir had already led to submergence of an extensive portion of agriculture land, grazing ground, forest areas of Louphong and Chadong villages, he rued.
He also pointed out that the ongoing filling up of the dam reservoir is accompanied by heavy deployment of security forces to subdue the call of the people affected by the dam construction and resistance against the blockage of the river.
Secretary of Human Right Initiative Wahengbam Joykumar who was present at the occasion exclaimed that the Mapithel Dam site is located in high seismic zone and villagers residing in downstream areas are quite apprehensive of collapse of the dam as quality had not been maintained in its construction.
He demanded immediate halt to the blockage of Thoubal River and filling up of the dam reservoir as consent of the affected people was not sought before taking up the works.
Stating that the Expert Review committee set up by the government in connection with the dam construction has been lying defunct, he said that the government should avoid various forms of involuntary displacement of indigenous peoples affected by the dam as per UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples Rights 2007 and recommendation of the World Commission on Dams 2000.
He also said that the ongoing efforts to finalize the Mapithel Dam construction is against the direction of the National Green Tribunal to stop its construction as it violated the Forest Conservation Act ,1980 and Forest Act, 2006.