Decommission dam cry gets shriller

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 1

The call to scrap Ithai Dam intensifies as locals of Thanga protested today urging the state government to decommission the dam. The local fishing community along with other activists echoed that Ithai dam is more a “curse” rather than bringing development.

A community meet on merits and demerits of 105 megawatt Loktak Project was held at Thanga, Haorang Chingya today. The meet was organized by Citizens Concern for Dams and Development, North East Dialogue Forum, Centre for Research and Advocacy Manipur, Committee on Human Rights, Irabot Foudation, United Clubs of Thanga, All Thanga Meira Paibi Apunba Organization, Loktak Project Affected Areas Action Committee and Loktak Fisheries Welfare Association.

Among the speakers, Y. Maipakchao of Thanga and president of United Clubs of Thanga said that the project has brought only problems and instead of development. The indigenous fish and prawns, different edible water plants and paddy cultivated in the phumdis have also disappeared. It is high time that the public put pressure on the government to decommission the Ithai barrage, he said.

Leinungshi, secretary of ATMPAO said that the Loktak and the people surrounding the lake was self-sufficient before the dam came. “There was no need for getting rice when times were hard and we all depended on Heikrak and other water plants. The phumdis were cleared every six months and planted again and such was the exercise. Now, after the dam had been commissioned, all farm lands have been flooded and the catch has gone down,” she said. “They do know how to take care of the lake. They sit behind desks and do paperworks. We have been there since time immemorial and we know how to take care of the lake. The dam needs to go and the public need to rally to CM Biren’s initiative to decommission the project,” she said.

Ph. Deban, AMUCO president said that the lake has become a centre for contract works and some people are skimming huge profits. The indigenous fish, which are supposed to spawn at the lake has not been able to come. The electric supply, which was promished to the public, is a farce. The dam is also another main cause for flash floods in the state.

“We appeal to the government to open the dam when flooding occurs. The siltation in the rivers is also caused by the dam. Is the government remaining blind to the damage? This is a project for thieves and not for the welfare of the people,” he said, adding that the dam has made us dependent on other states.

“In 1939 rice was exported from here and led to the Nupi Lal. Now the tables have turned and our self-reliance has gone. The mineral resources of our state have been exploited and the lake is also exploited. The Loktak Development Authority needs to go and the useless dam needs to be de-commissioned,” he concluded.

Senior environmentalist RK Ranjan said before the dam was commissioned in 1983, the Iril, Imphal, Thoubal river, Chakpi and others flowed freely. The Khordak river brings the culminated water into the lake. The upstream and downstream flow of the rivers have been disturbed. The siltation has been brought to the lake and all of this is caused by the dam.The state has witnessed three floods in this year. Engineers of the Loktak project state that the siltation in rivers beds is the cause of flooding but this is false, he said.

Further, there is no memorandum of understanding between the state and the NHPC regarding the project. The chief secretary has intimated the Central Water Commission to give the MoU now. Even CM Biren had urged the ministry and the Prime Minister that the Ithai barrage needs to be decommissioned.

Sareng, Ngatin, Pengba Tharak etc. have all disappeared but the other species brought from outside have been thriving on the polluted water of the lake.This is another calamity for the future. Nearly 54,000 hectares have been devastated and ‘food soverignity’ has gone, he said. “How much rice would have been produced in the last 34 years,” he mentioned, adding that foreign breed of rice and chemicals have been used to supplement the shortage is a health hazard.

“NHPC is not producing electricity either now and the public purchase power supplied from the national power grid. Does our government know how much water was used during the last few months. We have no development but our culture is at stake. Our food source is diminishing. A fact finding report needs to be sought about dredging river beds. It will be a contract for some people only.  Rather, trees should be planted in the riverbeds to be able to stop the force of the floods,” he said.

A rally was later taken out by the public demanding the decommissioning of the dam.