Decommission Ithai barrage: CVOs of Northeast

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 7

An inspection-cum-public meeting was organised today by North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) in Bishnupur district covering Nongmaikhong of Thanga constituency and Ithai barrage of Loktak power project.

The inspection is a follow up to the resolution taken yesterday by the forum and other CVOs at Classic Grande hotel to revoke various memorandum of understanding (MoUs) signed for construction of mega dams in the North Eastern states.

The villagers and eminent leaders of Nongmaikhong said in a public meeting held at the house of its pradhan S. Manglemba that the village has gone through a lot and suffered many losses after the construction of Ithai barrage in 1980.

One of the villagers recalled that they used to be self-sufficient and lived a normal village life having their own agricultural land and fishery farms and survived easily from it. He charged that the loss of villagers was not considered in building this Ithai dam. In the name of giving free electricity, the villagers were tempted to give up their possessions to the demands of the government, he added.

  1. Kundalei, one of the women gathered, complained that the government did not give compensation instead imposed tax for using the water body created by the barrage for electricity. “We don’t want compensation or anything, but we want this barrage and Loktak project to be decommissioned and want our land back,” she said.

Nongmaikhong area has a population of approximately 1200 and is one of the most prone areas of flood and the villagers blamed that it is because of the hydro project near the village.

Budhi Singh, a social worker, said that it is too late to decry for the decommissioning of the barrage, as it is almost 40 years but urged the gathering to cooperate fully in the decommissioning process. He asked if there is any MoU on compensation between the NHPC and the government.

The public meeting and the investigation trip was participated by representatives from all the North Eastern states including Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 7

An inspection-cum-public meeting was organised today by North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) in Bishnupur district covering Nongmaikhong of Thanga constituency and Ithai barrage of Loktak power project.

The inspection is a follow up to the resolution taken yesterday by the forum and other CVOs at Classic Grande hotel to revoke various memorandum of understanding (MoUs) signed for construction of mega dams in the North Eastern states.

The villagers and eminent leaders of Nongmaikhong said in a public meeting held at the house of its pradhan S. Manglemba that the village has gone through a lot and suffered many losses after the construction of Ithai barrage in 1980.

One of the villagers recalled that they used to be self-sufficient and lived a normal village life having their own agricultural land and fishery farms and survived easily from it. He charged that the loss of villagers was not considered in building this Ithai dam. In the name of giving free electricity, the villagers were tempted to give up their possessions to the demands of the government, he added.

  1. Kundalei, one of the women gathered, complained that the government did not give compensation instead imposed tax for using the water body created by the barrage for electricity. “We don’t want compensation or anything, but we want this barrage and Loktak project to be decommissioned and want our land back,” she said.

Nongmaikhong area has a population of approximately 1200 and is one of the most prone areas of flood and the villagers blamed that it is because of the hydro project near the village.

Budhi Singh, a social worker, said that it is too late to decry for the decommissioning of the barrage, as it is almost 40 years but urged the gathering to cooperate fully in the decommissioning process. He asked if there is any MoU on compensation between the NHPC and the government.

The public meeting and the investigation trip was participated by representatives from all the North Eastern states including Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.

Read more / Original news source: http://www.ifp.co.in/item/3463-decommission-ithai-barrage-cvos-of-northeast