Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today assured the State Government of a thorough assessment of the cumulative impact on downstream Assam by the proposed hydro-electric projects on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh. The assessment will be done by a third party.
The North East Electrical Power Corporation (NEEPCO) had warned the Lakhimpur district administration of any downstream affect of its dam of Ranganadi Power Plant in Yazali, Arunachal Pradesh two years before its released matters devastated North Lakhimpur on June 14, 2008.
Under pressure of the environmentalist groups, Gauhati University has been commissioned to study the downstream impact of the 2000 MW Subansiri (Lower) Hydroelectric Project.
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti has demanded that the Assam Government take immediate steps to ensure that the Government of India and Arunachal Pradesh Government call off the Public Hearings on 3,000 MW Dibang valley and 1,750 MW Demwe Lower (Lohit) projects, which are scheduled to take place in August this year.
In Northeast India, traditional home gardens have been maintained as a part of rural survival over generations, with a complex vegetational structure harbouring diverse types of local plant species with multiple functions.
