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-The Telegraph
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti has rejected an IIT expert’s proposal to use a certain piano key weir technology for the Lower Subansiri power project, basing it rebuttal on its own research on the technology.
Nayan Sarma, head of department of water resources in IIT Roorkee, had proposed use of the technology during a meeting with the state government, members of the expert groups and representatives of the civil society organisations on the Lower Subansiri project in Arunachal Pradesh.
Terming the ongoing official discussion on the issue as a farce, KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said the organisation would immediately file a petition under the Right to Information Act to learn about Sarma’s contribution to using safe technologies in construction of mega dams in the country and abroad.
The KMSS obliquely branded Sarma, who recently proposed the use of piano key weir technology in Lower Subansiri project to do away with the adverse downstream impacts, as a government spokesperson to promote mega dams in the region.
Sarma said the technology helps reduce the reservoir sedimentation and minimises sub-mergence effect compared to the conventional barrage system.
“To know about the piano key weir technology, I wrote to several experts on big dams. The experts have replied that the technology does not address the concerns of adverse downstream impacts of mega dams. It cannot ensure public safety in case of any eventuality or disasters like earthquake for a project like Lower Subansiri,” Gogoi said.
The samiti demanded a marathon round-table conference of civil society groups, politicians, experts, students organisations and prominent citizens to find out a suitable and safe solution to the adverse downstream impacts of the hydel power project.
He said the KMSS has reason to argue that Sarma is selling his ideas rather than proving honestly whether it is safe to use the technology in the project.
“The Tarun Gogoi government is not sincere in addressing the genuine concerns of the anti-dam protesters. The government is holding talks with experts and civil society groups without any transparency. Thus, we demand a round-table conference where everyone will participate and the discussion will be aired live on television so that the people are not kept in the dark,” Gogoi said.
Asked whether the KMSS would participate in the next round of discussions with the government, Gogoi said the possibility is very thin, since chief minister Tarun Gogoi and power minister Pradyut Bordoloi are favouring the big dam lobbies.
Speaking on the concluding day of Mising Agom Kebang (Mising Sahitya Sabha) at Jonai in Dhemaji district, the chief minister said he was convinced that big dams were necessary for the state.
“I believe that big dams will do no harm and they are necessary for the development of Assam. We do not have adequate electricity supply and big dams will help us mitigate this problem. Every village household will have to get electricity supply. That is why I have been insisting on erecting big dams,” said Tarun Gogoi.
“AASU is now opposing construction of big dams. But they supported it earlier,” he said.
The Pradyut Bordoloi-headed group of ministers, which has had held one round of talks each with the anti-dam groups, experts and civil society members, will be hearing out the 26 ethnic and social organisations on January 25.
The AASU has asked Dispur to allow it to participate in the interactions.
Additional reporting by Rajiv Konwar from Dhemaji
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