Public meet held on hydro project

our correspondent

Itagar, May 7: A consultative meeting to gather public opinion on Siang Stage-II Hydro Power Project was held at Jengging in Upper Siang district on Tuesday last where around 500 people from Riga, Pangkang, Karko, Gossang, Ramsing, Bomdo, Janbo, Pugging, Gette, Simong and Komkar villages actively participated and attended the meeting.Power Commissioner and state government representative Kaling Tayeng who was accompanied by Hydro Power Development Chief Engineer Jummer Kamdak with other subordite department officers dwelt at length about the overall scerio and necessity of the proposed dam as a tiol and intertiol issue besides its benefits to the local people and the state government as revenue earning source for which the state government has already signed MoA with NEPCO since few years back.

Tayeng appealed the affected local people to allow the constructing agency NEPCO to start the survey investigation activities soon to know the feasibility of the proposed site of the dam over Siang River at the point down below Komkar village.Earlier Deputy Commissioner, Remo Kamki who presided the entire proceeding of the meeting spoke about the purpose and objective of the meeting and extended welcome to one and all.While the representative speakers of Upper Siang based indigenous farmers forum and East Siang based Siang people’s forum totally opposed both the proposed survey investigation and construction of the dam all the speakers and Gaon Buras representing the respective village unimously opposed any move of constructing the Dam stating that the Governmeny has never consulted local people before signing the MoA with any Company.

They further stated that Siang valley has the highest numbers of agricultural paddy fields and Horticultural cash crop gardens which is incomparable to any other river valleys particularly Dibang, Lohit and Kameng where construction of Hydro Power Project is going on at present.

The people have fear that all their properties lying along either sides of the Siang River are likely to be submerged if the proposed Dam is constructed.Tayeng despite facing protest and opposition from public encouraged and insisted the need of possessing Hydro Project which is the basic source for the all round development.

He appealed the people to avoid misconception and rumors discouraging development and advised them to rethink for the betterment of future generations.