'Issue public notice on Siang dams'

HC to Aruchal government

Guwahati, Sept 12: A PIL has been filed in the Gauhati High Court by people belonging to indigenous Adi tribes of Siang Valley who are directly affected by the signing of as many as 232 agreements by the Government of Aruchal Pradesh with various power developers. Nearly fifty of the projects are proposed over the Siang river and its tributaries.

In the PIL, the petitioners have sought an investigation into the expenditure of the non-refundable premium received in crores of rupees by the Aruchal Pradesh government in the over fifty agreements signed with power developers.

A division bench of Chief Justice (acting) K Sreedhar Rao and Justice PK Saikia, responding to the PIL, directed the Aruchal Pradesh government to issue public notification in 2-3 newspapers widely circulated in Aruchal Pradesh and Assam about the pendency of the PIL, giving the gist and contents and the prayer in the petition, so that the general public may be made aware of the problems raised in the petition and those interested may intervene and come on record.

In the PIL, the petitioners identified themselves as members connected to the anti-dam movement and highlighted the alleged misuse of corporate money.

It is contended in the PIL that large numbers of mega-dams without proper assessment of cumulative impact, will displace many people directly by submergence, besides affecting forest resources, rivers, and private and community lands. Reports of HK Gupta and K Rajendran on Himalayan Dams and Seismicity have been enclosed with the PIL.