Organizations take to streets in Lakhimpur district against Subansiri project

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Organizations in Lakhimpur district have once again taken to the streets with serial protest programmes against NHPC and the construction of the controversial Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) set up at Gerukamukh in the Assam-Arunachal border area belonging to Dhemaji district.

According to these protesting organizations, NHPC has secretly continued the construction works of the SLHP taking advantage of the novel coronavirus pandemic and lockdown situation and thereby violated the recommendations of the expert committee, National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court of India. As part of such developments, NHPC passed some vehicles transporting Subansiri dam construction materials through Lakhimpur on Monday which were escorted by police.

Regarding the issue, the activists of the North Lakhimpur regional unit of Veer Lachit Sena, Assam (VLSA) burnt the effigy of NHPC on Tuesday at Lakhimpur Girls' HS School Chariali in North Lakhimpur town. Notably, the Lakhimpur district unit of AASU also burnt NHPC's effigy in connection with the same issue on Monday evening.

Leading the protest programme, North Lakhimpur regional unit VLSA president Nipu Das alleged that the government had hatched a conspiracy to wipe away Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Majuli and Jorhat districts from the map of Assam by completing the construction of SLHP. "Our organization will intensify stir unless the construction work of the controversial dam is stopped," declared the president of the organization.

Reacting to the issue, secretary Adi Dutta stated that police escorting NHPC's material-carrying vehicles was absolutely condemnable. "Our organization has continued close watch on the transportation of SLHP construction materials. If the NHPC keeps on transporting the same with the help of the government and police administration, ignoring the security issue of the Subansiri riverine people, our organization will take to the street with intensified stir along with the public violating the ongoing lockdown," the secretary declared.

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