Tipaimukhs Hydroelectricity Project:

A boon or curse?

The govt of India has planned to construct a 390 feet long and 500 feet tall dam at the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers in the tri-junction of Manipur, Assam and Mizoram. Target of this hydro-electricity project is to produce 1500 MW electricity per day. Such projects are called multi-purpose river valley projects which also facilitate irrigation, fishery, flood control and employment generation etc . But , since it’s inception , the project has been subjected to severe protest by political parties, social organizations, neighboring country and threat of militant outfits. The government did not genuinely tried to understand the concern of the people , nor made any effort to solve the cause of concern . The govt also failed  in publicizing the positive benefit of this ambitious project to create a favorable public opinion.

Other day, Dr. Rajdeep Roy, BJP leader of Barak Valley made his party’s stand clear on this issue .While appealing to the public to be aware of the negative effects of the project and to organize greater movement against it, he says , “BJP is not in favor of scrapping the project but wants modification to reduce the risk factors and to look into the interest of effected peoples and states. The project will destroy 78 lakh trees, 27,000 Bamboo grooves and endangered species like Dolphins and Tortoise, thus, badly effecting ecology and environment. Accidental damage to the Dam will result into sudden  gigantic water flow at 75 to 100 KM speed per hour at the height of two story buildings over Silchar and Karimganj towns and low lying areas of the valley. Lakhipur areas of the valley will be devasted .The project area falls under seismic zone which experienced 66 times earthquakes in 6.5 Rickter Scale and one time in 8.5 Rickter Scale making the project high risk prone to collapse .Existence of many militant outfits in the area makes the Dam vulnerable to sabotage.” Recently, a militant outfit ,the Revolutionary Peoples Front opposed the project stating that it will submerge hundreds of villages and displace thousand of peoples. The Hmar Students Union and many other social groups protesting against the project.

The lofty Tipaimukh project of the Union Govt is a progressive work, it could have been welcomed if the Govt assured adequate care for it’s safety precautions and provided compensation and rehabilitation to the peoples who are directly as well as indirectly effected by the construction of Dam . The govt of India used it’s brain in considering  the overall developmental prospect of the Dam to the Nation . But the govt has failed to use it’s heart in considering the risk and loses to the sons of the soil who will be affected by the project  . Sons of the soil are those who might lose their lives and property in case of the accident . It is they who will be rendered homeless and their livelihood will be affected by the Dam. Hence the logic dictates , it should be they , who deserve to be the first beneficiary of the project . But, the govt decided otherwise. Only 5% of the electricity will be provided to Manipur at subsidized rate , nothing to Assam whose population will incur maximum losses  . Electricity will be supplied to Bihar, UP and Jharkhand. This way, the protagonist of the project has a justifiable cause which easily gets masses support. The Govt also failed to make wide publicity regarding the positive benefit of the project.

The govt should stress upon the public to develop faith upon the full-proof safety precautions undertaken. Of course, the govt must backup to what it promises .The govt should also announce the compensatory measures undertaken to look into the interest of the effected people. At present adverse publicity and advocacy journalism highlighting only the negative aspects of the project, keeping silent about the positive benefit, is misleading the public. The Govt should guard against it by judicious use of all available mass media projecting the true picture so that adverse publicity do not jeopardize the project and subsequently it should not become a cause for loss of many lives and property due to violent protest movements . Undertaking such a project without making sufficient effort to create a favorable opinion of the effected people, amounts to lack of understanding and concern of the govt to the sentiment and safety of the public. And when such a feeling becomes deep – rooted among the public, the govt should rather scrap the project before the loss of many lives. An option left to the govt is either compensate and convince, or scrap the project. No third option like force implementation will yield positive result.