Fund crunch holds back Tipaimukh dam

Imphal, March 11: Governor Ved Marwah has stated that the Union Ministry of Power is holding back its decision on the proposed Tipaimukh High Dam for a temporary period as the Ministry if facing funding problems. The Governor gave the assurance when environmentalist Salam Rajesh called on him and submitted a representation signed by 26 environmentalists of the NE region today. Marwah also informed that NEEPCO is presently not willing to sign the memorandum of understanding on the dam due to lack of funding support. The representation was prepared during the 6th Consultation on Wild Life Conservation and People's Livelihood Rights jointly organized by Kalparriksh Pune and Nature's Foster and Green Heart Nature Club, Assam at Bongaigaon, Assam from February 23 and 25 last. The representation highlighted the adverse impact of the 105 MW Loktak Hydroelectric Power Project to the Loktak Lake ecosystem and the people residing in the periphery of the lake and the Ithai barrage area which are not curable as of date. It cast a question on the wisdom of the Tipaimukh Dam proposers in selecting the site of the high dam just beyond the sharp south-north curve in Tinaimukh river which is said to be a highly seismic zone with the Taithu fault almost parallel to the selected site. It also said considering the magnitude of the reservoir content of the dam, the environmentalists are concerned of the loss of huge tract of land in Churachandpur and Tamenglong which are rich in biological diversity. The memo asked how the project proposers plan to replace the huge loss of microorganisms, flora and fauna. Stating that the seven NE States and Sikkim constitute one of the major mega biodiversity hotspot zones in the world, it urged the Governor not to spare any effort to prevent the irreparable loss of natural resources of the earth.