Survey re-run on Tipaimukh

IMPHAL, July 18 Manipur Chief Minister W Nipamacha Singh today said his government has ordered another survey of the proposed Tipaimukh dam to determine its height. A final decision would be taken only after studying the final survey report, he told the Assembly. Earlier, raising the issue, former Chief Minister Rishang Keishing of the Congress said he wanted to know the government's stand on the power project. The government had earlier opposed the dam on the ground that it would submerge large areas of the state. The Chief Minister said Northeastern Electric Power Corporation has been entrusted with the survey of the Tipaimukh project. Government officials are also involved in the survey, he added. "If the dam is going to cause more damage, we will not allow the construction. If the gains are more than losses, we will go ahead," Singh said. On the demand of NEEPCO to provide security protection during its survey work, the Chief Minister said the Centre should shoulder this responsibility. Replying to Keishing's question, power minister Govindas Konthoujam told the Assembly that initially the Brahmaputra River Board was entrusted with the survey work. He said the Brahmaputra board's report had proposed the dam's height at 162. 79 metres. A dam of such a height would submerge large areas in Manipur and Mizoram. Subsequently, the NEEPCO had been entrusted to resurvey the project, he said. The state Assembly had earlier in 1997 opposed the construction of the dam. However, the House reviewed its decision last year but only agreed to another survey of the project. Govindas Konthoujam said the government has asked Neepco to lower the dam's height. He said the government is not opposed to the Tipaimukh project provided it did not affect large parts of the state. The power minister said 12 per cent of the total 1,500 MW power to be generated by the project will be given free of cost to Manipur and Mizoram. The power minister had said the government was officially involved in the construction of the proposed Tipaimukh dam. But the Chief Minister said his government can only agree to its construction after studying the Neepco's survey report. Nipamacha Singh said the previous survey by the Brahmaputra Board had indicated that National Highway 53 (Imphal-Silchar road) would be submerged.