GUWAHATI, April 19 � The All Assam Students� Union (AASU) and the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today raised the demand for making public the report of the Group of Ministers (GoMs) which went into the issue of mega dam projects, including the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project (LSHEP).
The KMSS further said in its statement that the Thatte and Reddy Committee formed by the Planning Commission has submitted its interim report, which has reportedly stated that the construction of the hydel dam projects and the study on their impacts could be carried on simultaneously.
The AASU said in its statement that it had asked the GoM headed by Power Minister of the State Pradyut Bordoloi to hold discussions of national and international experts with local experts, who examined the LSHEP issue.
The AASU had asked the Government to hold such discussions within 100 days or within some definite time period and to keep in abeyance the construction of the LSHEP. It is hence imperative for the Government to make the report of the GoM public so that people can come to know whether the suggestions of the students� bodies and its ally organisations have been taken into consideration by the GoM or not, the students� body said.
The KMSS said that the interim report of the Thatte and Reddy Committee has expressed serious apprehension on certain aspects connected with the LSHEP. It has asked the WAPCO, which prepared the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, to rewrite the dam break part of the report within the next six months.
It has further asked the dam authorities to complete the hydraulic model study of the LHSEP afresh within the next three months and to submit the report of the study on the geological condition of the LSHEP site within next September.
This stand of the Thatte-Reddy Committee has corroborated the stand of the local experts, which said that mega dam projects are not feasible in this part of the country.
The Thatte-Reddy Committee has also asked for a fresh study on the safety aspects of Majuli river island.
