NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Jan 30 - The public sector enterprise National Hydro-electrical Power Corporation will spend Rs 470 crore for river protection, erosion control measures and sustainable developmental works for the downstream areas of Subansiri river in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts. This was stated by NHPC officials in a press meet held in Gerukamukh on Saturday.
Addressing the media, the executive director of NHPC Rakesh said that the work on 10000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro Electrical Plant at Gerukamukh won�t be stopped as demanded by some agitating parties. Terming the anti-dam agitation as meaningless, politically-motivated as well as emotionally-motivated instead of based on scientific reasoning, he said that public is like God for NHPC and NHPC won�t do anything against its God.
Rakesh further said that the proposed dam of 270 metre breadth and 116 meter height would be safe enough to withstand the threat of monsoon spate of the river. The executive director also explained that the LSHEP would bring prosperity and development in the region.
Amaresh Kumar, General Manager of LSHEP, NHPC presented a detailed account of developmental projects taken up by the PSU for the people living in the downstream areas of the river. Out of Rs 470 crore, Rs 320 crore would be spent for sustainable development works on the downstream areas of Subansiri. He said that the NHPC had already engaged the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) for designing and strategising implementation of sustainable livelihood interventions in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts.
Dr Pramod Kumar Singh and Dr Harekrishna Misra, faculty members from IRMA who had conducted Focussed Group Discussion (FGD) and Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) in 125 revenue villages, while interacting with about 7500 villagers said that the identified livelihood schemes would be sericulture, piggery, handloom, plates from arecanut leaves, and IT-enabled services. The NHPC officials also informed that Rs 145 crore would be spent for river protection and erosion control measures and Rs 5 crore for mass awakening and social awareness programmes in the downstream areas of Subansiri river by the PSU.
