DHEMAJI, June 18 - The State�s leading peasants� organisation, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and the Asom Jatiyotabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) have resumed their ongoing movement against construction activities of 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) at Gerukamukh near the Assam-Arunachal boundary.
The KMSS, Dhemaji district committee joined the State-wide protest on Monday and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the Dhemaji Deputy Commissioner, demanding immediate closure of the mega dam project at Gerukamukh, for the safety of the people living in the downstream areas.
The agitation has restarted in the wake of the Central government�s recent decision to restart mega dam works at Gerukamukh without settlement of the issues pertaining to mitigation policy for the project-affected people living in downstream areas.
The KMSS leaders say that the mega dam project at Gerukamukh would lead to the collapse of the ecosystem and demography of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Majuli districts in downstream Assam. They alleged that the State and Central governments in spite of knowing about the disastrous effects, were adamantly continuing with the project ignoring the people�s problems.
�The expert committee report on cumulative impact of SLHP revealed that the big dam was not constructed at a suitable location while the construction agency� the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)� was not taking proper mitigation policy�, said the KMSS president, Dhemaji district committee, Bhoven Haloi.
It may be recalled that construction work of Gerukamukh project site came to a halt in December 2011 after massive public protest in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. But, the Central government is trying to resume the construction activities at the project site without any settlement of effective mitigation policy for the project-affected people living in downstream Assam.
�We are demanding the authority to close down the mega dam project at Gerukamukh. We will resort to a rigorous movement against the governments and construction agency if our demand is unheard�, the protesters added.
Earlier too, the KMSS and various student unions of Assam had staged a set of protests against the hydro projects in Arunachal rivers.
