NORTH LAKHIMPUR, April 29 - There have been reports of resumption of works at the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project (LSHEP) plant by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) over Subansiri river at Gerukamukh on Lakhimpur-Dhemaji district boundary bordering Arunachal Pradesh. The resumption of works on the dam project is being alleged following the lull in the anti-dam campaign due to the State�s preoccupation on Citizenship Amendment Bill-2016 stir and the Lok Sabha polls. Some organisations associated with the anti-dam movement earlier have been alleged to have made some secret understanding with the LSHEP authorities and the NHPC in allowing the later to restart the construction work.
It may be recalled that the construction of 2000 MW LSHEP dam at Gerukamukh over Subansiri river has been stalled since December, 2011 following state-wide protests against the construction of mega dams. In the following years the constriction works of the river dam were further stopped by intervention by National Green Tribunal and reports by the experts� committee asking certain changes in the designs of the project. But of late the NHPC authorities are alleged to have stealthily continuing construction work on the dam with full concurrence from the Central government.
However, the NHPC has denied all these allegations and said that only other civil works like construction of houses and roads had been done inside the LSHEP premises in Gerukamukh. It is also learnt that many heavy machineries installed at the dam site have been laying in abject decay following prolonged state of non-functioning.
Whatever the developments may be, the reports of resumption of works on NHPC�s LSHEP dam has left people living in the downstream areas of Subansiri area in great worry. As the monsoon is about to set in the residents are in apprehension as the area is very flood and erosion prone. The Subansiri river has moved more than 50 km in the last 25 years causing massive eastward erosion towards North Lakhimpur. The NHPC, in pursuance to the recommendation of Joint Steering Committee and Technical Expert Committee, has taken up river bank protection and erosion control measures along both the banks of the Subansiri up to 30 km downstream of the dam.
