ACT COMMEMORATES 2 YEARS OF SATYAGRAHA ....Vows to fight on in its struggle against hydel projects in Sikkim

The indefinite hunger strikes that were a part of Satyagraha started by the Affected citizens of Teesta, Sangha of Dzongu and the Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim, to protest against the implementation of numerous destructive mega Hydro electric project in north Sikkim and Dzongu in particular completes its two years on 20th June, 2009.

It was on 20th June, 2009 when three young men affiliated to ACT did something unheard of in Sikkkim. They sat on an indefinite hunger strike to draw attention to the damage that many sanctioned hydel projects would bring to their state. With this, the hydel debate was no more just whispers in the corridors of Tashiling but rather audible in every home around Sikkim. There was both sympathy and apathy but the greatest achivement of this noble act of the young men was to draw awareness among the people of Sikkim and elsewhere on this mass excessive agenda of the government to sanction hydel projects in every breath and corner of Sikkim and the negative environemntal and social impacts it would bring in the very near future.

ACT commemorated this historic day by dedicating the moment to the following personalities whose contribution helped the movement to reach this milestone.

1.Late Comrade Smitu Kothari



ACT's ideologue late Comrade Smitu Kothari, who as the head of the Intercultural resources, New Delhi, provided the intellectual resource to start the ACT movement to fight against all destructive anti-people projects in the state and in the north East.

Smitu Kothari was one of the founders of Lokayan ("Dialogue of the People"), and Intercultural Resources, two centers in Delhi, India promoting exchange between non-party political formations and concerned scholars and other citizens from India and the rest of the world. Trained in physics, communications and sociology, he is involved in ecological, cultural and human rights issues striving to collectively forge a national and global alternative that is socially just and ecologically sane. He had been a visiting Professor at Cornell and Princeton Universities. He was President of the International Group for Grassroots Initiatives and a Contributing Editor of The Ecologist and of Development. He hasd published extensively on critiques of contemporary economic and cultural development, the relationship of nature, culture and democracy, developmental displacement, people’s governance and social movements. Smitu was always a source of inspiration and support to not just people's movements and struggles in India, but also to voices of dissent and alternatives across the globe.

Among the books he has edited are: Voices of Struggle. Social Movements in Asia (2006); Voices of Sanity, In Search of Democratic Space (2002); A Watershed in Global Governance? An Independent Assessment of the World Commission on Dams; The Value of Nature: Ecological Politics in India (2003); Out of the Nuclear Shadow (with Zia Mian, 2001); Rethinking Human Rights: Challenges for Theory and Action (1991); and, The Non-Party Political Process: Uncertain Alternatives (with H. Sethi, 1988); He was currently working on a new book, Ecological Justice: Nature, Culture and Democracy.

Smitu had also been a long time vocal supporter of the struggle of the thousands of adivasis, farmers, labourers, fishworkers, potters and all the project-affected people in the Narmada valley and articulated their concerns at various fora both within India and across continents. He was one of the striving spirits behind the Independent People's Tribunal on the World Bank Group in India held in 2007.

A truly loving person, Smitu continues to be a source of inspiration not just for people's movements and struggles in India, but also to voices of dissent and alternatives across the globe. He was a dear friend to many, a source of tireless inspiration. A leading social and environmental activist in India, and possessed the unique quality to truly bridge the local-global dimensions of our collective social justice movements.

He worked tirelessly against elite-driven development models and was a prominent critic of the policies and practices of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Smitu had also been involved with Bank Information Centre (BIC) since the beginning in 1986 and served on BIC’s Board of Directors since 2006.

ACT members had the opportunity to meet him during his visit to Gangtok with the International Honours Program comprising of students from all over the world.

Smithuji passed away on 23rd march 2009. He is survived by wife and a daughter and left behind a legacy of enormous impact on the people’s movement in free India. The indigenous Lepchas of Sikkim and the world will always remain indebted to him and will carry forth his vision.

2. Late CHUKIE TOPDEN

The ACT and all sister organization paid homage to late Chukie Topden, for her selfless service to fight the cause of the Lepchas and Affected Citizens of North Sikkim. A Social and Environmental activist, Member of SAFE (Sikkim Association for Environment), and a dear friend of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT). She never feared to speak the truth to save Sikkim from the dangers of Environmental degradation and against mega hydel projects threatening our landscape. She will always be remembered and respected for her dedication in highlighting the most pertinent environment and social problems that all Sikkimese people face in these times and in the days to come. Her effort in scrapping the Rathongchu Hydro project will always be remembered by all Sikkimese.

Her contribution in leading the Lepchas of Dzongu in their movement to protect their homeland against the threat of mega projects will always be remembered as the one of the reasons of the success of the Satyagraha.

3. Ren Ongchuck Lepcha

The ACT also thanked and dedicated this day to all their members who fasted for the cause. Special mention has to be made of Ren Ongchuck Lepcha,who fasted continually for 81 days before he was forced to withdraw on popular request due to serious health complications which could have taken his life. They thanked and expressed their appreciation for him on this historic day and dedicated the continuity of the struggle to him.

ACT Writes to Union Environment Minister

The Affected Citizens of Teesta along with major National Level Environment and Social organizations have in a letter to Shri Jairam Ramesh, Hon’ble Minister of State(independent Charge) for Environment, GOI requested that Shri P. Abhraham be removed from the post the Chairman of the Expert Appraisal Committee on river Valley and Hydro Projects. This demand has been placed due to conflict of interest arising out of the fact that Shri P Abhraham is also the Director in many Private companies including Power companies that have received various environmental clearance bypassing objections from civil society Groups.

Further, while on a visit to Sikkim to ascertain the facts on the issue of Environmental scoping of Teesta HEP stage IV, Mr P. Abraham and the committee members stayed at the NHPC complex and enjoyed special hospitality, leading to grant of scoping to the NHPC despite numerous complaints against the company and adverse impact of the mega Project on the environment.

Continuance of such person in very important constitutional post has seriously compromised the very issue of proper Governance and the policies of the Government of India being misused for personal gains.

Since, the rich Bio-Diversity and the indigenous people of Sikkim are seriously affected by the vested interest of such person. The ACT has demanded his removal and review of all the clearance issued during his chairmanship.

Tseten Lepcha,

Vice-President, ACT

PROJECT PROMOTER IS CHAIRING ENVIRONMENT CLEARANCE COMMITTEE

Press Release

PROJECT PROMOTER IS CHAIRING ENVIRONMENT CLEARANCE COMMITTEE

LETTER SENT TO ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: TEST FOR UPAS CLAIMS ON GOVERNANCE

For over two years now, Mr. P Abhraham who is on the Board of several hydropower and dam companies has been chairing the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydropower projects. The committee, set up under the EIA Notification 2006 and EPA 1986, screens proposals for dams and hydropower projects for clearances at various stages. The committee also takes decisions on several very crucial policies governing the clearances for these projects. There is clear conflict of interest here between Abraham’s role as director of companies and as this most crucial regulatory position in the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Over the past two years, there has been at least six occasions when a project of the companies where Abraham is a director has come for clearance before the committee he chairs. This is a completely unacceptable situation and a number of social and environment groups have written to the New Union Environment Minister to remove Abraham from this position, before the next meeting of the committee he chairs happens (it is scheduled for June 15-16, 2009).

Among many other power and dam companies, Abraham is on the Board of Lanco Infratech, GVK Industries Ltd, JSW Energy Ltd, PTC Ltd, Nagarjun Construction and Maharashtra Power Generation Company. Some of the projects from such companies that came up before the EAC that Abraham chairs over the last two years include the 3000 MW Demwe Hydropower project (Arunachal Pradesh), the 76 MW Phata Byung HEP (Uttarakhand), the 76 MW Rambara HEP (Uttarakhand), the 170 MW Bogudiyar-Sirkari Bhyol HEP (Uttarakhand), the 200 MW Mapang Bogudiyar HEP (Uttarakhand) and the 260 MW Kuther HEP (Himachal Pradesh). Abraham has been abstaining from the meetings whenever these projects came up before the EAC, but this is clearly not sufficient.

Moreover, on June 11 Abraham was also appointed on a Ministry of Power Committee “to review slow pace of capacity addition and make recommendations to give much needed push for it†, which again is in conflict with Abraham’s regulatory role as EAC chairman.

The letter that was sent to the Union Environment Minister on June 12, 2009 suggested that besides immediate removal of Abraham from the chair of the EAC on River Valley and Hydropower projects, the Minister needs to review the decisions taken by the EAC in situations of conflict of interests, review the situation of all members of all the EAC committees and also to review the guidelines of appointment of members and chairs of these committees so that such stark misgovernance is not repeated in future and in stead truly independent members are appointed on such committees. These steps are immediately required, even as the minister reviews the larger policy and governance issues. The letter was sent well in time for the minister to postpone the meeting of June 15-16, pending other steps and was sent on behalf of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group, Affected Citizens of Teesta (Sikkim), All Idu Mishmi Students Union (Arunachal Pradesh), Peoples Movement for Subansiri-Brahmaputra Valley (Assam), Gopal Krishna, Waterwatch Alliance and has since been endorsed by the National Alliance for Peoples Movements (NAPM). The letter is copied below.

These instances in fact signifies very serious misgovernance and the steps that the new Environment Minister takes in this regard will also test UPA government’s claims about focus on good governance.

For more details please contact

Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) "cten lepcha" golden_hope@hotmail.com

All Idu Mishmi Students Union (AIMSU)

Peoples Movement for Subansiri-Brahmaputra Valley (PMSBV)

Gopal Krishna, Waterwatch Alliance, krishnagreen@gmail.com

Neeraj Vagholikar, Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group (09822021371) nvagho@gmail.com

Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People (09968242798) ht.sandrp@gmail.com

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LETTER TO UNION ENVIRONMENT MINISTER:

(FOR URGENT ATTENTION)

June 12, 2009

To

Shri Jairam Ramesh

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent Charge),

New Delhi

Jairam54@gmail.com, mosef@nic.in

Subject: Conflict of Interest for EAC Chair for River Valley Projects

Respected Sir,

Let us take this opportunity to congratulate you for becoming the minister for this important ministry and wish you all the success in protecting the country's environment.

We are writing this rather urgent letter, since the subject requires some urgent action from the ministry.

Mr. P. Abraham is the chairman of the Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydropower projects, which plays a critical role in deciding the environmental and social viability of river valley projects and recommending whether to grant or reject clearance to such projects. But Mr. Abraham is also on the board of a number of power companies that are involved in the power sector in general and hydropower in particular, as we describe below. This is a clear conflict of interest and is unacceptable as per basic principles of governance. There have been many instances over the past two years when the projects from the companies on whose board he is have come for clearances before the EAC chaired by him.

Even though he has been in this position for over two years, the ministry has allowed such a situation of conflict of interest to continue, despite knowledge of the situation since information on his direct association with the power companies is publicly available. Mr. Abraham has been continuing to work in this conflict of interest by excusing himself whenever a project of companies where he is on board comes to the committee for clearance (as is apparent from the minutes of the meetings of the EAC uploaded on the MoEF website). But this is clearly not sufficient. The EAC also sets up policies that could turn out to be beneficial to the developers and he is taking environmental decisions related to companies which are potential competitors. His role on the board of these companies could provide them undue insights into the working of the committee and thus provide them an undue advantage during the decision-making process. He can also be significantly influential for other members of the committee, thus even in his absence, the decisions can be influenced, directly or indirectly. Thus we do not think this is an acceptable situation.

As we said above, he has been in this position since April 2007. However, the first meeting that he will chair under your minister ship will be on June 15-16, 2009, early next week. Hence we are urging you to take steps to ensure that this unacceptable situation does not continue under you.

We request you to:

a) Remove Mr. P. Abraham from the chairmanship of the EAC for RV and hydro projects. The EAC meeting scheduled on June 15-16 in the meantime can be postponed.

b) Review the situation for other members of all the committees to ensure that there are no other such instances of conflict of interest.

c) Take this opportunity to also review the criteria of members of EAC to ensure that such conflict of interest does not occur in future and instead, independent persons are on the committees.

d) Review the decisions of the committees where such conflict of interest prevailed even though such members may have abstained during such decisions.

Abraham on Lanco Infratech Board

SEE: http://markets.ft.com/ft/tearsheets/businessProfile.asp?s=5935488

P Abraham is on Board of Directors of Lanco Infratech, which is also involved in Hydro business. On 16 Jan 2008, the EAC recommended EC to Phata Byung HEP by Lanco Infrastructure. (Chair remained absent, but that is not good enough). The minutes noted for this item, “Dr. Bhattacharya chaired the meeting in the absence of the Chairman.†On 16-17 Oct 2008, the EAC considered Rambara H. E. Project (76 MW) by M/s Lanco Hydro Energy Pvt. Ltd for Adequacy of TOR. The Minutes, interestingly said just for this last listed item on agenda of that item (except the customary any other items with permission of chair), “Dr A. K. Bhattacharya chaired the session as Chairman had to leave for some urgent work .

Abraham on GVK Board (SEE: http://www.gvk.com/i/Board%20of%20Directors_revised.pdf)

P Abraham is on Board of Directors of GVK Industries Limited, their project Bogudiyar-Sirkari Bhyol HEP 170 MW and Mapang Bogudiyar HEP 200 MW, both in Uttarakhand, came up for clearance before the EAC on May 14-15, 2009.

Abraham on JSW Energy Limited Board (SEE: http://www.sebi.gov.in/dp/jswdraft.pdf)

He is on JSW Energy Board, as on Jan 2006 and also currently, as per http://jswel.net/, the website of the company. On 20-21 Feb 2008 meeting, the EAC considered the Kuther HEP in Himachal Pradesh for TOR by M/s JSW Energy Ltd. For this item no 2.6, the minutes said, “Dr. B P Das chaired the meeting in the absence of the chairman.†Abraham on other relevant boards He is Chaiman of Maharashtra Power Generation Company. He is on board of Nagarjun Construction company, involved in dam building.

Mr. P. Abraham, is also (complete list including those mentioned above):

I) Director:

a) LANCO

b) GVK Power & Infrastructure Co. Ltd.

c) Maharashtra State Power Generation Co.

d) Futura Polyster Ltd.

e) PTC Ltd. (Which is co promoter of the 3000 MW Demwe HEP, which came up before the EAC on 200208)

f) Flex Industries Ltd.

g) JSW Energy Ltd.

h) Vijay Electricals Ltd.

i) Nagarjuna Construction Co. Ltd.

j) Himalayan Green Energy Pvt. Ltd.

k) Green Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.

II) Member, Audit Committee

a) GVK Power and Infrastructure Co. Ltd.

b) JSW Energy Ltd.

c) Vijay Electricals Ltd.

III) Chairman

a) Investor Grievances Committee of PTC

Abraham on MoP committee to push Power projects Now, just on June 11, 2009, Union Power Minister set up a committee “to review slow pace of capacity addition and make recommendations to give much needed push for it†(FE 120609). The Committee Chaired by Power Minister Shinde includes P. Abraham. This we also see as clear conflict of interest with Abraham's regulatory role in EAC.

We hope you will take urgent and appropriate action. We will look forward to hearing from you.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

Himanshu Thakkar South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, 86-D, AD block, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi 110088

ht.sandrp@gmail.com, www.sandrp.in, Ph: 27484655/ 9968242798

On Behalf of:

South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People (SANDRP)

Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group, "Neeraj Vagholikar" nvagho@gmail.com

Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) "cten lepcha" golden_hope@hotmail.com

All Idu Mishmi Students Union (AIMSU)

Peoples Movement for Subansiri-Brahmaputra Valley (PMSBV)

Gopal Krishna, Waterwatch Alliance, krishnagreen@gmail.com

CENTRAL EMPOWERED COMMITTEE NOTICE TO ACT

CEC WANTS TO KNOW WHY ACT PETITION AGAINST PANAN SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED

The Affected Citizens of Teesta appear to have received a setback in their petition filed with the Central empowered Committee against the Panan hydel project coming up in Dzongu.

Sources now inform that the Central Empowered Committee, where the petition had come up for hearing on 20th May, has in turn issued a show-cause notice to the Affected Citizens of Teesta, the petitioners themselves.

While the ACT has a couple of petitions filed with the CEC, this particular petition which came up hearing specifically concerns the construction and development of Panan hydel project in Dzongu and seeks its cancellation.

The issue of Panan hydro power project and the subsequent protest movement of ACT, has embittered relations between it and the state government to the point of Panan becoming an emotive issue to the protesting Lepchas and a prestige issue issue for the government.

It might be recalled that the Chief Minister had directed that 4 power projects proposed for North District, particularly in the Dzongu area, be scrapped following protests over environmental concerns raised by ACT. Panan was the sole project on which the government decided that it was imperative that it continue in the best interest of the state.

The petition with the CEC was filed by ACT in the year 2005 and seeks direction from the CEC to immediately stay the clearance granted to the project because it was in "violation of Supreme Court Orders".

However, during the hearing on 20th May, the CEC issued notice to the petitioners asking them to take down instructions why the petition should not be dismissed in terms of Supreme Court order.

Sources inform that the petition was reviewed by the members of the Central Empowered Committee which then expressed that ACT petition was against the orders of the Supreme Court"and CEC has no jurisdiction to overrule the Supreme Court."

Infact, The CEC itself was constituted under orders of the Supreme Court. Also present for the hearing were advocates of Himagiri, the Panan hydro project developers. The order of the CEC however does not clarify which Supreme Court order it was referring to.

The primary grievance of ACT against Panan, as also highlighted in their petition, was their contention that it encroached upon the Khangchendzonga National Park and that a portion of encrachment was a part of the Panan project as the developers were undertaking catchment area treatment there.

On the other hand, the State as well as the developers contended that this was not a project component and would be returned after completion of the catchment area treatment. The ACT allegation of violation of Supreme Court orders by the State government and the project developers, has now turned on itself. Other grievances voiced by ACT were influx of outsiders in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu and the resultant dilution of Lepcha culture and heritage and also environment concerns.

The CEC was constituted on 17th September 2002 through a Gazette Notification issued by the Minsitry of Environment and Forests. The CEC has been constituted as an Authority under the provision of Sub section(3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 in pursuance of the orders of the Supreme Court dated 9-52002 and 9-9-2002 in W.P. 202/95 and 171/96 for a period of five years. The CEC's broad task is to monitor and ensure the compliance of the orders of the Supreme Court concerning the subject matter of forest and wildlife and other issues arising out of the said order. The CEC comprises of 5 members representing government and NGO.

source: Sikkim Now!

AFTERMATH OF CYCLONE AILA.................

The Above Pictures are of Rangpo River

Teesta Stage V

Heavy monsoon rain has inundated the Teesta Stage V hydel project dam in Sikkim with more silt than what the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) was prepared for, leading to suspension of power generation, officials said Thursday.

Heavy rain during the past week has also led to river Teesta breaching its bank at the dam site in Dikchu, 50 km from here, almost washing away the NHPC office located there.

Chief Engineer G.P. Maurya said: 'The remaining portion of the office is precariously perched and officials have shifted to the guest house at the top of the dam which is now being used as a temporary office.'

The office has lost most of its foundation with the crate walls washed away and the entire parking lot submerged by the river water.

Power generation at the dam was stopped at 2 a.m. May 27 due to heavy siltation jamming the machinery. The amount of silt coming down the river went up 10 times to 5,000-6,000 particles per minute from the normal levels of 500-600.

NHPC officials said it would take two-three days to clear the clogged silt and bring the machines back into operation.

The officials said that the loss incurred by the state-run NHPC would amount to nearly Rs.2 crore (Rs.20 million) per day.

All five sluice gates of the dam were opened Monday to let out the water which was attaining dangerous heights in the reservoir.

The water level at the reservoir rose to nearly 590 metres Tuesday from the normal 575 metres submerging all the three height reading pillars, Maurya said.

NHPC contractor Naresh Chettri, whose individual losses in damages and washed away machinery runs into crores of rupees, said the water flow suddenly increased from 300 umecs on Monday to 1,800 cumecs Tuesday, sweeping away the equipment he maintained at the site.

Teesta Low Dams

Besides, The swelling river waters have caused immense damage to stages III and IV of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s under-construction Teesta Low Dam Project (TLDP).

Between the two projects, the TLDP IV at Kalijhora has been hit worst by heavy rain induced by Cyclone Aila. NHPC officials said permanent constructions like powerhouse and dam and heavy machinery have been destroyed at Stage IV on the Teesta.

At Reang, where Stage III is located, it was temporary constructions that had borne the brunt of the rising river.

While the distance to Reang from here is about 25km, Kalijhora is further 15km away.

S.K. Modhak, the project manager of Hindustan Construction Company, which is executing the civil construction at Stage IV, said his area of operation alone had suffered a direct loss of Rs 20 crore and a indirect loss of Rs 35 crore after the Teesta had submerged a large portion of the site.

Modhak said the project, which was to have been commissioned by December 2010, had been pushed back by at least six months, if no other I impediment was caused to the work by rains. “The construction was designed to handle 5,000 cusec of water, but the volume of water rose to as high as 10,000 cusec in the past few days.”

The gushing waters swept away a Bailey bridge and caused extensive damage to the slopes on either bank of the river at Stage IV. “The water that has entered the dam and power house will have to be pumped out and the accumulated slush removed,” he said.

Teesta Stage VI - Lanco Power Project

An iron suspension bridge of Lanco Energy Pvt Ltd located at Tarkhola Power House site of the Teesta Stage VI power project collapsed triggered by heavy rains that continued for over 24 hours.

Talking to media persons, power project developers said the company has lost property worth Rs 1 crore and 85 lakhs approximately of the 500 MW project due to recent rains including heavy damage caused to the new RCC bridge foundation post and protective walls at the same area. Officials also cited the washing away of the bridge due to rise in the flow of Bhusuk River and Teesta River. Both the rivers when joined at Singtam rose up to 6 ft, they said. The officials added that the water level was raised around 2.5 ft above the suspension bridge and still was flowing above danger level. People living in and around Singtam also fear that the rising water may hit their houses if rains continue for a longer time. The road to Mangan via Dikchu Singtam was also closed for more than two hours this morning at Alaichi Khola following minor landslides in the stretch.

Both the bridges were being constructed by a local contractor, MP Agarwal from Namchi, South Sikkim.
The permanent steel bridge of the Lanco power project at Tarkhola was under construction when it was battered by the river Teesta yesterday and suffered damages worth Rs. 2.5 crores.
Not only the bridge suffered extensive damages, the river Teesta at its furious best swept away the machinery parts, tools and parts of the bridge. The under construction Lanco power project also suffered great damages.
Apart from the Tarkhola project bridge, the flash floods also caused extensive damages at the construction site of a permanent steel bridge at Goskhan Dara near Singtam. All the construction materials at the site were washed away, it is informed.

Source: The Telegraph, Voice of Sikkim, Sikkim Express

http://www.telegraphindia.com, http://www.voiceofsikkim.com, www.sikkimexpress.com

CAG AUDITORS STUDY SIKKIM’S HYDEL PLANS AND PROCESS

Gangtok - May 14 -

Hydel projects, 27 of which have been awarded in the past few years, are a contentious issue in Sikkim and now aspects concerning the construction and execution of hydro-electric projects have attracted the attention of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s office here in the state. It is learnt that the Accountant General’s office is presently engaged in the preparation of a report on the development of hydel power projects in the state.

Sources inform that the CAG office has been in the process of preparing a comprehensive report on the subject for the past few months. This report, apart from being exhaustive, will also be a review of the policy of the state government on the development of hydel projects.

The report will largely concern the involvement and interest of private participants in the power sector in Sikkim. The decision to prepare such a comprehensive report on power projects in Sikkim was largely prompted with the acquiring of certain information by the CAG office, it is learnt. Besides this was also due to the noticeable impact it was having in the socio-politi

cal characteristic of the state particularly in the light of the protests raised by the public in North Sikkim. On the other hand, the expected economic impact that such projects may affect is also the part of the reason for such a report by CAG.

The CAG will be studying the selection process of the private players with whom memorandums of understanding have been signed by the State government for the development of power projects. In this regard, the report will study the capability of the private players for power development, as well as the level of transparency followed in awarding hydel projects to them.

The terms of agreement will also be studied clause by clause especially in whose favour the terms point towards. Besides, the report will also include a study of the objectives of the State government through hydel power development that can be achieved , economically and socially, through such hydel power development. Not to be left out will be the implications of the development of this sector along with recommendations to the State government which the latter can use for streamlining its policy as well as execution of the projects and also to help achieve its objectives.

All this will be done taking into consideration the process of development of power projects in other states, including their context and other similar parameters.

It may be recalled that the Power & Energy Department is already preparing a White Paper on the development of power projects in Sikkim, a task task that has been enthrusted to a public sector agency in Noida. This White Paper is also being prepared along similar lines with almost the same issue and is expected to to be handed over to the State government within the next few days.

source: Sikkim Now!

Ecowarrior Chokiela Topden - Obituary written by Vibha Arora and published in Down to Earth magazine

Teesta IV, last nail in the river’s coffin?

An expert committee of the Central Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) is currently on a visit to Sikkim. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley & Hydroelectric projects evaluates applications for environmental clearance of dams in the country and is here related to two hydroelectric projects in Sikkim – 520 MW Teesta IV and 66 MW Rangit II. On April 20, it conducted a field visit to the site of the proposed 520 MW Teesta IV project. On April 21, it will meet in the NHPC Conference Room in Singtam for its monthly meeting which usually takes place in New Delhi. On the Agenda is a discussion on the ‘Scoping’ of the 520 MW Teesta IV project, appraisal for environmental clearance of the 66 MW Rangit II project and a discussion on river water flow.

What exactly is ‘Scoping’ mentioned above with respect to the 520 MW Teesta IV project? Under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006, development projects and activities which require environmental clearance are categorized as Category A and B. Category A projects are evaluated for environmental clearance by the MoEF in New Delhi and Category B projects by a State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) constituted by the Central Government at the state level. As far as hydroelectric projects are concerned, projects greater than or equal to 50 MW are Category A projects. Projects which are greater than or equal to 25 MW and less than 50 MW are Category B projects. Category A projects (such as Teesta IV and Rangit II) need to go through a 3 stage process for environmental clearance – Scoping, Public Consultation and Appraisal. ‘Scoping’ stage is the first stage evaluation of the project wherein the EAC may give detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) for conduct of EIA studies for the project and a clearance for pre-construction activities such as conduct of various investigations and studies. However, if the site is felt to be inappropriate on environmental and social grounds, the MoEF based on recommendations of the EAC can reject the project at this stage itself. The EAC may choose to conduct a site visit in order to give its recommendations, which is what the EAC on River Valley & Hydroelectric projects has done for the 520 MW Teesta IV project on April 20th. They will now meet today to discuss the future of the Teesta IV project.

The ongoing marathon protests of the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) have highlighted the many socio-cultural and environmental concerns associated with the development of a juggernaut of mega dams in the state in general and Dzongu in particular. With Sikkim’s ambitious plans to harness the hydroelectric potential of the Teesta river basin through a mega plumbing exercise involving a maze of dams and tunnels criss-crossing the entire state’s landscape (see map), the question which comes to ones mind is: Will the Teesta be allowed to flow free in any stretch of the river at all? For a while let’s keep aside the many tributaries and focus on the main stem of the Teesta river, formed after the Lachung Chu and Lachen Chu join near Chungthang. At least four consecutive mega hydroelectric projects are planned on the main Teesta in Sikkim in the stretch from Chungthang to where the river enters North Bengal. These are the 1200 MW Teesta III, 520 MW Teesta IV, 510 MW Teesta V and 500 MW Teesta VI. All these so called 'run-of-the-river' hydroelectric projects involve the construction of large dams which divert the river waters through long tunnels, before the water is dropped back into the river at a downstream location after passing through a powerhouse. The long tunnels ensure that long stretches of the river are bypassed for each project, for example 23 km. of the river is bypassed for the already commissioned Teesta V project. In the winter months 85-90% of the river flow will be diverted through the tunnels. Throughout the year the river will be in full flow only in very brief stretches between two consecutive hydropower projects. The MoEF based on the recommendations of the EAC has already granted environmental clearance to three out of the four projects referred to above in the past – 1200 MW Teesta III, 510 MW Teesta V and 500 MW Teesta VI. Teesta III & VI are under construction while Teesta V is already commissioned.


The three under construction or commissioned projects (Teesta III, Teesta V, and Teesta VI) will directly impact at least 71 km. of the main Teesta river. This includes 63 km. due to bypassed stretches of the river in which the flow will be minimal and at least 7.6 km being the cumulative length of the reservoirs in the main Teesta river (not including the reservoir length along some of the tributaries). If the Teesta IV project is allowed to come up, an additional 12.12 km (7.75 km bypassed stretch of the river and 4.37 km being length of the reservoir), the last free stretch of the main Teesta river in the upper reaches, will be destroyed. Totally around 83 km of the river will be directly (and seriously) impacted in Sikkim. The only stretch of the river which will be able to flow free is downstream of the Teesta VI project, a major portion of which flows along the Sikkim – West Bengal border. It is absolutely important that the last remaining stretch of the main Teesta river in its upper reaches in Sikkim (between the Teesta III and Teesta V projects) is allowed to flow unfettered to respect both the ecological and cultural heritage of a river which is closely associated with the identity of Sikkim. The only way this can happen is if the Teesta IV project is scrapped. Counter arguments are being made that a little over 20% of the lean season flow will be there in the bypassed stretch of the Teesta IV project (between dam and powerhouse) due to releases from the dam and incremental additions by other tributaries. But when the ecological integrity of the main Teesta river has already been compromised to such a large extent in Sikkim by the three existing mega projects, we need to allow full (100%) flow at least in this stretch of the river between Teesta III and Teesta V.

It is to be seen if the EAC will allow the last remaining stretch of the main Teesta river in Sikkim between the Teesta III and Teesta V project to flow free. It does not require the conduct of further impact assessment studies to realise that the coming of the Teesta IV project will be the final nail in the coffin of the main Teesta river in Sikkim, since the other three mega projects mentioned above are already commissioned or under development. The Teesta IV project should therefore be scrapped at the ‘Scoping’ stage itself because of the above mentioned reasons. It is certainly not unreasonable for citizens of the state and rest of the country to expect that at least some stretches of the main Teesta river in Sikkim are allowed to flow free.

There are many diverse issues associated with the pending decision on Teesta IV, but for the sake of this piece, I have focused on one of the key issues: Can the Teesta be allowed to flow free in at least the stretch of the river between Teesta III & V? ACT has led a remarkable struggle to raise these issues until now. But its time for other citizens of the state to answer a question about a river so closely associated with the identity of Sikkim: Are we going to simply watch as the last nail is hammered into the river’s coffin?


source: Sikkim Express

DAM BURST AT CHUJACHEN HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PROJECT IN EAST SIKKIM

Flashflood inside tunnel and partial dam burst at Gati Infrastructure’s 99 MW Chujachen hydro project claims ten labourers

Ten labourers working inside a tunnel of the 99 MW Chuchajen hydro electric power project being developed by Gati Infrastructure were killed when water overflowing from the Rongli river flooded the tunnel yesterday night here at Chuchajen in East Sikkim.

A coffer concrete gravity dam being constructed was also partly swept away by the surge on the Rangpo/Rongli river a tributary of the river Teesta being developed by Gati Infrastructure Limited at Lamaten in the vicinity of Chujachen village under Rongli sub division in east Sikkim last night. The coffer dam is coming up at Lamaten, 10 kilometres from Chujachen. The labourers were working on the night shift it has been informed.

According to official reports heavy rains flooded the catchment area with the force of the water flooding into the 120 metre long Adit III tunnel of the power project due to a flash flood triggered by heavy rainfall in the catchment area Tsomgo Lake, the source of Rangpo river, B. K Khabrani, the general manager of the Gati power project said.

Officials inform ten labourers were washed away in the flash flood which occurred at around 9:30 pm yesterday night, the water levels rose alarmingly high over the temporary coffer dam built near the Adit 3 tunnel. The water swelled above the 19 m coffer dam and could not be rapidly discharged by the adjoining diversion tunnel.

Finding no outlet, the water then recoiled back and surged into the Adit 3 tunnel where 18 labourers were engaged in night shit to drill the tunnel. Out of them, 8 were inside the tunnel while ten were outside the tunnel, police officials overseeing the restoration works at the damaged spot informed sources.

The labourers outside the tunnel saw the danger and fled barring two who went inside to alert the 8 others working inside the 1.1 km tunnel. However, none returned back and there is zero possibility that none of the 10 labourers may have survived, admitted the police and the project officials. Whiule the names of the labourers are yet to be revealed it has been learnt that most of them belonged to West Bengal.

Presently the works are on to pump out the water from the Adit 3 tunnel to recover and fish out the bodies. The flash flood also swept away the coffer tunnel along with other
machines and vehicles in the site. 8 persons have died in separate incidents in the project site last year.

This has taken back our project schedule by another 3 months, Khabrani said. he said the damages caused by the flash flood is being assessed and could run into several crores.
“However, at the moment our main focus is to find those inside the tunnel”, he added.
Sub divisional police officer of Rongli, R. K Sundas said that a case has been registered against the project developers. Investigations will be carried out to find out whether any negligence is there on the part of the project developers, he said.

The Chujachen project a run of the river hydroelectric power project is about 60 Kms from Gangtok and has two interconnected reservoirs with an installed capacity of 99MW.
The Rangpo river is a major tributary of the Teesta river. The project has two intakes each with a storage reservoir and headrace tunnel each joining together to a common headrace tunnel, an underground surge shaft, a surface penstock and open air powerhouse with two units and an outdoor switchyard.

The construction of the coffer dam and the tunnels were entrusted to Coastal Energy a construction company by GATI it has been learnt Chief minister Pawan Chamling had laid the foundation Stone for the Chujachen HEPP in February 2007, and speedy implementation of the project was being undertaken by GATI Infrastructure a unit of the
cargo express company and was expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Gati Infrastructure had entered into an agreement with the Sikkim Power Development Corporation (SPDC) Limited, a Government of Sikkim undertaking and Goverment of Sikkim for development and implementation of three hydro projects out of which one of the one is the Chujachen project on a Build, Operate, Own and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement at a cost of Rs. 625 crores. Sikkim was to get 12 per cent free power from the project and was to be transferred back to the state government after 35 years. The project would sell its power at Rs 2.20 a unit via a 132kvA transmission line to be built by the state.

Source: The Telegraph

(The tunnel where the unfortunate incident took place)

(Rescue operation underway)

CONDOLENCE MESSAGE

AFFECTED CITIZENS OF TEESTA

BL house,Gangtok,Sikkim.

Dated: 10th April 2009

PRESS RELEASE

A condolence meeting was held at BL house on the 9^th of April to mourn the sad and untimely demise of Ms Chukie Topden, Shri Tashi Tobden, Shri T W Barfungpa, Mrs Cherryla Namgyal and Prakash Gurung. Prayers were offered for the departed souls by renowned Lepcha Bongthing Ren ST Simick from Kalimpong followed by two minutes of silence.

The meeting was attended By Shri Langsoong Tamsaang, President of All India Indigenous Lepcha Tribe Association (apex body of all Lepcha association in the Darjeeling hills ,Bhutan and Nepal) and senior representatives of the Association, Shri Athup Lepcha, President and executive members of ACT, Gyatso Lepcha, President CLOS, and Members of Sangha of Dzongu. The meeting had put on record that:

“The Tragic accident has snatched away from us the Pillars of Sikkimese society, whose selfless contribution toward the welfare of the down trodden and marginalized sections of Society had contributed tremendously to help them live a life of Dignity and security in their own Homeland. The Lepchas of the world will always remain grateful to Ms Chukie Tobden for her love and selfless support to the aborigines of the sub Himalayan region in their historic struggle against the threat of complete marginalization. Chukiela gave hope and direction to the young Lepchas of Dzongu who had ventured out from their traditional villages to the capital of Sikkim and India to seek justice and protect the cradle of their Civilization. Her Firebrand leadership and images of extreme hardship that she endured will be remembered for all times to come.”

Shri Tashi Tobden personified a Modern intellectual yet deeply Traditional person . His contribution in maintaining the core values of Sikkim and the Sikkimese people can never be replicated. Shri TW Barfungpa, was the pride of Sikkim, the only person who could have been the Union Cabinet Secretary. His tenure in remote North Sikkim as DDO and DC is Legendary and was one of the finest young officers, Due to which the People in North still call him DC Yapla even after many years he had left the region.

Cherryla Namgyal as an officer in the Social Welfare Advisory Board had in her own way helped numerous social organization to make life better for the deprived sections so the society. She was always ready to help and motivate social workers in the state to deliver to the masses the National vision of development and social justice.

The Affected Citizens of Teesta and the Lepchas pray to almighty to give strength to the bereaved families to bear with the irreparable loss and thank them for the continued support they had rendered to the departed souls in their service to Sikkim and humanity”

Tseten Lepcha

Vice-President

ACT

ACT reiterates its ‘apolitical’ stand We will not participate in any political activity: ACT

Stating that its 642 days odd struggle against the ‘destructive’ mega hdyel power projects in North Sikkim has now become a ‘symbol against the might of the political, bureaucratic and corporate power’, Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) today reiterated its stand as an apolitical organization.

“The success of the movement has been attributed to the sincere dedication of the youths, non-political stand of the organization and overwhelming love and support from all sections of the Sikkimese society. Under the circumstance, ACT has resolved that it will continue with the chosen path and never succumb to the lure of power or short term gain”, said ACT chief coordinator Tseten Lepcha in a press meet today here at BL House.

“ACT will not participate in any political activity and the members of the executive committee will not contest the election or directly participate in any political activity”, said Mr. Lepcha.

However, ACT has allowed its members to exercise their democratic right by choosing any political party or organization.

Meanwhile, ACT has slammed the State land revenue department for ‘not having any Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) policies’ for Sikkim and for hydro-electric projects particularly for the Teesta Stage III project.

“The department has no clue and there are no State and District level R&R committees. In a RTI reply, the department as stated that they do no even know about the existence of the NGO Bhavishya Bharat which has been entrusted with relief and rehabilitation works for Teesta Stage III, after huge sum of money has been transferred to it”, said the ACT chief coordinator. He added that Teesta Urja had showered flower petals over Singhik secondary school in North Sikkim some time back during the annual function.

“This extravaganza has been included in the local area developmental schemes. Can such activities be considered as a developmental activity in the State where we have many families who have difficult time earning two square meals a day?”, questioned Mr. Lepcha. He demanded that the Bhavishya Bharat NGO should be stopped from carrying R&R works and reputed local or national NGOs should be selected to undertake the activities.

The ACT chief coordinator also alleged that the project level monitoring committee is ‘filled with people who are supporters of the power project committee’. No independent persons having knowledge about the project and R&R are in the committee, under such situation how can proper monitoring be done? he questioned.

Mr. Lepcha further claimed that the ‘deliberate non fulfillment of equity share (26 percent) by the State government’ has more or less rendered the 1200 MW Teesta Urja power project as a ‘private project’ and cease to be a joint venture with no control by the State government. If such happens then it will result in huge losses for the State of Sikkim and also means that the people will lose all rights over the project which is being built by exploiting the vast natural resources of the State, he said.

source:Sikkim Express

BAIL GRANTED TO JAILED ACT ACTIVISTS............

40 members of AFFECTED CITIZENS OF TEESTA,CONCERNED LEPCHAS OF SIKKIM AND SANGA OF DZONGU, arrested on 7th Feb 2009 were granted bail by the Hon’ble District.& Sessions Judge(E/N) on the 9th of March 2009 .

The bail petition was filed by Ld counsels Ms Karma Yangchen, Ms Neeru Sharma and Ms Bandana Pradhan on the 28th of Feb2009 and the hearing was taken up on the 7th of March and the order passed on the 9th of March. The bail petition was taken up Sr Advocate Shri K. T Bhutia.

All 40 arrested which included 7 ladies and some students were then released from the State Jail in the evening. A rousing reception was held at the BL House to welcome all of them back.

The Bail was granted with many conditions which include Rs 50,000 /- bond and a reliable surety each, that the accused shall not visit any dam site in Dzongu region that the accused will not participate in unlawful assembly etc.

The ACT and all members welcome the judgment of the Hon’ble District and Sessions court and express complete faith in the Judiciary.

Meanwhile, 6 more innocent student/youths from Dzongu have been detained and questioned for another incident where more properties of the power developers were destroyed. Since, most of the accused are students and under aged they have not been kept overnight but made to report almost everyday on their own expenses. Further indiscriminate questioning of student has been reported.

ACT ha condemned the arbitrarily arrest/detention of the Lepchas.

ACT Activists still in Rongyek Jail, ACT files bail petiton in Court, support gathers for ACT

Three underage students had been arrested by North district police along with 40 other members of ACT in the recent incident of protesting at Rongyong dam site of the proposed 280 MW Panan hydel power project near Lingzya. The underage members had been forwarded to Juvenile Home while other members have been sent to judicial custody at Rongyek Jail.

Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) later submitted bail applications for the three of its underage members in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate here at Gangtok which was granted with certain conditions.

Meanwhile, ACT has also finally decided to seek bail for its 40 arrested members under judicial custody presently lodged in Rongyek Jail. Senior advocate of the Sikkim High Court, Shri KT Bhutia will appeal on behalf of Act. The Bail application was filed in the court of the Hon’ble Session Judge on 28th feb 2009 and is scheduled for hearing on the 7th of March 2009.

Dawa Lepcha, Tenzing Lepcha who sat on 2 indefinte hunger strikes in the past for 63 days earlier and 96 days are also part of the 40 members of ACT currently under judicial custody.

ACT also said that a meeting of the Delhi solidarity group for the ACT and the Central Planning commission was held on the 27th of Feb2009,at Yojana Bhavan, New Delhi. The Planning commission was represented by Dr Kirit S.Parikh, Ms Shayeeda Hameed, Mr Surya P Seti and Mr SM Brohmo Choudary(director SP-NE). In the meeting it was conveyed to the Group that the Planning commission has taken serious note of the concerns of environmental degradation due to Hydel Projects in North Sikkim with the State Government during the annual plan meeting. The Secretary Planning commission had stressed for the need of a legally sound arrangement. An Interministrial Group involving planning commission, Law, Power and Environment and Forest is to be formed to look in to the issues and suggest how best the state should go about ahead in the matter.

The Planning commission is in the process of forming the interministrial group and writing to various related department particularly the Central Electricity Authority and the MOEF. The ACT and the solidarity group will call on the Planning commission very soon to pursue the above matter.

ACT earlier also took up the issue of ‘arbitrary arrests’ of its members with UNO under UN declaration on the rights of indigenous people. The body has also approached national and international level support groups to file direct complaints.
“Further, Human Right Group has been requested to help the organization to fight against the continuous subjugation of the Indigenous Tribes in Sikkim”, stated ACT in a press release.

ACT also stood by its stand that the Panan power project developers were engaging in illegal activities at Dzongu. It said that Sikkim Power Development Corporation (SPDC) had initiated the land acquisition in Dzongu on behalf of Himagiri company for the Panan power project as per a government notification dated 1-6-2007.

“However, according to another notification dated 24-6-2008, the above notification had lapsed on 1-6-2008 and as such the proper process of land acquisition has not been completed by the District Collector and so the physical occupation of landed property in Dzongu by Himagri Hydro Energy Pvt ltd is violating the law under section 447 of IPC and also violating the provisions of the notification No-3069 dated 24-3-1958 and 665/PS dated 27-9-1954”, said ACT.

“However, after the first meeting, the State government never bothered to call for talks nor reported to the organization about the decision of the Govt on the discussion held in that meeting. ACT therefore believes that the government of Sikkim is not interested in the welfare of people nor upholds the democratic values of the country. This is neglecting the voices of the indigenous aborigines of the State, ” says ACT

ACT also filed an FIR in Mangan police station in this regard to take action against the general manager of the Himagiri Hydro Energy Ltd and other companies working in Dzongu ‘for the violation of the above old laws’.

Meanwhile, Sikkim National Peoples Party headed by Biraj Adhikari and Diley Namgyal Kazi and three members of All Sikkim Educated Self Employed and Unemployed Association (ASESEUA) TB Rai, Navin Kiran and Hem Kumar Pradhan
sat on a 12 hour hunger strike here at BL House premises to highlight its demands and to express its support to ACT who has already crossed 600 days of relay hunger strike against the proposed mega power projects in Dzongu and for ‘protection of Article 371 F’ and ‘immediate release of arrested ACT activists’.

Justifying the direct action of ACT and comparing it to the justification given by Mr. B. S Das, the then Administrator of Sikkim in 1973, BS Das had shielded the pro-democracy forces from police action who did not take police action against the large scale looting of police stations in 1973 by pro-democracy forces with the following words – ‘Even the law makes a distinction between legitimate illegal action and illegitimate illegal action where political issues are involved. You should not go by the book when moral issues are involved as the book has no answer to them’. , said Mr. Adikhari.

Now after 36 years since Mr. Das had first used the ‘legitimate illegal action’ rationalization, the SNPP president said that the actions taken by ACT cannot be considered illegal as there is a precedent in Sikkim of such incidents which were justified as political issues and considered legal.

“Accordingly, the party feels that the actions of ACT was a ‘legitimate illegal action’ and demands immediate and unconditional release of the arrested youths because if the logic could be justified for the sake of association of Union of India, then the same logic should be applied to the defenders of the provisions of the same association and the high ideals and foresight of our elders, as enshrined in the Constitution of India”, said Mr. Adikhari in a press meet today.

He also added that “ The people have to realize that Dzongu is the most protected area in Sikkim and if such stringent provisions are violated with such impunity then there is no stopping these exploitative forces in future and if Dzongu looses, then Sikkim would have lost its soul.”

Also speaking to reporters, the party treasurer Diley Namgyal Kazi asserted that nothing beneficial will come for Sikkim and Sikkimese people from the slew of ‘unplanned mega power projects’ in the State. Expressing his objections to the manner in which the mega power projects are being implemented in Sikkim, Mr. Kazi said the MoUs signed between the Sikkim government and power developers ‘is not benefiting’ the Sikkimese people. “We are against the mega power projects. What are the Sikkimese people getting from these projects? I remember the announcement that Sikkim will be lighted like a Christmas tree when Legship power project was done. What happened to this?”, said Mr. Kazi. The projects, especially those planned for Dzongu, have violated Revenue Order No. 1 and Article 371 F, he added.

Speaking to media, All Sikkim Educated Self Employed and Unemployed Association (ASESEUA) said that Article 371 F must be protected at any costs. They also said that there should an immediate release of the jailed ACT activists.

“The unlimited power projects coming to Sikkim will make Sikkim people landless. Hydel power is good but the projects should be of limited number. The present unlimited project companies will not serve any good to Sikkim as there is no such capacity in the rivers of Sikkim”, said Mr. Rai.

They further said that the power projects in Dzongu, North Sikkim will encourage influx and put the Lepchas of Dzongu under threat. The government says employment will be generated with this power projects but has there been such employment in the NHPC Teesta Stage V project, said Mr. Rai. Similar future awaits the Lepchas of Dzongu, he added. They also made it clear that ASESEUA members do not belong to any political party. We are opposing the bad polices of the State government but we don’t belong to any political party, he said.

Meanwhile ACT also demanded the North district administration to take actions against the project developer Himagiri Hydro Energy Pvt. Ltd on ‘Article 371 K violation’ grounds.

In a memorandum submitted to DC (North) on February 16, ACT president Athup Lepcha has demanded the administration to impound the non-indigenous permits issued to the company agent Shekhar Gupta and others to enter Dzongu in order to maintain law and order situation in Dzongu.

Reminding the DC about the provisions of notifications no. 3069/O.S dated 24.3.1958 and 665/P.S. dated 27.9.1954 read with Articles 371 F (k) and 19 (5) of the Constitution of India, the ACT has also demanded the ‘no non-indigenous permits to enter Dzongu be issued to the agents/ workers/ labourers of the company unless and until M/s Himagiri Hydro Energy Pvt. Ltd owns or possesses private lands acquired or purchased from the indigenous people of Dzongu’.

Without owning or possessing lands in Dzongu the companies or their agents cannot carry on any business or occupation in Dzongu without non-indigenous permit obtained from the authorities, ACT said.

Mr. Gupta and all other non indigenous persons engaged by him to work in Lingzya, Dzongu must be ordered to remove themselves out of Dzongu unless and until the private land are acquired according to the Land Acquisition Act 1894 and leased out to M/s Himagiri Hydro Energy Pvt. Ltd, ACT further demanded.

ACT reminded the DC (North) that it was Mr. Gupta who in his FIR against ACT members had mentioned that the State government has allotted the Panan project to Himagiri company. But he should know the fact that State government has not allotted any land to his company so far and no private lands have been acquired by his company so far, ACT said.

“The ACT does not want the peace, social harmony and security of Dzongu to be disturbed by the illegal entry and presence of non indigenous people in the region”, Mr. Lepcha said. He further informed that ACT has appealed against environmental clearance given to Himagiri company by Ministry of Environment and Forests and the appeal is still pending with the Central Empowered Committee in New Delhi.
Regarding the FIR of Mr. Gupta over the explosives dumped into the river by ACT members, the body president said that the complainant knew very well that the ACT members have been agitating and protesting against Himagiri company.

“In such situation and circumstances he should not be handling such dangerous materials negligently or carelessly. He himself must take the responsibility”, said Mr. Lepcha. The ACT does not want any company to setup stocks or stores of explosives and detonators in Dzongu, he added.

The ACT president also demanded the DC (North) to direct Mr. Gupta to ‘produce the full account of the explosives and detonators received from his suppliers, the explosives and detonators that have been used at the worksite and the remainder in the stores and thrown into the river, otherwise the ACT has the right to suspect that Mr. Gupta and the companies mentioned in the FIR must be having links with the terrorist or the terrorist organizations in the country or abroad’.

“The environment clearance has a special and specific prohibitive condition that the labour and staff colonies should not be set up within the Dzongu region by M/s Himagiri Hydro Energy Pvt. Ltd. No private lands should be acquired for the colonies by the state government within the Dzongu region”, said ACT president.

Meanwhile at least nine organisations ACT had written to the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and Home Minister of India requesting them to release all 40 Lepcha activists from Sikkim jail. Members of Lepcha Association, New Delhi, All India Indigenous Lepcha Tribe Association, South Asia Network on Dam, Rivers & People, National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers, Intercultural Resources, Kalpavriksh, Focus on the Global South and Hazards Centre have also requested the leaders at the Centre to scrap all the remaining projects in Dzongu.

The signatories also requested the leaders to positively respond to the peaceful struggle of the Lepcha community in Sikkim in right earnest. A copy of the letter was also sent to Governor of Sikkim, Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary.
ACT chief coordinator Tseten Lepcha also mentioned that the meeting held the office of the intercultural resources in New Delhi sometime back discussed to take up the tribe’s fight at an international forum like the United Nations Organisations.
The meeting attended by about 15 environmentalist and environment activists to express solidarity with the movement of ACT and to protest the continuous detention of its members by the Government of Sikkim also decided to send a joint petition to the UNO.


Besides, the meeting decided to drum up a follow up meeting with the Planning Commission of India as well as to meet MOEF officials on the issue of changes brought about in illegally in the scoping of Teesta IV and Panam HE projects. It was also decided to take up an immediate study on the viability of Panam HEP, Teesta III and Teesta IV projects based on the minimum flow required to generate power.

(While many in Sikkim had ideas preferring the other side of Teesta alongside National highway 31 A for an alternative highway linking Sikkim, the government thinks its better to dry up the already dried up Teesta and build a dam.

The above pictures are a series of pictures shot along National Highway 31 A beyond Rangpo linking Sikkim to the rest of the country. While the State government keeps complaining to the Central Govt about frequent strikes by political forces on the other side and obstructing normal life, a power project Teesta Vl is steadily being built exactly showing the bankruptcy of ideas, solutions and planning among policy makers on the question of infrastructural projects in Sikkim. Infrastructure here means infrastucture for the rest of the country first and then us!!

LANCO Energy Pvt Ltd (LEPL) has secured the 500 MW Teesta VI Hydropower Project for development across the Teesta River in Sikkim on a Build, Own,Operate, Transfer basis in the joint sector for a period of 35 years. The project is expected to generate 2441 million units per annum to be sold to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) through a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement. Several statutory clearances required from the State and Central Agencies have been obtained and civil construction work has begun.)

ACT members sent to 11 days of judicial custody ‘Harassment to the indigenous aborigines should stop’

ACT members sent to 11 days of judicial custody
‘Harassment to the indigenous aborigines should stop’


GANGTOK, February 10: Forty one members of Affected Citizens were sent to judicial custody at Rongyek Jail today by Chief Judicial Magistrate (East and North) for a period of 11 days. Those sent to judicial custody includes ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha, member Tenzing Lepcha, Sangha of Dzongu president Ligdem Lepcha and Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim president Gyatso Lepcha.

The ACT members had been produced before the CJM today here in Gangtok after their three day police remand at Mangan police station ended today. They have been arrested on charges of unlawful assembly, rioting and theft of explosives at the dam site of the controversial 280 MW Panan power project at Lingzya, Upper Dzongu, North Sikkim on February 7.

The arrested ACT members did not file any bail applications, it is learnt and rather chose to go to jail. It is also informed that the ACT members may restore to hunger strike at the jail itself to highlight their demand for the scrapping of the mega power projects proposed in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu.

Three other arrested ACT members, Sonam Lepcha, Ligden Lepcha and Tshering Lepcha have been sent to juvenile home in Gangtok as they were under 18 years of age.
Other ACT leaders like Tseten Lepcha and Sherap Lepcha were present at the District Court (East and North) today here to express their solidarity with their arrested members.

Meanwhile, ACT had condemned the continuous detention of innocent Primitive Lepchas of Dzongu by the State government.

“Even after four days of arrest the administration sought for judicial remand and had all the activists sent to jail. The tender aged student has not been spared due to which one girl and two boys have been sent to the Juvenile home”, said ACT in a press statement issued by its chief coordinator Tseten Lepcha.

“After examining the First Information Report (FIR) of the Himgiri pvt ltd, wherein it was alleged that large quantity of explosives were thrown in the river or stolen, ACT condemns the continuous patronage by the State administration to the illegal activities of the power developers and demands an immediate investigation to verify how such large quantity of explosives was kept unguarded in a remote area”, said ACT.
The body reiterated that ‘the harassment to the indigenous aborigines of the State fighting for their democratic rights should stopped and all those arrested be released immediately without any conditions’. It further demanded that all the mega hydro electric power projects in Dzongu be ‘scrapped as per the wishes of the people’.

source:Sikkim Express

ACT Supporters runs amok at panan dam site on its 600th relay hunger strike day, arrested members threaten indefinite hunger strike in police lockup

( Dzongu on boil, - ACT members run amok in Panan Dam site)

ACT runs amok at Panan dam site on its 600th relay hunger strike day


Gangtok, February 7: Frustrated local youths from Dzongu under the banner of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) demolished a temporary shed and other assets of Panan hydel power project employees today at Rongyong in Dzongu, North Sikkim as the relay hunger strike of the anti-hydel project body entered its 600th day.
Other project related items were also vandalized.

Around 50 youths including several ladies waving ACT flags and ‘anti-hydel’ banners had taken out a rally in the Dzongu area on the 600th day of its ongoing relay hunger strike here at BL house.

The ACT rally reached Rongyong dam site of the proposed 280 MW Panan hydel power project near Lingzya when some of its members tore apart the provisional shelter of the project labourers. The labourers were also told to leave the site as they had ‘illegally’ stayed back, it is informed.

Today’s incident marks the growing unrest and frustrations among the ACT youths over the inaction from the government side over their agitation against the controversial Panan project.

source :sikkim express

Forty one ACT members in police custody

Himagiri files damages worth Rs. 50 lakhs, ACT counters developers engaging in illegal activities

MANGAN, February 8: Forty one members of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) from Dzongu have been arrested by North Sikkim police on charges of arson and rioting at the project damsite of the controversial Panan hydel power project.

The arrests were made on the complaint of Himagiri hydroengery private limited, project developers of the 280 MW Panan hydel project. There are 8 ladies among the arrested lot.

The district administration informed that the arrests were made on the complaint since the accused persons vandalized the project site, destroyed machinery and also tried to set fire, destroy the magazine stores containing explosives and stole explosives from the site after criminal trespass. The incident took place at the project dam site at Lingzya in Upper Dzongu yesterday on the occasion of the 600th day of the relay hunger strike by ACT going at BL house in Gangtok.

According to the project developers, more than 50 lakhs worth equipments have been destroyed by ACT supporters. The project developers are also claiming the missing of some explosive items – 298 boxes of electronic detonators, 88.75 kgs of gelatin and 1000 m of cordex wire from the spot.

Following the complaint, a team led by Mangan police station PI Rajesh Tamang arrested 43 ACT members. Two were released later as they were minors.

The arrested includes ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha, Tenzing Lepcha, Sangha of Dzongu president Ligden Lama and Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim president Gyatso Lepcha.
The ACT members have been charged under 6 different sections 143 of the IPC for being members of unlawful assembly and section 147 for rioting, 149 for offence committed by unlawful assembly, 436 for arson and fire mischief, 379 for theft of explosives and 447 criminal trespasses.

Police said that ACT had no permission to stage the rally and a huge ACT group had gathered at Lingdong, Upper Dzongu and approached Lingzya where the incident occurred as they entered the dam site and engaged in unlawful activity.

The arrested persons were produced before the court of the district magistrate North and they were remanded to three days police custody for investigations. ‘Investigations are still on’, police said.

On the other hand, ACT members accused the project developers of engaging in illegal works after the land acquisition terms have elapsed. The Panan area is an isolated area and to store explosives in these areas are strictly prohibited, they said.
Meanwhile, ACT in a press statement has condemned the ‘arbitrary arrests of innocent Lepchas from Dzongu’ and accused the police of restoring to third degree interrogation methods.

In the press statement released by ACT chief coordinator Tseten Lepcha, the body has demanded ‘immediate and unconditional release’ of its members.
ACT also demanded an investigation into the links between the promoters of Panan hydel power project, their primary promoters the Nagarjuna Group and the Satyam (Maytas) scam. We have learnt of a related connection and that Satyam and Maytas are part of the funding agencies, ACT maintained.

ACT also reiterated its demand for scrapping of all mega hydel power projects in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu.

Meanwhile, Jana Yuva Shakti Sikkim (JYSS) party president Lalit Sharma met the ACT members at the police station here.

Later speaking to media, Mr. Sharma supported ACT and endorsed the body. Whatever they have done yesterday it were the right steps taken for the safeguard of Dzongu, an area protected under Article 371 F. This is due to careless attitude of the State government otherwise this situation would have not come, he said.


Arrested ACT members threaten hunger strike inside lock up




( Meal time for the arrested 41 at Mangan Thana - courtesy Sikkim Now!)

GANGTOK, February 9: Maintaining their tempo against the proposed mega power projects in Dzongu, the arrested members of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) who are presently arrested at Mangan police station have threatened to state a hunger strike inside the lock up.

The hunger strike has been threatened by ACT members as a part of their ongoing protests, their ‘arbitrary arrests’ and use of ‘third degree measures’ by Mangan police during interrogations and investigations.

ACT is not new to hunger strikes as many of them inside the lock up had participated in the relay hunger strike which reached its 602nd day today at BL House in Gangtok.
ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha and member Tenzing Lepcha have already sat on two indefinite hunger strikes in two phases since the protest movement began at Gangtok from BL House. In the first phase, the duo had sat on an indefinite hunger strike for 63 days while it was 95 straight days in the second phase.

And this time, it could be worse.

ACT sources from Mangan informed SIKKIM EXPRESS that the arrested members have desired to stage a hunger strike inside the lock up not just for their arbitrary arrests and alleged third degree measures but also to maintain their ongoing protests.

However, the arrested members of ACT have been advised to keep it on hold at the moment by the senior members.

But, the arrested members could begin the strike if there were more extension of their police remand which ends tomorrow or if they are send to the judicial custody at the State Jail at Rongyek in Gangtok.

“It depends but the hunger strike will definitely take place if the arrested ACT members are sent to jail. The hunger strike will take place inside the jail premises”, said one senior ACT member.

It may be recalled that DM (North) TN Kazi had remanded the 41 arrested members of ACT to 3 day police remand.

Meanwhile, ACT has also not decided to apply for any bail application for the arrested members. The ‘obvious’ reasons have not been revealed.

ACT’s legal counsel Hem Lal Bhandari confirmed that no bail applications have been filed so far.

ACT further claimed that some of its arrested members were subjected to third degree measures during interrogations and a petition will be filed before the Human Rights Commission.

The Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad (SHRP) president Dr AD Subba had also today accused the police of adopting ‘third degree’ measures against some of the arrested ACT members.

However, the North Sikkim police has categorically stated to media that no third degree measures were adopted and termed the allegations as ‘baseless’. The allegations of third degree measures have been dismissed by the police.

source: Sikkim Express

The protest and campaign by ACT against hydel projects in Dzongu and Sikkim continues.

The Prime Minister's special envoy on climate change Mr. Shayam Saran, on his recent visit to Sikkim, agreed that construction of hydel projects in the fragile Himalayan region could be one of the factor behind the melting glaciers and rise in the normal temperature in those regions.

(Source-The Telegraph)

Campaign continues

The village campaign against the mega dams in Dzongu and North Sikkim continued with another meeting being organized in Dzongu. More such meetings will continue.

Mountains of Concrete - Dam Building in the Himalayas

Mountains of Concrete: Dam Building in the Himalayas Report Launch this Week in Delhi, India.


http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=KyFkUVTJFgs&eurl=http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/node/3608
(check out the You tube Video released by international rivers network)
(if buffering takes place, let it run its course and play again)

There will always be abundant snow and glaciers on the highest mountains of the world, the Himalayas. This snow will always feed the Indus and Ganges rivers and forever supply water to millions of people in South Asia and China.

These statements may no longer be true. Our warming climate is changing the Himalayas faster than any other region of the world. The mountains’ mighty glaciers, the source of most large Asian rivers, are melting.

Against these dramatic changes, the governments of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan are planning to transform the Himalayan rivers into the powerhouse of South Asia. They want to build hundreds of mega-dams to generate electricity from the wild waters of the Himalayas.

The dams’ reservoirs and transmission lines will destroy thousands of houses, towns, villages, fields, spiritual sites and even parts of the highest highway of the world, the Karakoram highway. But who will reap their benefits? Will they be able to generate as much electricity as promised? What will happen to the people, ecosystems and rivers of the Himalayas if the dams are built and climate change takes its toll?

Mountains of Concrete by Shripad Dharmadhikary, one of South Asia’s foremost water and energy experts, discusses for the first time the linkages between climate change and dam-building in the Himalayas, and comprehensively analyzes the impacts of the dam building spree on the region's people, ecosystems, and economy.

Join us for the launch of the report on Monday, January 12, 2009, from 2.30 to 4pm at the India International Centre, Annexe, Conference Hall 3 in New Delhi, India. Please RSVP to swarup.bhattacharyya@gmail.com.

The dams’ reservoirs and transmission lines will destroy thousands of houses, towns, villages, fields, spiritual sites and even parts of the highest highway of the world, the Karakoram highway. But who will reap their benefits? Will they be able to generate as much electricity as promised? What will happen to the people, ecosystems and rivers of the Himalayas if the dams are built and climate change takes its toll?

Mountains of Concrete by Shripad Dharmadhikary, one of South Asia’s foremost water and energy experts, discusses for the first time the linkages between climate change and dam-building in the Himalayas, and comprehensively analyzes the impacts of the dam building spree on the region's people, ecosystems, and economy.

Join us for the launch of the report on Monday, January 12, 2009, from 2.30 to 4pm at the India International Centre, Annexe, Conference Hall 3 in New Delhi, India. Please RSVP to swarup.bhattacharyya@gmail.com.

download the full report : 1.9 mb

ACT continues it run against North Sikkim power developers

(The indefinite relay hunger strike reaches 554 days.....)

GANGTOK, January 6:
Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) who is still maintaining its protests over the mega power projects in North Sikkim recently held two meetings at Lingdong and Hee-Gyathang in Dzongu.

An ACT release informs that the meetings were attended by large numbers of supporters of anti-dam movement in the area including youths and women. More meetings are being organized to apprise the supporters of the latest happenings in the matters in context of Ministry of Environment and Forest, the faulty Land Acquisition processes followed, and most importantly, other illegal matters that have been detected by ACT, the release adds.

The body also claimed that both NHPC and Sikkim Power Development (SPDC) has still not been able to furnish the information sought under RTI regarding the number of permanent locals employed, their designation, where stationed at the Teesta Stage V, 510 MW project (Dikchu-Singtam). “This clearly goes on to show that the promises and assurances of preference for local employment in the mega hydro power projects are empty”, ACT said.

The body pointed out that the non abidance of technical stipulations by Teesta Urja Limited, in the case of Teesta stage III, 1200 MW project has come to light through the spot visit of the Central Electric Authority (CEA). It has been pointed out in the report of the CEA team that TUL has violated the technical clearances pertaining to the de silting chambers and the dam construction design, which would compromise the efficiency of the de silting chambers resulting in the over all power production and the safety of the dam.

“This shows that the companies are not following the stipulations and violating the conditions laid by the central authorities. How can the State authorities, in spite of their grand assurances enforce them? Also the findings of the CEA clearly go on to show the impending disaster in future for the people of the State”, ACT said.

ACT also alleged violation of guidelines of Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) by the Panang project developers. “Though the labourers are not to be allowed to stay back in Dzongu, in case of Panang project, twenty members are staying back in the sheds build at the dam site by the company in blatant violation of the Clearance Condition of the MoEF”, the body said. ACT added that they confirmed it with a recent spot visit.
“ACT will pass a resolution and act accordingly regarding the violation, as no action is being enforced by the concerned authorities”, the body said in its press release.

source: Sikkim Express

ACT relay hunger strike completes 500 days

GANGTOK, November 2: After completing a marathon 500 days of relay hunger strike against the mega hydel power projects in North Sikkim, Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) who is spearheading the protests is soon expected to change their strategy of protests so that it gets more momentum.
The upcoming policy shift in the protests was revealed by ACT general secretary Dawa T Lepcha on October 30 with ACT observing 500 days of relay hunger strike at BL House at Sonam Gyatso Marg here.

The BL House has been the venue of the relay hunger strike since June 20 last year which was started by ACT against the North Sikkim power projects.

Speaking to media, Mr. Lepcha said that ACT is thinking of devising a new strategy of protest against the mega hydroelectric projects but did not elaborate what the new strategy was. “Our members will be meeting soon and we will decide on the new plans which we will inform”, he said.

Mr. Lepcha had lead two indefinite hunger strikes for 67 and 106 days. “Nothing is finalized yet but we do have some plans and we let media know at a suitable time”, he said.

ACT observed the 500th day of its relay hunger strike with a solemn puja ceremony to invoke the gods and seek their blessings at the first floor of the BL House which also houses an alter where monks from the Sangha of Dzongu (SoD), a part of the protests, holds puja ceremonies.

ACT had started the relay hunger strike at BL house from 20 June.





Mr. Lepcha also claimed of gross violations being perpetuated by power developers at Dzongu in North Sikkim while implementing the project. “Though a direction by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (dated 25/09/08) was issued to the General Manager of M/s Himagiri Hydro Energy Pvt Ltd that no labourers should be allowed to stay back in Dzongu after work hours, the direction is not being followed”, he said.

ACT had already submitted its claims before the North district administration who had directed the company to follow the Central guidelines. “However at present in spite of such directions, there are eight rock test drilling teams residing in Nom/Panang and thirty five members residing at Lingzya dam site”, said Mr. Lepcha. He also claimed labour sheds have been built at the site in violation of the condition that no labour or staff colony will be allowed inside Dzongu by the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

“This clearly shows that the company will not follow any conditions or directions issued by any authority and that the authorities in the state do not have the will to enforce the conditions. The mother company of Himagiri, the Nagarjuna Construction Company was booked for violation of conditions in Himachal Pradesh and was warned of being black listed. Who will enforce the conditions in our state?”, questioned the ACT general secretary.

Regarding the proposed Teesta IV project in Dzongu, Mr. Lepcha said: “It is strange that though the very genesis for starting of project, the Detail Project Report has been rejected by the Central Electric Authority, the Land Revenue Department and the Forest Department are employing dubious tactics to make the innocent people hand over their land to the company, NHPC, even before the DPR (which will decide whether the project will happen or not) is done”. Though there are many clearances to be obtained and procedures to be followed until land can be taken, the concerned department are trying to make people part with their land, he added.

“Why they are so much interested in being agents of the companies?”, Mr. Lepcha questioned.

Speaking on the decision of the state government to hand over the scrapped power projects to the original power developers, Mr. Lepcha said that the State government and the department should take a firm decision and not ‘wither’ from its decisions.
On the other hand, though ACT’s relay hunger strike has completed the 500 days milestone, its recent programmes have been sluggish with no major activities apart from the relay strike continuing at the BL House.

In September, a four member ACT delegation were in New Delhi to call upon officials from various concerned Ministries, Commissions and independent experts, agencies and organizations to apprise them of the protest.

It is informed that the delegation met officials at the Ministry of Environment and Forest,
Forest Advisory Board, Central Electric Authority, Ministry of Power and Energy, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Planning Commission, Commission for
Tribal affairs, Commission for Minorities, Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment which ACT has claimed was ‘highly fruitful’ and ‘the results of the visit would soon be known’. They submitted rejoinders, memorandums apart from presenting power point presentations of the hydel issue and the protest in Sikkim with focus on examples of loss and problems being faced by the commissioned and the on-going projects in the state.

source: Sikkim Express

Gandhigiri in Sikkim- Vibha Arora

The indigenous Lepchas of Sikkim are using Gandhian methods of protest to prevent construction of hydel projects that will destroy their land and the environment. At a time when politics has been reduced to a numbers game, they know that their minority status is against them. But they are determined to continue the struggle.

View Full Article

(Vibha Arora (aurora@hss.iitd.ac.in) is with thedepartment of humanities and social sciences,Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi

The Economic and Political Weekly, published from Mumbai, is an Indian institution which enjoys a global reputation for excellence in independent scholarship and critical inquiry. It is also the largest selling international policy journal on South Asia whose website is updated every week with new articles.)

ACT DELGATION IN NEW DELHI

A delegation of four members of Affected Citizens of Teesta were in New Delhi for eight days from the 18th-25th of September calling upon and apprising officials from various concerned Ministries, Commissions and independent experts.

The delegation called uopon the Ministry of Environment and Forest,Forest Advisory Board, Central Electric Authority, Ministry of Power and Energy, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Planning Commission, Commission for Tribal Affairs, Commission for Minorities, Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment.

They submitted rejoinders, memorandums apart from presenting power point presentations of the hydel issue and the protest in Sikkim with focus on examples of loss and problems being faced by the commissioned and the on going projects in the state.

At the Planning Commission, the presentation was done in the presence of ten members of the Commission headed by Dr. Kirith Parekh (member hydro)and Dr. Sayeda Hameed. The meeting concluded with the decesion to have a follow up meeting towards solving of the issue,comprising of independent experts, government representatives,representatives from the protestors and Planning Commission soon.

There seemed hope and acceptance of the genuineness of the problems being projected by the central authorities.

Meanwhile the relay hungerstrike is 477 day old.

Storage- based hydel projects to run of the river..............

photo source: http://www.ushwaia.in/frontpage.html

The Union power ministry is planning to give priority to storage-based hydel power projects that involve building of dams instead of run-of-the-river projects, which harness the flow of the water to produce power, for faster capacity addition to meet the growing energy needs of India.

"Storage hydro projects are the way forward to achieve sustainable development of energy," said Union Power Secretary Anil Razdan in a conference held by an industry body in New Delhi.

"There should be a greater emphasis on tapping the potential of storage hydro projects rather than run-of-the-river projects," he added



(conventional dams)



(run of the river dams)


Run-of-the-river, in general, was preferred because of non-displacement of local population while generating power. But these projects are usually located in very remote locations leading to long project delays. Hydro power accounts for more than a quarter of India's power generation capacity.

Recently, many southern states and even Maharashtra have complained of low power generation from hydel projects because of less than normal rainfall during the last few months.

Even run-of-the-river projects that are commissioned were facing problems like silting which result in stalling of power generating equipment, says Razdan. For example, Teesta power project in Sikkim was not operational for one month because of high levels of silting in the water.

The amount of silt carried by the river water -- which goes up significantly especially in the monsoon months like June, July and August -- acts as a major hurdle to the proper functioning of a hydro power plant.

Razdan also added that run-of-the-river projects have a limited scope of operation and generally lead to agitations by the local population due to gradual drying up of the water bed, citing the Bhagirathi Bachao Andalon and urging the states to take required steps for the promotion of storage projects.

"In storage projects, there is a better management of resources which facilitates the diversification of water resource to other purposes also like irrigation and drinking water supply," says an industry expert. Meanwhile, the state power secretaries recommended the formation of a proper solar policy to tap the vast reserve of solar power available in the country.

"We have already forwarded the draft of the policy to the government which consists of considerations on fiscal, production-related and technological issues," said the representative from Rajasthan.

source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=329391

SIKKIM UNIQUE IN FORM OF PROTEST AND NATURE OF GOVT RESPONSE -

A six member team of journalists from the state participated in a two day “Media Dialogue on Large Dams, Hydro Power and North East India” held in Guwahati on 01 and 02 September.

The media dialogue, participated in by journalists and activists from all over the North Eastern region, shared and presented power point presentations on the present day situation in the region vis a vis hydel projects, a trend which is now referred to as “the MOU Virus”.

In recent times, the North East has been referred to as India’s “future powerhouse’ with at least 168 hydro power projects for generating 68,000 MW planned here. Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim lead the hydel pack with a blitzkrieg of agreements (MoUS) signed with developers in the last few years. Infact, the Union Minister of State for Power, Jairam Ramesh, recently referred to this phenomenon as an “MoU virus”.

Around fifteen participants presented their reports and studies over the two days, which also saw active discussions and open house sessions. The purpose of the dialogue was aimed at discussing and debating some of the immediate as well as related long term issues like national level power planning, India’s experience in large dam building, the politics of environmental governance, private sector role in hydro- power development, dams and floods and dams, development and conflict.

Also to present its views on the second day of the media dialogue on large dams was the team from the Affected Ciitizens of Teesta (ACT) representated by Tseten Lepcha and Pemzang Tenzing. ACT received handsome appreciation throughout the meet in the manner in which the situation it had managed its protests against Dams on the Teesta. The ‘Satyagraha’ by ACT, incidentally, is the only protest in the North-East region which has chosen the path of non-violence. It is perhaps for this reason that Sikkim is the only State where the state government has scrapped hydel projects (four out of six in Dzongu), the participants and experts frothe other regions agreed.

Tseten Lepcha, a founder member of ACT, in his presentation gave a brief overview on the present scenario in Sikkim and also commented on the positive move of the state government to scrap four hydel projects in Dzongu, which, he said, also made Sikkim stand up as unique against other state governments in the NE which unlike Sikkim had still not taken any steps to meet environmental and social concerns raised by affected people in their respective states.

Social activists from the Northeast region, especially Arunachal Pradesh where more than 100 MoUs have been signed for hydel project development, and Manipur, which has a long campaign against projects such as the 1500 MW, Tapaimukh project, also spoke on the civil society raising concerns about agreements signed with developers and the cumulative social and environmental impacts of the proposed projects in the upstream and downstream areas.

A major concern raised was the likely demographic and socio-cultural upheaval due to influx of large labour populations in areas which have small indigenous populations.

The media dialogue was jointly organized by Kalpravriksh (KV), a 29 year old group working on environmental awareness, campaigns and research.

“The organization believes that a country can develop meaningfully only when ecological sustainability and social equity are guaranteed, and a sense of respect for nature and fellow humans is achieved,” said Neeraj Vagholikar of Kalpravriksh.

Further, Manju Menon of KV informed that the broad thematic areas of work for the organization include environmental education, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods, urban environment and environment and development.

“Over the years, KV’s work on environment and development has included research and advocacy on the environmental and social impacts of development projects and activities (for example dams and mining), and the environmental decision making framework for these,” added Kanchi Kohli from KV.

It was also informed that the group has supported people’s movements, NGOs, activists and communities on these issues. For the last seven years, KV has closely followed large dams in North East India and Panos South Asia (PSA) which is an organization that works with the media with an objective to create a just and democratic society through pluralistic and inclusive debates in the public domain.

With its secretariat in Kathmandu, Panos works with the media in five countries of the region through its seven offices. It broadly works with five thematic concerns – environment, conflict, globalization, public health and media pluralism. Established in 1997, PSA has consistently supported journalists through its various programmes and activities, pushed for inclusive and quality content in media and has worked to create interactive spaces between the three crucial agencies of information – media, academia and advocacy groups.

It was also agreed over the two days that the latest trigger for anti-dam protests was the alleged aggravation of floods in downstream areas in Assam due to the release of waters from the 405 MW Ranganadi hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh. Irrespective of what exactly emerges from the ongoing inquiry into the role of the Ranganadi hydro project in June 2008 floods, the debate has brought into sharp focus issues such as ‘dam induced floods’ which have been a reality across the country over the years.

The larger debate on downstream impact of dams has become a centre stage as people have begun to express concern about the issues such as loss of fisheries, change in wetland ecology in the flood plains and increased vulnerability due to massive boulder extraction from river beds and landslides induced by tunneling and road construction.

The media team from Sikkim included Sarikah Atreya, Editor, Sikkim Express; Pavitra Bhandari of Hamro Prajashakti; Pema Leyda Shangderpa, Senior Correspondent, The Telegraph and Anand Oberoi, Sr Correspondent, NOW!


ANAND OBEROI

Source:NOW! Dated 5th September, 2008

CEA REJECTS DPR OF NHPC IV HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECT

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has returned the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on NHPC`s Teesta IV hydro electric project (HEP) seeking further clarifications on the project The agency has made it clear that it will only be able to process the DPR for concurrence once the state owned power utility resubmits the DPR after incorporating or resolving the following points or issues raised by the CEA:

Inadequate investigations at dam site, desilting chambers and power house area.
No fixed time framework indicated for carrying out the pending or additional geological investigations because of opposition by the local Lepchas Community.
Options for providing single HRT, single surge shaft and two pressure shafts for optimizing civil works needs to be explored.Hydrological data upto year 2006-07 along with daily rainfall data needs to be provided in the DPR. Additionally, NHPC needs to obtain satellite imageries to determine the snow line.Review of flood discharges is important.Explore the possibilities of reducing the cost of the project.

The CEA received the DPR for the project in April, 2008 and sent it back to NHPC in June, 2008.


source: www.energylineindia.com

Sikkim govt to review decision to scrap hydel projects

The move is aimed to mollify the private developers one of whom has moved the High Court challenging termination of its project in East district

(The Mint, August 4, 2008)


PTI
Gangtok: The Pawan Kumar Chamling Government in Sikkim has decided to review its decision to scrap 11 hydel power projects in a bid to mollify the private developers one of whom has moved the High Court challenging termination of its project in East district.

"The Chief Minister, who also holds Power and Energy portfolio, would himself review the scrapping of 11 hydel projects and take appropriate decision in this regard," Power and Energy Department Secretary Pema Wangchen said.

Asked whether the private developers would get back their individual projects for execution, Wangchen said it was for the chief minister to decide on it.
Sources, however, said that the state government had been rattled by the private developers' threat to take the matter of termination of their projects to the Court for adjudication and so decided to return the scrapped projects to the individual developers for execution.

One of the developers — Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Ltd — whose project at Rongnichu (96 MW) in East district was among the projects terminated by the state government last month, has filed a petition in the Sikkim High Court challenging scrapping of the project.

Infrastructure development

Sources said that the state government has decided to restore the contracts to the developers to avoid disputes which might hamper the infrastructure development in the state under the Public-Private-Partnership mode. "Private developers, at the same time, would be required to deliver on the execution of their projects this time once their contracts get restored," the sources said.

The Sikkim Government had scrapped 11 hydel projects — Rangyong (117 MW), Rongnichu (96 MW), Sada Mangder (71 MW), (Bhasmey 32 MW), Rolep (36 mw), Chakhungchu (50 MW), Ralong (40 MW), Lingza (99 MW), Ting Ting (90 MW), Rateychu-Bakchachu (40 MW) and Tashiding (88 MW) in recent months charging the developers with delay in executing the projects.

The state government had slammed some developers of failing to acquire land for development of hydel projects, while in some cases, the developers had even failed to prepare the detailed project reports and obtain the mandatory clearance from various government departments prior to the commencement of their projects.


source: http://www.livemint.com/2008/08/04095705/Sikkim-govt-to-review-decision.html

Sikkim govt to review decision to scrap hydel projects

The move is aimed to mollify the private developers one of whom has moved the High Court challenging termination of its project in East district

(The Mint, August 4, 2008)


PTI
Gangtok: The Pawan Kumar Chamling Government in Sikkim has decided to review its decision to scrap 11 hydel power projects in a bid to mollify the private developers one of whom has moved the High Court challenging termination of its project in East district.

"The Chief Minister, who also holds Power and Energy portfolio, would himself review the scrapping of 11 hydel projects and take appropriate decision in this regard," Power and Energy Department Secretary Pema Wangchen said.

Asked whether the private developers would get back their individual projects for execution, Wangchen said it was for the chief minister to decide on it.
Sources, however, said that the state government had been rattled by the private developers' threat to take the matter of termination of their projects to the Court for adjudication and so decided to return the scrapped projects to the individual developers for execution.

One of the developers — Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Ltd — whose project at Rongnichu (96 MW) in East district was among the projects terminated by the state government last month, has filed a petition in the Sikkim High Court challenging scrapping of the project.

Infrastructure development

Sources said that the state government has decided to restore the contracts to the developers to avoid disputes which might hamper the infrastructure development in the state under the Public-Private-Partnership mode. "Private developers, at the same time, would be required to deliver on the execution of their projects this time once their contracts get restored," the sources said.

The Sikkim Government had scrapped 11 hydel projects — Rangyong (117 MW), Rongnichu (96 MW), Sada Mangder (71 MW), (Bhasmey 32 MW), Rolep (36 mw), Chakhungchu (50 MW), Ralong (40 MW), Lingza (99 MW), Ting Ting (90 MW), Rateychu-Bakchachu (40 MW) and Tashiding (88 MW) in recent months charging the developers with delay in executing the projects.

The state government had slammed some developers of failing to acquire land for development of hydel projects, while in some cases, the developers had even failed to prepare the detailed project reports and obtain the mandatory clearance from various government departments prior to the commencement of their projects.

AUGUST.....................

Its been a while since the blog has been updated. However, The Affected Citizens of Teesta carry on every single day tirelessly to convince Sikkim and the powers that be that the hydel course is the wrong choice and that they live on each day to fight for their homeland Dzongu and also for the rest of Sikkim from being overrun by white gold profiteers.

On the 6th of August the members of the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) placed various points and arguments for scrapping of the Panang hydel power project in a preliminary round talk held with the Power Department officials.

The meeting held in the office of the Secretary, State Power and Energy Department was attended by ACT members led by its vice presidents, Chopel Lepcha and Tseten Lepcha along with Sopourna Lahiri, member of the independent committee.

In a press release, ACT general secretary, Dawa Lepcha said that “the much expected talk after the scrapping of four projects in Dzongu and the withdrawal of the indefinite fast by the members of the ACT, centered around the two projects in Dzongu which we want to be stopped as well, namely Panang and Teesta IV, which are in the heart of Dzongu and which will be the most harmful to the people.”

During the meeting, ACT members pointed out that the concurrence from the Central Electric Authority was yet to be received for the project work to start, apart from the test drilling for rock samples, he said. They said that even Forest Clearance and Clearance from the Tribal and Social Justice Ministry were also pending.

It was also reminded that 4005 ha of Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere Reserve was being encroached in violation of Supreme Court Rulings and National Park Notification, by the CAT plan of the Panang project. Besides, 20 monasteries including Mani Lhagangs, sacred springs, lakes and landscapes, which are propitiated by the Lepchas, the nature worshipers were getting affected by the implementation of the projects in Dzongu, the general secretary said in a press release.

ACT also mentioned the recent declaration of the Secretary, Ministry of Power and Energy, that run-of-the-river projects in the country will not be given priority.
At the same time, the activists maintained that they are ready to comply by the suggestions put up by the independent expert committee who had visited the project area in May, that moratorium of ten years is also acceptable to them in case of Panang project, with other projects standing scraped.

Mr. Lepcha also said that ACT has asked a letter ordering the stopping of any illegal project related work until the concurrence and clearances are received.

The State Power Secretary on his part said that the government can stop the projects if the majority of the people are not in favour of the projects. He also pointed out that no project related work will be allowed to start until the concurrence from the CEA is received and other clearances.

Next round of talk is awaited, the general secretary added.

Meanwhile, in West Sikkim on the same day, the situation turned hostile at the Pelling ground when the scheduled public hearing had to be cancelled at the last minute today.

The public hearing of the Rimbi Hydel Power Project (66 MW), to be commissioned by Gammon India Limited was cancelled when the team from the State Pollution Control Board and Sikkim Power Development Corporation failed to turn up at the venue. Even the area MLA could not attend the public hearing due to road blocks from massive landslides, which had occurred at Legship.

On the other hand, landowners from Gyalshing, Lingchom, Rimbi, Darap, Pelling, who had come for the hearing organised by the SPCB lamented that the Gammon India Limited did not respond to their queries.

The people, who were already confused over the cancellation of the public hearing, said that they were kept in dark regarding many issues pertaining to the project.
“Since we are parting with our lands, we just wanted to what exactly the Memorandum of Understanding contains,” said one person.

They further complained that not a single meeting has been held with the local Panchayats, NGOs or senior citizens regarding the said project.





















(The above pictures are pictures of Teesta Stage 3 Project coming up at the confluence of the Teesta and the lachung Chu at Chungthang in North Sikkim. It is one of the biggest dams to come up in India with a capacity to generate 1200 MW. This once sleepy little beautiful town with an old British bungalow from the time of the Raj wakes up each morning to sirens of blasts that tear through the hills to make way for the tunnels. Tourists and locals driving to Sikkim's favorite holiday destination of Yumthang and lachung have to bear the the thought of man's excesses in this truly beautiful valley....)


The Affected Citizens of Teesta (Act) also raised serious concerns over the grave violations of environmental and human rights violation in North Sikkim, especially in the project site of the Teesta Stage III, being developed by the Teesta Urja Limited.

ACT’s Tseten Lepcha has said that the violation is due to the unconstitutional protection given to the Teesta Urja Company Limited by various department of the State Government.

Concerned by the discovery of a dead “Serrow” or Thar, listed on the Scheduled I of endangered animals list in the project site contrary to the findings of “doctored studies of agencies like WAPCOS and the connivance of the Chief Wild Life Warden of the State Forest Department” that there are no wild animals in the project area, Mr. Lepcha said that the same was a proof that the agencies who carried out the studies were incompetent or doctored their findings. “Even the State Forest Department failed in their role to carry their basic duty of protecting the Wild Life,” he alleged.

“Despite the fact that the damsite is located within the buffer zone of the Khangchendzonga Biosphere reserve, all studies carried out by agencies like WAPCOS at the behest of the Teesta Urja company for the Environment Impact Assessment and subsequent EMP have stated that there are no wild animals in the project Area,” Mr. Lepcha said in a press release.

On objection by the people in the public hearing to this issue, the Central government had asked the opinion of the State Wild Life Department. But the Chief Wild Life Warden without even giving a thought to the actual facts gave an NOC saying that there is no threat to wild life, he said.

The forest officials, who were present in the public hearing, are also alleged to have not pointed out the facts of the existence of wildlife in the proposed project area.
Informing that a case was registered and that the IOU has recorded presence of blood in around the area where the animal carcass was found with a horn broken, Mr. Lepcha said that it was shocking that the post mortem report of the Veterinary Doctor of Chungthang concluded that the animal died of respiratory problem after eating some cardboards and plastics.
The State Land Revenue Department, Mangan handed over land compensation cheques to the land owners of Lingchom-Tanek.

The land will be utilised by Sneha Kinetic Power Projects Limited for the construction of 96 MW hydel power project at Dikchu Sorongdong area. The project is a run-of-the river scheme and envisages construction of a 36-metre high concrete gravity dam across Dikchu River. This is the first phase disbursement at Rongyong where 13 families have been affected and a cheque amounting to Rs. 1, 55, 96, 112 were handed over to the land owners.

The three affected families from Phodong were handed over a cheque worth Rs. 1, 21, 70, 400 while the 15 families at Tanek were handed over a cheque amounting to Rs. 2, 63, 99, 497.

During the programme, the area MLA, Hissey Lachungpa said that the amount received should be utilized well and that the construction of the power project in the region will benefit everyone. He also added that local youth will get jobs and contract works.

About 80 percent has been disbursed in the first phase and 20 percent amount will be disbursed later, it was informed.

Day 428

Today is day 428. We go on with your love and support.


Though the Environment Impact Assesment (EIA)of Teesta Stage III, 1200MW project callously mentioned there was no major wild life presence in the project vicinity, a Serow, (Himalayan Thar)a endangered Schedule (I) animal was killed in the dam site of the project recently. Had ACT not raised the issue, it could have gone unoticed.

Similar incidences are bound to happen in future if the projects, as random as they are, are not stopped, as all the projects are in close proximity of the Kanchenjunga National Park and the Biosphere Reserve in North Sikkim, with some even being planned inside the National Park.

Govt scraps 3 more projects.........

The Sikkim Government's red carpet welcome to just about any corporate interested in investing in hydel projects in Sikkim seems to be going sour.

After discarding four hydel projects in March, the Sikkim government has scrapped three more such projects in the state accusing private developers of delaying execution of their contracts.

The Government says that the contracts of hydel projects of Sada-Mangder (71 Mw) in West and South districts, Bhasmey (51 Mw) in East district and Rongnichu (96 Mw) in East district have been terminated due to the failure of the private developers to execute these projects on schedule.

The private developers, Gati Investments Ltd and Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Ltd, have been duly informed about the state government's decision to terminate the contract of the three power projects on grounds of delay in work execution, which, the Government says had caused financial losses to the state exchequer.

The Sada-Mangder and Bhasmey hydel projects were awarded to Gati Investments Ltd in November 2003, while the Rongnichu hydel project was awarded to Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Ltd in March 2006.

The Government also said that the developers whose contracts had been cancelled did not even submit the detailed project report, not to speak of other unfulfilled obligations.

On the other hand, private developer Madhya Bharat Power Corporation had filed a writ petition in the first week of july in the Sikkim High Court challenging the cancellation of the project at Rongnichu (96 MW) stating that the required land for the project had not been made available.




Its a wise decision of the Government to scrap the projects mentioned and it is a welcome move. However the issues of the larger dams being constructed are still a cause of concern. More activity on the fragile ecosystem and in a wider scale cannot escape the eye of the ordinary Sikkimese. It has been making a worrisome sight for an average person here in Sikkim impossible to ignore and wonder and perhaps ponder.

Suggestions have been made earlier and even mentioned in the C C Study and also from concerned quarters that maybe a time frame should be given to study the impact of the larger projects before giving the go ahead to the other projects planned keeping in mind the fragile and volatile ecology. Besides, sourcing of other alternative forms energy could be experimented. Efforts to generate at least about 20 percent of the Total Megawatt generation target as planned by the Government could be sourced from other environmentally safer forms like wind, mini hydels etc..

Well all in all, at least its better news than expected! and it sums it up on this letter which appeared in the Citizens Reporter column of Gangtok's popular English Daily, "The Sikkim Express" the other day:

"Gangtok, Sunday, 18 July 2008

" SCRAPPING OF HYDEL PROJECTS: A WELCOME STEP"

We would like to thank the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling for taking a
bold step in scrapping the 51 MW Bhasmey Hydel Project in East Sikkim
and all other hydel projects mainly the 71 MW Sada-Mangder and 96 MW
Rongni Chu projects and also four projects in Dzongu in North Sikkim.
This is a historical decision which will go a long way in minimising
the social, demographic and environment impact of dams in the State.
Most importantly, the overcrowding due to large influx, which could
have dangerous consequences of the small size of our State can be
avoided. Even one percent influx would cause demographic disturbances
in the State. Our fragile ecology cannot sustain so much activity.
Our area in Bhasmey is very dry and there is very little agricultural
activities carried out here. There is always a shortage of drinking
water, the monsoon is short and few families have their children in
government services. Government benefits/facilities and schemes hardly
come to these backward regions of Bhasmey.
We welcome the scrapping of the Bhasmey Hydel Project because we are
of the opinion that such mega hydro power projects will not really
benefit the poor, and also have great impact on our society and the
environment.
Instead, we would like to request the Chief Minister to provide us
with the latest technologies and techniques for modern agricultural
farming, poultry, piggery, diary farming, fisheries, orchards etc. All
these would give us much more avenues for income generation and
employment and happiness rather than commissioning big hydel projects
like 51 MW Bhasmey Project which will only make us poorer as we have
seen in the Teesta V project where some of our own relatives and
friends have lost everything from their agriculture land to house,
cattle, etc. and are living like semi- refugees in their own homeland.

Hem Raj Adhikari
Kumar Tahtal
Ari Singh Bagdas
Sunil Ghimerey
Bir Bdr. Yonzong
Laxuman Tamang
And all other residents of Bhasmey

Panang project's bleak future

The flash flood that occured on the 16th of August,2007 and 16th of may 2008, have clearly indicated of what the future holds for the Panang 280MW Hydel Project. The flooding continues unabated still.



The Teesta Stage V, 510MW power project further down stream , which had recently been commisioned, has run into trouble due to the floodings with the reservoir walls loosening and threateneing the residents of Dikchu.. Power generation has stopped since the reservoir got filled with the unprecendented huge amount of silt and flood materials.




Panang could face a similar situation too. During the monsoon, the reservoir of the project would face problems affecting production, and in the lean period, the aquatic ecology downstream of the dam faces the brunt.

It’s exactly a year now today, since two young men and their friends, lit a candle with showered scarves on them, and set out to do something rather unprecedented in our little state’s history. They started the most arduous phase of the already brewing struggle to protest against the mega dams threatening their homes in North Sikkim, by deciding to sit on an indefinite hunger strike.

No doubt this form of gandhian protest has been tried through the pages of history here, but, this time it seemed like a conviction like never before.

Long and torturous days lay ahead of them and for 63 days at a stretch last year and 96 the second time, did they have the courage and conviction to go hungry.

With it brought the hydel debate right out of the closet and which was earlier maybe only known and pondered over perhaps in only comfortable wooden paneled offices and homes and in the corridors of power.




Their sacrificial protest did throw up uncomfortable questions to the people as to why our dear, sacred and beautiful hills had started to be scraped dry of its clothing and everything it sustained for something called hydro electric projects and such questions will always be asked more and more and explanations sought.

Sikkim, always preferring its sweet slumber to having to think much of a more difficult tomorrow, does wake up to answer difficult questions facing it each morning.

This blog was and is dedicated to them and their courage.

And yes.....the hydel debate will continue........................

DAWA AND TENZING FINALLY CALLOFF INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE OF 96 DAYS HOPING THE GOVT WILL RECIPROCATE THEIR SACRIFICE AND PEACEFULPROTEST............

Dawa Lepcha and Tenzing Lepcha, Satyagrahis and members of Affected Citizens of Teesta finally broke their indefinite fast after going 96 days hungry.









However, ACT will continue with the relay hunger strike, which entered 361 days today, till all hydel projects planned for Dzongu were scrapped even though the government is determined to go ahead with it and the Chief Minister firmly reiterating of going ahead with all costs.

ACT vice-president and chief coordinator Tseten Lepcha said along with his organisation, Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim and the Sangha of Dzongu — the three bodies spearheading the anti-dam protests to preserve the fragile ecology of the Lepcha reserve — consider the government’s decision a bold one with regard to the scrapping of 4 smaller hydel projects coming up in Dzongu and seems optimistic of the government reconsidering the 300 Mw Panan Hydel Project too.



The letter from the principal chief engineer-cum-secretary of the state power department, P. Wangchen, requesting ACT members to call off the hunger strike said the 90mw Ringpi, 33mw Rukel, 120mw Lingza and the 141mw Rangyong projects have been scrapped officially. This is relevant as the government acknowledged it in writing to ACT.

“Ringpi and Rukel are located inside Khangchendzonga National Park. The government took a conscious decision not to allot these projects to any developer to conserve the environment and ecology of the area,” the letter to ACT president Athup Lepcha reads.

Meanwhile the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for the 1200 MW Teesta Stage III Hydel Project coming up in ChungthangSspeaking on the occasion, he has welcomed and appreciated the decision of the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) to withdraw their indefinite hunger strike but stated that the 300 MW Panan Hydel Project will not be scrapped.




Besides, the Chief Minister also said at the occasion that a two-storied building would be constructed for those people whose land has been acquired by the government for the power project here.

“The project on completion would supply 12% free power to the State Government for the first 15 years and 15% free thereafter. Full ownership would be transferred to the government after 35 years, which would significantly contribute towards GDP revenues and overall development of the State,” Mr. Chamling said.

He further said that the power project will bring in economic boom for the people.He also urged he promoters of Teesta Stage III to cater to all the demands of the local people, which include the construction of a Community Center, maintenance of roads, school repair, construction of monasteries, drinking water supply and the construction a statue of Guru Padmasambhava!

Stressing on the point that stopping on-going work at hydel projects even for a day means a loss Rs 500 crore, the CM said that the local people would get 80 % job placement facilities as per the guidelines given by the State Government.

The 1200 MW Teesta Stage III Project at Chungthang project has been awarded to the consortium of promoters led by M/s Athena Projects Private Limited under the joint sector with the State Government under BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) basis for a period of 35 years. Athena Projects in turn formed a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)-Teesta Urja Ltd- for the implementation for this project. The Teesta III is the largest power project in the State.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Teesta Urja Private Limited, YN Apparao while placing the technical detail of the project. Stating the project as totally environment friendly, Mr. Apparao said there would be two underground desilting cambers of size 285X16mX21.2m each to exclude silt particles above 0.20 mm. “There will be 60m high concerted faced rock fill dam, two numbers, 11.0 m finished diameter tunnels, one intake tunnel, two desiliting chambers, headrace tunnel, two pressure shafts, underground power house complex, tailrace tunnel and pothead yard,” he informed. The project has received all the statutory clearances from the concerned authorities, he added.

The Area MLA, Lachen Mangshila, Hissey Lachungpa and MLA, Dzongu, Sonam Gyatso Lepcha also addressed the gathering.

Well.....time will only tell whether promises made like the ones mentioned above shall actually be delivered in terms of economic development which they speak at the cost of the various negative factors that are taking place to achieve the said result.

Sadly, the Rangit Hydel Project commissioned a decade ago and the Teesta Stage V Project commissioned a few months ago does not have 80 % Employees that are local! Locals here do not have the exprertise or are trained on the technical aspects of running these turbines and will not have so in the future unless and until they are begun to be taught now!

Likewise, the government has left basic services it should provide compulsorily ....'like construction of a Community Center, maintenance of roads, school repair, construction of monasteries, drinking water supply etc'! to private white gold corporates!

Who dosent notice the utter disregard of even the responsibility of at least patching up the tiny stretch of NH 31 A above Kalijhora that the NHPC was responsible for damaging!

And the omnipresence of Guru Padmasambhava does not need to be reminded in a statue built by profiteers from a distant deccan land! I just hope it is not encircled like the Natraj!!

Barely a few months in the commissioning of the Teesta Stage V prject at Dikchu, serious cracks have appeared in the reservoir walls and its a time bomb waiting to explode. More and more big and massive hydel projects being commisioned by the government on a war footing is nothing but a cancer which will make all of us suffer rather than get enlightened by the vague promises of economic development. Well yes....time will tell....and i wont be wrong...

It is also disheartening to know that an IITian and another environmentalist goes on a fast unto death to protest and demand the scrapping of 4 barrages to come up below the gangotri before Haridwar. Interestingly, Uttaranchal is ruled by a BJP government . If Setu Samundram is as important than the gangotri, it is hypocritical and rather amusing that it isnt an issue. This is India at the present and Energy onward to the national grid seems to be the mantra and to be acieved at any cost and it does make me highly cynical of my existence living in the Himalayas at this point of time in history. Sadly, we do not live in interesting times!

With inputs from:The telegraph & the Sikkim Express.

My dear friends,

Back in Spain, after my travel all thru India, I have remembered you, and your struggle, and first thing I would like to tell you is I am moved by your struggle, and I would like to join it in any way you deem appropriate. I have thought on translating some of the material in your blog to Spanish, and then try to get people to read it and send some letters to the Indian Ambassador to Spain, to the PM of India, and to the PM of Sikkim.

Also, in organizing, here in Madrid, some kind of event to let people know what is happening in Sikkim. Before doing anything, I would like to tell you and to ask if you think it is a wise thing to do, or what your people feel about what should be done.

I wait for your news.

A warm hug from your Spanish friend,

Antonio

Antonio Oria de Rueda BRO
worlds maker

81 days hungry................is anybody listening??

The indefinite hunger strike by satyagrahis and members of ACT has crossed 88 days. While Ongchuk Lepcha has been withdrawn by ACT after going hungry for 81 days, Dawa and Tenzing continue their hunger strike. While the relay hunger strike since June last year has crossed the 350 day mark, the second indefinite hunger strike continues.

Ongchuk Lepcha was withdrawn from the indefinite hunger strike because of him developing further complication due to jaundice. He also has a throat infection due to the ryles tube, which had started resulting in severe pain.

(Onchuk Lepcha withdrawing from the indefinte hunger strike after 81 days )
Tenzing Lepcha has joined Dawa and Tenzing Lepcha in the indefinite strike in place of Ongchuk Lepcha.

(Tenzing Lepcha replacing Ongchuk Lepcha )
Meanwhile there has been no response from the government. In spite of this ACT says that it will continue with the protest until there is a concrete step towards scrapping the projects Dzongu.
The independent team who visited Sikkim, is getting the final report on the mega hydro projects scenario in Sikkim ready, which they will than submit to all concerned Ministries and authorities with a follow up meeting with them. ACT has also been sending follow up memorandums to all Ministries, Commissions regarding the hydel issue in Sikkim.

Meanwhile, residents of Dikchu are spending sleepless nights as the temperamental and unpredictable Teesta rises slicing away portions of the protection wall of the dam reservoir of the Teesta Stage V.

Around 50 ft towards the left bank of the reservoir wall of the Teesta Stage V power project below Dikchu New Market at the boundary of Phodong Gompa has collapsed.

This is the second time that the protection wall lining the reservoir has given away in less than a week. A major portion of the wall was washed away on June 1 following incessant rains and a sudden rise in the level of the Teesta waters.
The residents of Dikchu have complained that NHPC has not fulfilled any of the promises made to the people in constructing strong protective walls. They allege that money sanctioned for the said walls have not been utilized.

The Area MLA and concerned officials have also been meeting the residents and criticizing NHPC for their negligence but it is rather ironic that these are the same people who are proponents of dams and policy of dams in Sikkim and have been hoodwinking people into submission to these destructive projects in the name of development.

This incident is just the tip of the ice berg on the possibilities of such disasters to come. With more and more such projects being forced unto the people in the name of development, such possible disasters will and should be an annual feature in our local dailies in the years to come!

79 days hungry.................Independent Commitee visits affected area and does assessment

It’s the 79th day of the second indefinite hunger strike by members of ACT and satyagrahis, Dawa Lepcha, Tenzing Lepcha and Ongchuk Lepcha. There is no official word from the government as to their demand of scrapping the controversial 280 MW panan hydel project that will cut right through their homeland, Dzongu. Though 4 other smaller projects have been scrapped, the panan hydel project remains and this has led the trio to their indefinite hunger strike in gap of less than 8 months from the earlier one of 63 days.

Dawa, Tenzing and Ongchuk are currently on their indefinite hunger strike outside BL house at Tibet Road. Doctors of STNM hospital visit them regularly. They look very weak and frail for not having eaten for close to 80 days now, yet their spirits look strong and determined to fight for their homeland, Dzongu against hydel companies out to destroy their culture and homeland in the name of development.

Meanwhile, a two day tour to study the impact of hydel projects in affected area in North Sikkim was undertaken by a 6 member team of NGO representatives, under the banner of Independent Committee on Big Hydro Projects of Sikkim.

The committee comprised of Himanshu Thakkar of SANDRP(South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, Delhi, Souparno Lahiri, national Forum of Forest People & Forest Workers, Delhi, Ravindra Nath from Rural Volunteers Centre, Akajan Assam, Partho J Das from North Eastern Centre for Environmental Research and Development, Guwahati, Vimal Bhai from Matu Jan Sangathan, Delhi and Mr Arnab from Nespon, Siliguri.

The committee visited project sites at the 510 MW Teesta Stage V Project, the 1200 MW Teesta Stage III Project under construction in Chungthang and the 280 MW Panan Project coming up in Dzongu.

The press release of the committee given thereafter their visit to the affected areas in given below

Suspend Panang HEP for Five Years & take up small Hydro projects

May 20, 2008

The Independent Committee on Big Hydro Projects of Sikkim has over the last 4-5 days visited a Completed Public Sector Hydro Project like the 510 MW Teesta V HEP, the under construction private sector HEP like the 1200 MW Teesta III HEP and the Dzongo area, including the site of the proposed 280 MW Panang HEP.

We have talked with the affected people, elected representatives, project officials and contractors (Teesta III HEP), NGOs, Public Relations officer (Himagiri), visited the Central Water Commission office (Dzongu), we have gone through the official documents, data and clearance letters.

We are very concerned about the indefinite fast of the three activists of ACT, now in 72^nd day today, with the evident deterioration of the health of those on fast.

Broadly, we see that the Sikkim government, partly under pressure from the central govt, has hastily committed itself to develop large number (42 on last count) of big hydropower projects, without much consultation with Sikkim citizens, without considering the implications of the projects for the local people, environment, culture, future generations and even return on investment for the state and the people. It has also not seriously assessed the options available for electricity generation or options for development in general. This is evident in the way the Teesta V has been developed, the way Panang HEP MOU has been signed and Teesta III implementation has started.

For example, there is a huge potential of power generation in Dzongu & other regions of Sikkim through small and micro hydro projects. We were shocked to see that not a single small or micro hydro project has been developed in Dzongu region. In stead of assessing & realizing this potential, the govt has entered into an MOU with an unknown entity like the Himagiri for the 280 MW Panang HEP. This project will completely and permanently destroy the serene environment of the Dzongu, will destroy the culture, deeply affect the place with deep and unique religious sentiments and destroy the Lepcha Community's unique abode. The govt should rather suspend or declare moratorium on this project for at least 5 years and in the meantime take up the small and micro hydro HEPs in this region and also see the how the Teesta V and III (when completed) project performs.

Here it may be noted that the Panang Project still has not been given concurrence by the Central Electricity Authority under the Section 8 of electricity Act 2003. The project had applied for such a concurrence on Oct 17, 2006 and the application was returned without concurrence for lack of sufficient information on November 17, 2006. Without such a concurrence the work that has been now commenced on this project is illegal and should be stopped. This also exposes how improperly the projects are taken up in Sikkim.

On Teesta 3, the Teesta Urja Limited, the company that is developing the project has no track record on such projects. Here the govt should ensure that the company enters into and MOU with the affected communities to ensure that all possible impacts are avoided or minimised and properly compensated when unavoidable. The Environment management plan is implemented as required and local people benefit rather than suffer adverse impacts, as happens in all hydro projects. Complete videography of the houses, water sources, existing landslides and other structures should immediately be done to create a baseline data. The EIA-EMP should be translated in full in local language and made available. All this should be done before project is taken any further. If the project work continues without implementing all these steps, it would bring greater disaster than the Teesta V project, which has been a disaster as can be seen from the situation on ground.

All these steps should be implemented as a policy for all HEPs.

On Teesta V, it is important that the govt asks NHPC to institute credible independent review and resolution of the outstanding social and environmental issues in a time bound manner. We found that scores of houses have developed cracks, the water sources of the communities have dried up, the project site has been left ugly, without restoring the site as required and the tunnels are already leaking. We just found that the huge amount of silt has also been accumulated behind the dam already and the project had to stop generation of power for the last five days. The state govt should also penalise NHPC for not taking care of these problem before commissioning of the project. We also found from the affected people that there seems to be massive corruption in payments of compensations, unearthed by the affected people through RTI. In some cases, the affected people seem to have been paid Rs 5000/- when records show they have been paid Rs 35000/-. A credible independent investigation into this aspect is also urgently required.

We are glad that the Chief Minister of Sikkim has declared in the assembly the Teesta IV project, earlier awarded to NHPC, would be scrapped. NHPC could have created greater havoc in the fragile geology of Teesta IV area, beside destroying the sanctity of Dzongu region. We also are happy to note that the Sikkim Cabinet has decided to scrap four of the five other HEPs proposed in the Dzongu area. We hope the Sikkim CM will show statesmanship by suspending the Panang HEP for at least five years immediately to protect and preserve the sanctity of the Dzongu area.

For other proposed Big HEPs, the Sikkim govt should take a pause, initiate a credible independent commission with participation of ACT and other concerned groups and persons. It is also important to study the credibility of EIAs, the siltation rates in Teesta basin, the downstream impacts, the cumulative impacts, the incidents of flash floods, requirement of minimum water flows and floodflows in the rivers and so on in the meantime to ensure that whatever projects taken up are indeed in larger interest of the people, environment and future of the people of the state. If the projects now proposed are taken up, the Rivers, environment, culture, forests and mountains of Sikkim will be completely and irreversibly destroyed.

These are the initial recommendations of the committee, we hope to submit a more detailed report to all concerned soon. We also hope to widely disseminate the report and also submit it to the Planning Commission, the Power Ministry, and other concerned ministries and agencies in the Central and the state Govt.

Members:

Soupana Lahiri (National Forum of Forest People and Forest workers, Delhi, souparna.lahiri@gmail.com)

Ravindra Nath (Rural Volunteers Centre, Akajan, Assam, assamravi@yahoo.co.in)

Partho J Das (North Eastern Centre for Environmental Research and Development, Gowahati, parthojdas@sancharnet.in)

Vimal Bhai (Matu Jan Sangathan, Delhi, matuporg@gmail.com)

Arnab (NESPON, Siliguri, West Bengal, soumitrag@gmail.com)

Himanshu Thakkar (South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, Delhi, ht.sandrp@gmail.com)

-- Himanshu Thakkar South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People Delhi, India

A Letter was also sent to the Chief Minister of Sikkim by the committee. The said letter is enclosed:

Independent Expert Committee on Big Hydro Projects in Sikkim

c/o SANDRP, 86-D, AD block, Shalimar bagh,

Delhi 110 088

ht.sandrp@gmail.com, Ph: 011 2748 4655

May 22, 2008

To

Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling,

Chief Minister,
Government of Sikkim,
Gangtok, Sikkim.

Fax No 03592 202245 (Secy to CM)
Ph No 03592 204611 (Additional Secretary)

Sub: Big Hydro Power Projects in Sikkim and the proposed Panang HEP

Respected Sir,

A team of six members of the above mentioned committee had an opportunity to visit some the sites of the existing, under construction and proposed hydropower projects in Sikkim over the last 5-6 days. Based on this visit, we had released a statement to the press on May 20, 2008, which is attached. Unfortunately, during our stay in Gangtok, we could not meet you. However, we are sending this to you with a request to consider the conclusions and recommendations in the attached note, and take appropriate action at the earliest.

We are encouraged to send this to you by your positive actions in deciding to cancel the Teesta IV Hydropower project, the Lingza Hydropower project, the Ringpi Hydropower project, the Rangyong Hydropower project and the Rukel Hydropower project, all affecting the Dzongu region. We learn that your government has said that these have been done in order to preserve and protect the sanctity of that Lepcha Abode, as you have said in the assembly and elsewhere.

We are concerned about the deteriorating health of the three activists who are today on the 74^th day of their indefinite fast. We appeal to your statesmanship to resolve this stand off at the earliest. One possible way we have suggested in the note to resolve this situation is to suspend the proposed 280 MW Panang Hydropower project at least for five years and in the meantime develop small and micro hydropower projects in the Dzongu region. Development of small and micro hydro power projects will also economically benefit the people of this region, in addition to help Sikkim generate additional electricity.

We hope you will seriously consider these and other suggestions in the attached note at the earliest. We would be happy to answer any questions or meet you if necessary in this connection. We will look forward to hearing you.

Thanking you for your attention,

Yours Sincerely,

s/d

Himanshu Thakkar

On behalf of the members of the Independent Expert Committee

Meanwhile, the indefinite hunger strike continues and i sincerely hope that something positive comes from the government as the health of dawa, Tenzing and Ongchuk is deteriorating by the day.

60 days of the indefinte hunger strike............

The Review Committee set up for hydel projects by the government submitted its report earlier this week. As expected and alleged it was just an eye wash with more than majority of the members being government servants and the recommendations being nothing new than the clique cut and paste ones!

ACT (Affected Citizens of Teesta) had earlier declined to join the Review Committee as it had felt that its members would not be accommodated and their terms and conditions not being incorporated.

As expected, the Review Committee has endorsed the Panan Hydel Project as feasible and has also termed is as being sustainable development!

Other recommendations made by the Review Committee are setting up of monitoring/review committee with adequate enforcing power to monitor the compliance effectiveness and initiate corrective action as may be needed, that the Environment Management Plan and additional safeguards to be carried out from time to time by the said committee with he composition of the Committee to include Geologists, Environmental Experts, Forest Experts, sociocultural experts from representatives of NGO and PCE cum Secretary, Energy and Power Department. With most of the members of the committee being a government backed one or a part of the government, it is wishful thinking on the parts of the anti dam proponents that anything would ever change from the current situation!

The committee also recommends that the Culture department identify cultural aspects of the area and then come up with a conservation plan! and the EMP(environment Management Plan) approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests be implemented with the project developer to contribute resources in its implementation and be reviewed periodically.

Besides, Capacity Building measures such as educational facilities/industrial training centers have also been emphasized. The report suggests that the project developers to develop skills of the local people by sponsoring their training at designated institutions so that the locals can be employed in the said projects.As mentioned in an earlier editorial in the blog, the state seems to be shying away from its primary responsibility of providing quality education and now leaving such things at the hands of the white gold corporates!

The report also mentions of no construction camps, temporary or permanent of labourers and that all labour is to be registered and photographed. As usual, the Catchment Area Treatment Plan to be implemented by the Forest Department and developing a monitoring system to do so.

The report concludes stating,” Considering the facts that environment & social interface is bearable, social and economic development is equitable. Environment and economic interface is viable means of sustainable development and is feasible in case of Panan Project”!

Meanwhile, Dawa Lepcha, General Secretary of ACT and who is presently on an indefinite hunger strike for the last 59 days has said that , “The Review Committee has submitted the report as expected in favour of the project developers and with 99% of the Review Committee being representatives of the Government, it was a long foregone conclusion.”

He contends that:
1. The occupancy of the 4005 ha of the National Park with the Catchment Work of the project for the prevention of silatation of the reservoir/dam, the home of the endangered plants and animals, with a notification saying that it should be kept absolutely undisturbed, has been conveniently sidelined.
2. Recommendations like ‘no defacement of hills’ is ridiculous for a place which is already a landslide prone area.
3. When the project span life span is a doubtful feature, which may be less than 30 years due to heavy siltation and the monsoon floods, how can it be sustainable development?
4. Cashing in on the failure of the cardamom crop, they forget about other alternative form of revenue source like tourism and horticulture which has tremendous scope in Dzongu.
5. The seismic aspect of the project structure will always be taken care of by the project developers, after all they are investing crores; what is not considered is the dam induced seismicity which will have harmful effect elsewhere.
6. The EMP of the project does not provide any solution to the imminent landslides that will surely result from the project works. The boulders and the surface slides which are plenty underground power house area which have occurred without any disturbance are the sign to use common sense!
7. Construction of a kamsel lhagan is a welcome infrastructure, but not a safeguard to the monastery. They have not mentioned Lingthem and Lingdhem monastery which are directly above the tunnel alignment and will be affected no matter what the precaution.
8. Most important, how will the socio-cultural uniqueness of the area be protected, as mentioned, when the Review Report does not even the Lepcha primitive indigenous tribe?

The EIA and the Review Committee Report as seen in the media report (ACT has not received any copies) of the project does not mention the Lepcha. The primary assessment before any other should be on the Lepchas. And their socio cultural aspect in detail. The very reason why Dzongu is a protected area for the Lepcha tribe is not considered. To protect and preserve the Lepchas and their cultural heritage, the reserve was created by the erstwhile kings and was considered as the private estate of the Queens and was administered separately by the Private Office. Till today, many old customs and traditions and language are still intact inside Dzongu.Then why are the companies brought in to destroy the land that has been protected till today? Why is the Land Acquisition Act being imposed on the innocent illiterate people and their land overuling the protective laws in force under the Constitution of India? The converging of thousands of workers of the projects will surely mean dilution and gradual end of the Lepchas in Dzongu. Why are alternative sustainable development programmes like eco tourism, mini micro hydel projects not being considered?

The land owners don’t know how much of their land has been taken. The 9 families who have lost 70% of their land are blissfully unaware. How much per sq feet or acre they have been paid, they have no idea. No member of their family is a qualified person. They have no idea what is coming up next to their hamlet. Some were even ready to give their land for Rs 10000! Isnt this criminally taking advantage of such innocent people? Some have now almost finished 50% of their compensation money, which of course they had to accept with the imposition of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The mega projects in Dzongu are not sustainable development, but sustainable destruction of Dzongu.

We had rejected the Review Committee since our terms and conditions were not incorporated and our stand remains the same.

Meanwhile the ST Commission has asked for further “full facts” of the case ‘at an early date’ from the Secretary, Power & Energy, in reply to the petition filed by ACT on 19.04.08. The petition was sent by ACT in reply to the reply sent by the department to the commission which it had sought in 2007. The reply sent by the department was not satisfactory and had omitted important facts regarding the issue in question.

Meanwhile an ACT team in Delhi to participate in a dharna organised by the Narmada Bachao Andolan led by Medha Patkar has been calling on concerned ministries and appraising them on the Dzongu.

The indefinite hunger strike continues indefinitely.

ACT raises alarm bells over ‘rising social tension’ in Dzongu...indefinite hunger strike by the trio for the last 37days continues ..................

The Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) has raised concerns over signs of social tension in “peaceful Dzongu” after the distribution of the compensation at Panang Project area.

In a press release issued today, ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha informs that with the distribution of the compensation after the imposition of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, in Dzongu, family tension and quarrels have been on the rise among family members especially at the Panang Project area.

According to the release, conflicts have risen from the fact that the compensation was distributed prior to the separation of the land holdings among the family members as per parcha/ khatiyan.
This, according to Mr. Lepcha has resulted in hoarding of the compensation by few members of the family and neglect of the other members, which has further resulted into family disgruntle and feuds. “These are signs of social tensions and problems for future in the quite peaceful land due to no land no money situation topping it with no education and qualification and no job”, the general secretary points out.

He also questions whether such tensions are in store for Dzongu or Sikkim in general in the name of development in the long run.

The general secretary further informs that there are incidences where innocent villagers have been cheated by middle men and sadly many have finished more than 50% of their money without investing much. “Nine families whose 70% land has been acquired have no knowledge of the situation and no one knows what might happen to them once their compensation money runs out,” the release reads.

“This is the reason, why tribals should not be separated from their land, for investment means nothing to most of them, save for few exceptions. We see many Busuks in the making,” the release further reads.

In the meanwhile, Tenzing and Ongchuk Lepcha, who have been carrying their indefinite hunger strike from STNM Hospital are discharged from the hospital and have joined fellow strikers at BL House. Doctors have not removed rile tubes and have advised the duo to continue with it, something similar to Irom Sharmila of Manipur, the release informs. Both the protestors’ conditions have stabilized for the time being.

However, Dawa Lepcha still remains in the hospital since his vitals organs have not shown complete improvement according to the doctors. He will have to undergo some more tests, the release adds.

source:sikkim express

Development not at the cost of cultural heritage and environment: Medha Patkar

Renowned social worker and environment activist Medha Patkar today said that the Dzongu issue will be taken as a special case during the “mahadharna” scheduled to be held in New Delhi from April 28 to 30.

Talking to the Sikkim Express correspondent here, Ms. Patkar said that the initiative was felt since the Sikkim Government had failed to respond even as the Satyagraha and hunger strike launched by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) in protest of hydro power projects in Dzongu had completed 301 days.

She also said that the Review Committee formed by the State Government was not satisfactory.Strongly opposing mega hydel projects in Dzongu, Ms Patkar said, “I am not opposing the developmental activities of State but it is also very crucial to preserve the environment, culture and heritage of the area. “If the environment and cultural heritage of the land of the Lepchas are disturbed, how will the people continue to stay in that area?” she questioned.

Ms Patkar further requested the State Government to do developmental wok by not disturbing the environment, culture and heritage of the area.

She also said that the State Government had in a letter to the Scheduled Tribes Commission in New Delhi mentioned that hydel projects was necessary to start in Sikkim to give employment to the local youth. Ms. Patkar said that there are a number of hydro projects planned elsewhere in the State which would cater to providing employment and not necessarily mega hydel projects in North Sikkim.

“The Mines and Zoology Department has sent a report to the State government that a huge landslide may occur in future due to these hydel projects. If this happens, not only the Lepcha community but other communities would also face problems,” she said.

She also requested the ST Commission to come personally to Sikkim to assess the ground reality.
Ms Patkar, who was in Sikkim on a day’s visit, also supported the protests by the Tibetans in New Delhi today and condemned the Chinese atrocities in Tibet. “It is unfortunate to say that the Indian government has completely turned a blind eye towards the Tibetan problem,” she added.

source: sikkim express

MEDHA PATKAR COMES TO TOWN............INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE BY THE TRIO AT STNM HOSPITAL CROSSES 39 days....

The leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), Medha Patkar, today said that the Sikkim Government should come to the people and start a dialogue and not put up a “party show” as they did to the Lepcha marchers from Bengal today.

The country’s most vocal environment activist said this here today. Ms. Patkar was on a day’s visit to the State.

Ms Patkar, who was supposed to join the Lepcha marchers during their three-day pilgrimage to Dzongu in North Sikkim, expressed “shock and sadness” over the State Government’s alleged role in threatening and stopping the pilgrims from proceeding towards Dzongu.

The marchers were forced to turn back from Phidang near Dikchu today morning when Section 144 was clamped in North Sikkim thus barring them to continue the march to their “holy” land.

The NBA leader visited the BL House here today evening after a brief stopover at Rangpo where she met the marchers from Kalimpong.

Stepping out from the car, Ms Patkar immediately went to the two Satyagrahis on a hunger strike seated outside the BL House and offered her solidarity to the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), who is spearheading the Satyagraha.

She also met protestors carrying out their indefinite hunger strike against the implementation of hydel projects in Dzongu from the Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital here.

While addressing the press conference here at BL House, the NBA leader, also a leader of the People’s Movement said that those belonging to the ruling party are always on one side and people’s movements like this in all the states across the country have to play the role of the opposition party.

Touched by the plight of the Lepchas over their fight to protect their rich land-“rich in terms of natural resources and as the source of inspiration and livelihood to their own generation,” the NBA leader pointed out that the Chamling Government has failed to make even a single gesture of initiating a dialogue with those on the hunger strike even as the indefinite hunger strike attained the 35th day.

“We are ready to hear what the Chief Minister has to say but unfortunately he is not saying anything,” she added.

“Why cannot a frank and free dialogue happen, which is acceptable to both parties? It is shameful that no dialogue has been initiated by the State Government with the Satyagrahis”, she said.

Taking up Sikkim’s issue for the first time, Ms Patkar said that the State being under high seismic risk and hydel projects planned along buffer zones, the Sikkim Government is not serious about its own environmental laws or least bothered about the people’s rights and the land laws supposed to be protected under Article 371 F of the Indian Constitution.

“Every community must have the right to concede or not to concede to any project and this is what the Indian constitution has granted,” she informed, adding that “Article 243 of the Indian Constitution says that the first right to plan development should lie with the smallest of the communities, the grams sabhas and the ward sabhas in rural and urban areas respectively.”

The NBA leader also said that to have so many projects in Dzongu with just a population of around 6,000 is nothing but a perfect example of colonization. According to her, such a policy to extract and exploit resources of one land in a hurry and haste needs to be questioned.

Further stating that the people living on agriculture, horticulture, cardamom cultivation can be easily lured through dole outs, she said that the State Government should have played the role of protector rather than being agents in favour of the corporate.

She also felt the need of protecting Sikkim’s nature, culture and religion even amidst the plans and policies of the so called development. “This beautiful State of Sikkim is not just a tourist centre; it is a place of cultural centre which the State is flooded with, she said.

“No one is against development per se but development is a chain that is desirable and acceptable to those people who are to be directly affected, she added.

Commenting on the outside agencies encroaching upon the land of the Lepchas in Dzongu, Ms Patkar said it reflects social, cultural, economic and political issues for which she demanded for immediate review of Teesta State III and stop Panang project. “This is the most reasonable democratic demand which the Chamling government should accept,” she added.

Ms Patkar further said that the response made by the State government during the 63rd day of the indefinite hunger strike was a fraud and betrayed the Lepchas.

Alleging that the Chief Minister formed a review committee with almost all official members and only one non official member, the NBA leader termed it as an undemocratic way of the Sikkim Democratic Front Government to respond to the protestors.

She also informed of raising the issue of the Land Acquisition Act Bill, which is lying before the standing committee.

Ms Patkar also invited members of ACT and other environmental organizations to join in a dharna in New Delhi from April 28 to 30. During the dharna, all the organizations will jointly take up the issue of development, displacement and disparities as a result of mega hydel projects in the country, she informed.

Not only did she handed over CDs on how dams should be planned to the ACT protestors, Ms Patkar also suggested the Government to go for mini hydel projects, which is not only cost effective but people-friendly.

The NBA leader told the Satyagrahis to feed those hunger strikers whose health was deteriorating.

source: Sikkim Express

INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES AMIDST A LEPCHA RALLY TO DZONGU............

While the indefinite hunger strike led by Dawa lepcha and Tenzing Lepcha is more than 38 days now, about 650 Lepchas from the Darjeeling hills have set off on a “pilgrimage” to North Sikkim’s Dzongu, located around 150km from Tribeni with about 350 Lepchas from Sikkim joining them in Rangpo.

Although the marchers chose not to be vocal about their protest against the setting up of hydel power projects in the Lepcha reserve, the real purpose of the exercise was not lost on anyone.
“We are basically going on a pilgrimage to our holy land. Hopefully, the march will also raise awareness about the significance of the place to us. Every Lepcha will be hurt if people violate the sanctity of the place,” said Azuk Tamsangmoo, an adviser to Rong Ong Prongzom (a Lepcha youth association).

The association and other Lepcha organisations have been leading a sustained campaign against the decision of the Sikkim government to set up hydel projects in Dzongu.The Lepchas began their march with a prayer at the confluence of the Teesta and Rangit in Kalimpong. Attired in traditional costume, the marchers sought the blessings of Rumitboobebumoo, who the Lepchas believe is the creator of the world, by offering him chee (traditional brew made from millet). They will also offer some of the home-made brew to their deity at Dzongu.

Amid cries of “mutanci rumkup (children of God)”, the Lepchas started their long trek which is expected to end at Dzongu on April 17. The marchers entered Sikkim after crossing the Rangpo bridge around 4pm. “We will be spending the night at Singtam and resume our march tomorrow morning,” said Tamsangmoo over the phone. The Sikkim government has issued special identity cards to all the marchers, he said.
According to government sources in Sikkim, the marchers will not be allowed to pass through Gangtok. They will either be diverted from Singtam via Dikchu to North Sikkim or told to use Indira Bypass below the capital and directly get on the North Sikkim highway.
Unlike the Tibetan exiles who were stopped at Rangpo on their way to Nathu-la on the India-China border, the Lepchas were allowed to enter Sikkim without any trouble. However, their passage to Gangtok has been blocked because of some incidents in the past that had threatened to create law and order problems in the state capital.The police claimed that they were only ensuring the safety and security of the marchers. Affected Citizens of Teesta, an organisation spearheading the anti-hydel power project protests in Sikkim, however, claimed that the government was making all efforts to obstruct the rally and was not letting the marchers stop and meet people.

INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE CROSSES ONE MONTH............

The indefinite hunger strike by Satyagrahis of Affected Citizens of Teesta led by Dawa and Tenzing Lepcha ia a month old now. They lie on their hospital beds each with a Ryle’s tube hoping that the government will listen to them this time.

Meanwhile, hydel project supporters from North Sikkim, drove into Gangtok in vehicles flaunting banners announcing their pro hydel project credentials a few days back raising quite an eye bro! They poured into Samman Bhawan on Saturday to petition the Chief Minister with a request to expediate work on the hydel projects in North Sikkim for which MOUs had been signed! Sadly, most of the so called hydel supporters were ruling government party supporters and affected people who were selling land to the hydel project companies for money. ACT later alleged that the said supporters were not from Dzongu, but from other parts of North Sikkim.

The Hydel debate has always been a fractured one in Sikkim and although both ( pro and anti) sides have been leveling allegations at each other for quite sometime now, the gloves truly came off yesterday. The banners on the pro-project rally vehicles carried direct confrontation with ACT (Affected Citizens of Teesta), as did the 2 page memorandum that the hydel supporters submitted to the Chief Minister.

One of the banners in the said vehicles said that they did not want to go back to the 16^th century but ironically, super felicitation celebrations were organized sometime back on the government recognizing Lepchas as the “Most Primitive Tribe”!

Meanwhile the Hon’ble High Court of Sikkim has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation by one Tashi Tshering Lepcha seeking the High Court’s intervention in ensuring the implementation of the hydel projects in Dzongu. Apart from the State Government, ACT (Affected Citizens of teesta) was made respondents in the matter.

The writ Petition was dismissed at the admission stage itself. It is pertinent to note that the Hon’ble High Court also concluded that, “ If writ petition of this type are entertained, the Courts will have no time left for proper litigation.”

Meanwhile expectedly, about 500 Lepchas from all over the Eastern Himalayan region (Darjeeling District , Illam Western Nepal , southern Bhutan and Sikkim) have planned to undertake a pilgrimage to their holy land Dzongu.

The said pilgrims will be marching all the way to Dzongu from various places mentioned.
The indefinite hunger strike by the satyagrahis continues indefinitely.

indefinite hunger strike by Satyagrahis crosses 21 days, nasal feeding starts.

The Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) members Dawa, Tenzing and Ongchuk Lepcha, who completed 21 days of the resumed indefinite hunger strike in protest of implementation of hydel projects in Dzongu were put on Ryle's tube(nasal feed) this morning after doctors attending to them diagnosed their condition as unstable.

Dawa Lepcha, the ACT General Secretary, and Tenzing Lepcha had been admitted at STNM hospital on 16th March while 19 year old Ongchuk Lepcha was admitted on 14th March.

Doctors here inform that they detected kitons in their urine during the last check, while sugar levels in their blood and urine was found to be higher than normal. They are also said to be suffering from kidney and liver complications and further prolongation of the fast could cause complications which could lead to organ failure. Since they refused to injest food orally, the Ryle's Tube is the only option.

"We are still waiting and will not quit. We shall go till the end and will die if required for Dzongu if we are not heard. The way the government is not paying any heed means that they do not care for us or for the beleifs and sentiments attached to the land. Thus far, no Central or State Government official has come to us with anything. We shall not be deterred by this and will stand for our beleifs until there is life left in us," stressed Dawa Lepcha while speaking from his hospital bed today.



It may also be mentioned here that ACT-led Protests against the hydel projects in Dzongu has completed 369 days of relay hunger strike at BL House today. The protest had gained momentum last June when the indefinite hunger strike was launched and which had led to talks between the protestors and the state government representatives. Subsequently, a Review Committee for the hydel projects had also been formed which however, was boycotted by ACT later on the grounds that they did not have adequate representation in it.

Dawa and Tenzing Lepcha had gone on an indefinite hunger strike for a record 63 days when the hunger strike began and had called it off on the public appeal of the Chief Minister.

Earlier this month, Tashi Namgyal Lepcha from Upper Dzongu who had completed 17 days into the recent hunger strike was asked to withdraw on 28th March in consideration of his failing health.

"Even, when he was put on oxygen, he refused to eat anything. He was adamant, ready to die, but we convinced him to end his hunger strike. He is still adamant and wants to return", informed Dawa, whose own condition is fast worsening and was straining to be able to speak.


"We understand Tashi's sentiments but his life is important to us and Dzongu, but here i want to say that for us, we shall only stop if we receive something in black and white," he said.

While still focusing on ACT's intent to 'empty Dzongu into BL House', Dawa informed that more and more supporters were joining the protest and yesterday, a monk from Chawang, in Kabi-Tingda, had also joined the indefinite hunger strike, while Samten from Upper Dzongu has been on the hunger strike for the past seven days.

"Even people from outside Dzongu are realising the importance of this cause and are joining us. I also want to say that we are in the process of bringing the entire state together. About mass rallies and protest 'dharnas', these shall be conducted when the time comes," said Dawa.

Responding to the Chief Minister's Budget Session 2008 address recently, where he had mentioned that there shall be only one project in Dzongu, i.e Panan, Dawa stated, "We still have not received this in writing, which we should have. If the Chief Minister has put this in record, then we should be given a document in writing. Till now there has been no confirmation communicated to us in this regard by the government."


source: Sikkim Now!

Health of ACT supporter on hunger strike turns critical.........

Tears rolled down the cheeks of a young Lepcha girl when Tashi Namgyal Lepcha from Panan village in North Sikkim wanted to carry on with the indefinite hunger even when he was put under oxygen mask.

The 33-year-old protestor’s condition deteriorated today afternoon when he was unconscious for a while, doctors said.

He was admitted at the Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital on March 23 when he was detected with jaundice and other body complications.

Mr Lepcha is on the 18th day of the ACT-led indefinite hunger strike against the implementation of mega-hydel projects in Dzongu, the Lepcha reserve.

“We don’t want our brother die like this. The Government has become mute spectators,” said ACT general secretary Dawa T Lepcha.

The president of Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim (CLOS), Gyatso Lepcha, who was seated next to Tashi Namgyal Lepcha said, “We have requested Tashi Namgyal to call off his hunger strike. We don’t want him to continue because of his critical condition.”

Besides Ongchuk Lepcha, both Tenzing and Dawa Lepcha are admitted at the hospital and are on the 18th day of the strike. All of them are determined to continue the strike until concrete solution comes from the government. Although their health condition is not sound, they are continuing their struggle refusing to take any food besides being administered intravenous fluids. Doctors said that Ongchuk, Dawa and Tenzing have developed liver and kidney complications.
Doctors further warn that if they continue without taking any oral intakes, the protestors may develop serious complications.


source: Sikkim Express

DAY 16............

Ongu Lepcha, age-19, Tshering Ongden Lepcha, age-29, and Somten Lepcha, age-25 (R to L) from Lingdong, Upper Dzongu, North Sikkim joined indefinite hunger strike from today.

Dawa and Tenzing are still at STNM hospital continuing their indefinite hunger strike there. Its been 16 days nonstop since they've been going hungry for the second indefinite hunger strike in months......

DAY 14 OF THE INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE...........

Dawa T. Lepcha and Tenzing Gyatso Lepcha are continuing their indefinite hunger strike and are presently lodged at STNM hospital. Its been 14 days now ! since they started their second indefinite hunger strike. Earlier, Dawa and Tenzing had braved a historic and record 63 day hunger strike to press for their demand of scrapping mega hydel projects coming up in Dzongu, a protected reserve for the indegenious Lepchas of Sikkim until assurances were given by the Government to review the matter.

A few month down the line now, the issue remains the same and sadly, not much discussions came about between the two sides to try resolve the issue, and to discuss wider implications of such schemes.

The Government has spoken about scrapping some around Dzongu, however the bigger projects of Panan and Teesta Stage 3 together with a capacity of about 1500 MW would actually tear through the soul of Dzongu.

Its time, concern should be shown at this peaceful protest of pressurizing the authorities to review the matter and we are deeply saddened at the cliche concern of the fourth estate.


Kendup lepcha of Upper Taryang, Lower Dzongu, joined the indefinite hunhger strike from Sunday, the 23th of March 2008.

CONDITION OF ACT SUPPORTERS ON HUNGER STRIKE DETERIORATING...............

Gyabu Lepcha of Lingdem, was discharged on 22/03/2008, after 12 days continuous fast. After consultation and request of all members of the protestor. He was becoming extremely weaker by the even under medical supervision.

Tashi Namgyal Lepcha (left) of Panang, one of the indefinite hunger strikers at BL House has developed serious kidney and liver problem and was admitted in a critical condition to STNM Hospital on Sunday, the 23rd of March. He has been kept under close medical supervision in the emergency ward.

Ongchok Lepcha (right) has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the 14 today and he continues his indefinite hunger strike at B. L. House.

(President of CITU Manoj Kumar Gupta (right) and two other members of CITU joined the relay hunger strike for 24 hours on Saturday, the 22nd of March, 2008.)

DAY 7 of the indefinite hunger strike........

The indefinite hunger strike reached its 7th day today withTenzing Gyatso Lepcha also being admitted to STNM hospital today. While Dawa and 2 others are still in STNM hospital, two are continuing their indefinite hunger strike at BL House.

Months earlier, Dawa and Tenzing had gone on a historic 63 day indefinite hunger strike asking the government of Sikkim to review and scrap hydel projects coming up in Dzongu.

Meanwhile, The Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) has reiterated its demand to the State Government to scrap all the projects, especially those located in the heart of Dzongu before any major disasters.

In a press release, the ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha, has tried to clear the doubts of people about the number of hydel power projects and their status in Sikkim and in Dzongu.

“Out of the 30 or more proposed mega hydro projects in Sikkim, 26 of them have been issued Letters of Intent (LOI). 14 of these projects out of 26 which have been issued LOI are in North District of Sikkim. Seven of them are in Dzongu leaving out Teesta stage V 510 MW which covers lower portion of Dzongu,” reads the release.

While pointing out that seven projects including Rukel (33MW), Rangyong (141MW), Ringpi (90MW), Lingzya (120 MW) are absolutely inside Khangchendzonga National Park and the Biosphere Reserve, Mr Lepcha informs that Panang (280MW) and Teesta Stage IV (495MW) are in the heart of Dzongu.

“The Teesta III (1200MW) covers the Upper Dzongu, with the underground powerhouse, tunnels and 5 Adits and contractors facilities etc with the dam site in Chungthang,” he adds.
According to the ACT general secretary, these projects and their MW capacities when totalled are producing more than 2000MW of power out of the 5000MW programme of the state.

Stating that only the Teesta Stage III (1200MW) project is more than many of the projects totalled in the rest of Sikkim, Mr Lepcha asks as to why in Dzongu with a meagre population of about 7000 Lepchas have been targeted with so many projects which are out of proportion compared to the carrying capacity of Dzongu, its indigenous tribal, fragile ecology and geology.

ACT has also thanked the “enlightened concerned intellectuals, well wishers and organizations who have come out in support of the true cause and participated in the hunger strike.”

The indefinite hunger strike will not be lifted until the demands are fulfilled, even if it means giving up our life, informs the release.

While the International Florishow seems to be on everybody's mind at the moment, the indefinite hunger strike at BL house has completed its 5th day today...

Dawa Lepcha and Gyabu Lepcha have been admitted to STNM hospital.

6 out of 7 hydel projects coming up in Dzongu to be scrapped......1 and the most controversial remains ........

The Sikkim chief minister Mr Pawan Chamling has announced that his government would stop construction of six of the seven power projects at Dzongu in north Sikkim, which had been cleared earlier. Construction of the Panan Hydro electric project would, however, continue. He also announced that three units of National Hydro Power Corporation project would be commissioned soon. He made these announcements in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly on the last day of the budget session.

The chief minister, however, refused to disclose the reason behind the government’s sudden back out from the six projects. He merely said that the generation of electricity from the proposed power project would solve the power crisis in the region. “We would also encourage Hydro-power tourism,” he added.

Earlier answering a question of Acharya Tshering Lama, the only Opposition (Congress) MLA, Chief Minister said only one Panan Hydel project will be set up in Dzongu as the company has already signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the State government. Explaining the importance of the project he said the project is being set up for the sustainable livelihood of the local people. “These days cardamom cultivation in Dzongu has been degraded and with the execution of the project, the locals would get employment in large number. Moreover, Dzongu would be the destination of ideal tourism and the each and every local product would be sold in good price”, he observed.In the financial business hour two separate Demands for Grants were passed.

Meanwhile, former minister Tseten Dorjee Lepcha has joined the indefinite relay hunger strike carried out by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) today here at BL House.
To show solidarity towards the Lepcha activists, Mr. Lepcha has joined the hunger strike from 1pm and will continue for the next 48 hours.

He added, “The demand for scrapping all the hydel power projects is not only for the Lepchas of Dzongu but for the greater common good of all the people of Sikkim.”
Referring Dzongu as the Mecca for the Lepchas, Mr Lepcha said he has joined the hunger strike as a Lepcha and not as a politician. He also called for the protection of the “holy land” Dzongu.

Meanwhile, Dawa Lepcha who had resumed the hunger strike along with Tenzing Lepcha said that the “Chief Minister’s decision of scrapping all other six hydel projects from Dzongu is a welcome step but we want Panan project to be scrapped equally which is largely affecting the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve.”

INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE BEGINS AGAIN.....................

The duo of Dawa Lepcha and Tenzing Lepcha who had earlier sat on an indefinite hunger strike for 63 days have again started an indefinite hunger strike from today. Joining them this time is Gaybu Lepcha from Lingdem and Ongchok Lepcha form Tingvong North Sikkim.

On being questioned about the resumption of the hunger strike, Dawa says, “The State government’s failure to come up with an appropriate solution, compelled us to once again redressal our demand by going for the indefinite strike.”

“We want the government to give us proper solution, as the matter is very much crucial and sensitive,” he said adding “We have a plan to organize more such rallies in the days to come to make our issue and demand alive.”

PEACE RALLY BY THE LEPCHAS AND CALL TO SCRAP HYDEL PROJECTS IN DZONGU

The Lepchas of Dzongu took out a rally here today reiterating their demand for scrapping all hydel projects from the Dzongu reserve in North Sikkim. Organized by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) in support with the Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim (CLOS) and Sangha of Dzongu (SOD), the rally started from the vicinity of Star Cinema Hall, New Market and after taking up a round via National Highway ended up at BL House, Tibet Road.

More than 300 Lepchas from Dzongu undertook the rally, armed with placards, banners and cries of ‘stop all hydel power projects from North Sikkim’.

The rally was organized to press further the demand that the mega projects in Dzongu be scrapped. It is not only a blind opposition to the projects but also suggestions that mini/micro hydel projects be taken up in Dzongu, which will be less harmful to environment and the indigenous tribals and also generate power and energy.

Hydel projects in the State will not be stopped says the Chief Minister

The State will go ahead with the hydel projects planned in the State, including Dzongu in North Sikkim. Until and unless Sikkim becomes a developed State, we will not compromise with the people who are becoming hurdle in the development by playing with the sentiments of the Sikkimese people.”

"I want this on record and maintain that we will go ahead with all the power projects in Dzongu. These projects will not be called off because we refuse to compromise with any initiative we know to be for the development of the people of this land and state. We will complete these projects and make Sikkim the top-revenue earning state in the country. A few anti-development people cannot deter our vision; we will not allow development to be held hostage by them," said the Chief Minister, Mr Pawan Chamling today.

Earlier, the lone opposition member Acharya Tshering Lama said, “the sacred land of Dzongu is now in Danger Zone and it has affected the sentiments of the Buddhist.” He had also commented that the Governor's claim (in his inaugural address yesterday) that there was no religious tension in Sikkim was not accurate. " I am not against development but look at the situation of Dzongu and the destruction of religious sites and lakes. Religious sentiments of the people have been hurt as religious significant spots have been destroyed or are in the process of being destroyed. These places are protected under the Places of Worship Act according to old laws".

The chief Minister maintained that what was being offered as religious tension and protest was not ground reality when it came to Dzongu. These aspects were instigated expressions, when in reality the affected people and a majority of the residents had accepted the hydel projects.

He found support on this count from the Lepcha legislators, including the Dzongu MLA, Sonam Gyatso Lepcha who insisted that the Governor's observation that there was no religious tension in Sikkim was accurate. The Lepchas, he said had welcomed the developmental prospects offered by hydel projects and were proud to be part of the process.

The Chief Minister also claimed that the significance of Dzongu as a special land of the Lepchas was a recognition that had entered public consciousness thanks to the special attention paid towards its development by the government. "Now everybody sees Dzongu as the holy land of the Lepchas. In the past no one cared for it, now everyone wants to visit it; this is thanks to the improved visibility that has come to Dzongu from our developmental efforts there and the attention we have paid to Lepcha issues,"he said.

Stating that the government is using natural resources as an instrument for the development of the State, the Chief Minister said that the government has acquired the land of Sikkimese people on lease for 35 years for other hydel project except NHPC.

“They will get back their land after 35 years as the ownership of the land possessed with the State and not with the project developer, the Chief Minister clarified.

The Chief Minister further said, “Politics does not mean blackmailing the people emotionally. Politics is actually Science and politics, which we are playing, is based upon Science.”

(Source: - Sikkim Express & Now! dated 7th March, 2008)

Pristine ecology under threat (click on pic to enlarge)

landslides beginning at the site of the Panang HE Project (click on pic to enlarge)


4005 htrs of area within Khangchendzonga National Park and Khangchendzonga Biosphere
Reserve is being encroached by the Panang 280 MW hydro electric project.

Various notifications from time to time as mentioned in the last topic mentioned below would say and suggest that the core zone of the Biosphere Reserve,and the National Park should be left absolutely undisturbed.

(ABOVE - Map of Sikkim with location of hydel projects coming up. Most projects are within or in close vicinity of the Khangchendzonga national Park and Biosphere Reserve as alleged by Affected Citizens of Teesta and environmentalists while the Government of Sikkim does not agree to the same)

The Affected Citizens of Teesta has asked for copies of the reports with regard to hydel projects particularly pertaining to Dzongu, sent by the Chief Secretary’s office and the Secretary, Power and Energy Department to the National Commission for Minorities and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

The Commissions had earlier asked the State Government for information/reports regarding the ‘Sanctity of Dzongu’ among Lepchas and ‘protection of the holy land among the Lepcha tribe’. The replies sought has had the concerned departments/authorities ask for extension of dates for submitting the said reports.

Here it would also be appropriate to mention that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of 300 MW Panang Hydro Electric Project does not mention even a single line on the original indigenous Lepchas though it is mandatory to have a detail anthropological study of the people living in the area in such reports.

Detail studies on the culture, customs, religion and social life on indigenous people being being affected by such projects are usually the norms in the preparation of such projects. Leave out intricate details, the word Lepcha does not even figure in the report !

The Carrying Capacity Study of the Teesta basin done by Center for Inter-Disciplinary Studies of Mountain and Hill Environments (CISHME), University of Delhi which was commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), however, clearly mentions that Dzongu is the holy land of the Lepchas and that for any activity to commence there, the consent of the local people is needed.

Consent by far has not been democratic and public hearings/_ usually are a sham with state machinery working overtime to ensure that protests are not welcome.


Weeping Teesta now nothing more than a little dry stream.......... stolen of its life, glory and beauty. These pictures are taken a little downstream Teesta Stage V (510 MW) at Dikchu. Commuters along National Highway connecting Sikkim to the rest of India are these days greeted by such sights. A series of more big and mega dams are coming up in the near future. One a little after Singtam, 2 low dams at Rambi and Kalijhora down south and some more upstream of teesta Stage V in and around Dzongu......!!!!

Future generations of Sikkim and other nature enthusiasts and nature lovers will not be able to admire the high and mighty Teesta and its beautiful tributaries in all its natural flow and the life that this most beautiful river supports in its journey meandering through the great mountains. The rape of Teesta has now officially begun.......................she weeps to her untimely death.....................

http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=4&autono=312388

Sreelatha Menon: Reaping the rivers

EAR TO THE GROUND

New Delhi

February 03, 2008

The government's move to declare some rivers as national assets to exploit their potential defies logic.

The Government of India wants to declare some rivers as national assets as it feels that the states are not equipped to exploit their potential enough. Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz said this week that the proposal, which has already been examined by a Group of Ministers headed by the Union agriculture minister, is to go before the Cabinet soon.

The rivers which are to be given this special status are the ones associated with international treaties and have national dimensions. This might include almost all Himalayan snow-fed rivers, like the Ganges, Yamuna and Teesta.

Rivers are a state subject, but this hurdle would be crossed by the Centre by declaring its control not on the entire stretch of the river but on portions of it. Soz says these would be "national projects" on rivers which would still belong to the states.

Whether states would accept it with a smile is yet to be seen. But the Centre does not seem to be worried for the moment. It says the intent is noble and for the national good. But the question is whether national good is the same as good for the people. Second, it is hardly true that the states have not been exploiting the potential of their rivers. Soz gives the examples of two rivers — Yamuna and Teesta — to justify the plan. The Yamuna, he says, has been with the states but they failed to keep it clean, or to use it for drinking water or generating hydel power.

Soz could not be more misinformed. In the last 30 years, the people of Delhi, including Soz and his Cabinet colleagues, have been able to tap even the last drop available from the river. On its way to Delhi, Haryana's farmers have been able to irrigate the fields from the Yamuna water, while the state has been generating power too.

In fact, what flows in Delhi, and this has been said millions of time by environment activists, is nothing but water from all the toilets and drains of Delhi.

What magic formula does the Centre have to clean this cesspool or to generate hydel power from this? The strategies being suggested to localise sewage treatment and to avoid big treatment plants have never been heeded. Soz is not even talking of it and the matter is not in his hands anyway.

As for the Teesta, the Centre's logic of exploiting its potential would have made sense if the Sikkim government had not been accused of already overdoing this exploitation.

Already, 30-odd hydel power projects are taking the life out of the river, even as the surrounding mountains are being dynamited.

What more potential does the Centre see? In the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, the Son river is being exploited for sand mining. The mountains around have already been razed for rocks. After another 20 years, the river may disappear just as the mountains around it have almost vanished.

The Centre has not set up a group of ministers to review the ongoing exploitation of rivers. Instead, it wants to join the forces that are raping the rivers of this country.

contradictions....generally!!

With a view to protect, preserve and to encourage propagation of rich flora and fauna in this part of Sikkim which is of great importance from ecological, geomorphological and biological significance, an area of 850sq.km. was declared as Khangchendzonga National Park, vide Sikkim Government Gazette Notification No. 95 ,August 26, 1977.

Then again, videSikkim Government Gazette Notification No. 1/KNP(WL)F/27 DATED:THE 19^TH May, 1997, the area of Khangchendzonga (High Altitude)National Park was expanded from the existing area of 850 sq.km. to 1784 sq.km.

The whole area of 1784 sq.Km. of Khangchendzonga National Park as Core Zone along with 835.92 sq.km. as Buffer Zone around around this Park has been designated as Khangchendzonga Biosphere vide Notification No. J- 2201/76/91-BR, Dated 7^th February, 2000, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Hence, the total areas of Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve is 2619.92 sq.km. Objective to declare the area as Biosphere Reserve is (a) to keep the core zone of the BR absolutely undisturbed.

Though notifications on Khangchendzonga National Park and the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve clearly mention that the core zone of the Biosphere Reserve (i.e KNP) should be left absolutely undisturbed , there are more than a few mega hydel projects that are planned inside the National Park and Biosphere Reserve.

These projects are namely:

1. Linzya HEP -(120 Mega Watts being developed by SSNR Super Power (P) Ltd., Hyderabad )

2. Rangyong HEP (117 mega watt) being developed by BSCPL-SCL Hyderabad 3. Ruckel HEP

3. Ruckel HEP

4. Ringpi HEP
(the above picture taken from the carrying capacity report clearly shows hydel projects coming up in the vicinity of Khangchendzonga National Park and Khangchendzonga Biosphere reserve)

Also, the Panang 280 MW project is within kilometer of the National Park. It is going to destroy the Khangchendzonga National Park in the guise of Catchment Area Treatment Work. The work is to be carried out for period of 4/5 years covering 4005 Hectare in the vicinity of the National Park and Biosphere Reserve. This is gross violation of the Supreme Court Rulings and Orders . As ruled by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in many rulings pertaining to similar issues, there has been clear guidelines of not allowing any activity within a few kms of a crow flying range! Practically, most of Sikkim should be included in it then!

Well then..........., such grave environmental and sociological impacts of developmental projects in the magnitude of mega hydel projects always will overshadow and and leave a bad after taste in the intention of good environmental policies like the State Green mission, Organic Farming, Floriculture, The International Flower Show, Scientific studies on Climatology in Sikkim and also studies in Glaciers etc etc etc or these days, even policies aimed to get a share of the world carbon trading when its a fact that big hydro has been hiding its role in global warming!

......so...............whats the point.............?????what a contradiction ....?

Then, regarding other contradictions to begin with, no one can ever miss the ugly sight of the Akshay Ispat Factory (picture shown below) as and when one enters Sikkim at Rangpo!!...........................When efforts are being made to try and promote Sikkim as a major ecotourism destination in the world, the tourist is welcomed by the eye sore sight of a factory letting out hazourdous smoke. It is even more pertinent and baffling to note that applications to set up this unit which is a a subsidiary of Lakshmi Mittal's empire, had even the big states in India reject it on environmental grounds before it got permission to set up in Sikkim. Not only that, it even pays electricity that is subsidized and less than what a normal consumer in an urban area pays!!!!!! we also cant forget the fact that it is located in less than a kilometer diameter of Sikkim's first University which we seem to be very proud of, The Sikkim Manipal University!

These days, the Hydel Power Developers are now even asked to share the responsibility of maintaining and making schools, primary health centres etc which are proudly showcased as the hydel developers contribution in supposedly trying to help the people of the area it exploits for its corporate profits.This, interestingly, even a member of the government appointed Review Committee once remarked as was reported in a newspaper daily sometime back !

Does this mean that the state is also shying away from its primary responsibilities of providing basic fundamental benefits like Health and Education and leaving it to the corporates in some hydel developer to deliver.

Well, interestingly, borrowed money/loans from private banks and insurance companies like ICICI bank, LIC etc etc to name a few where the middle class save their hard earned money these days in India's present economic boom ultimately are loaned out to hydel developers to an extent in the guise to finance the mega dam projects and where most of the companies are first timers in undertaking these projects with practically no experience at all.........??

........Hills after hills are bombed with dynamite, tunnels after tunnels dug inside our sacred hills, our most beautiful rivers, dammed beyond recognition and along with it our dying trees, fishes, animals, ecology.............................................People are losing their precious land that is even so scarce and having been passed down by ancestors and then compensated in money!, pretty little towns with suspension bridges losing their way into man made reservoirs of dead things but algae, silent people having to bear the brunt of man's quest to tame nature in pursuit of profit and to light up the homes of an ever increasing materially expanding country of a billion! and above all leaving an utterly weeping sikkim.....................

Even in everything that has been happening, to say that we are fit only to deserve only 12 % of the profit from the hydel projects is again utterly sad and pathetic!.......well.........why cant our share be not less than half of it......when such engineering feats cant seem to take place anywhere else...........

Well...........................is it worth it?......

Of course, developmental activities will tend to have an impact on the environment. Of course we do need to grow and feed an ever growing population...............but at this mad rate of 29 or more mega dams..............we wont even be able to imagine the myths of the Lam lamey and the ban Jhakris............. forget the other great myths of this great and sacred land!!!!!!!:):):):)

Moderation is badly the need of the hour before the posterity begins to curse the powers that be responsible and accountable for leaving Sikkim in the hands of White gold corporates/profiteers and to natures wrath............Please wake up..........!!!

"you can fool some people sometimes........................but you cant fool all the people all the time......."

Bob Marley
poet - singer & philosopher

Review Committee goes to Panan Project area, Dzongu

A peaceful silent show of protest marked the visit of Review Committee to the Panan Project area on the 5th of Feburary 2008 in Dzongu. The placards held by the protestors not only mentioned protest against implementation of Projects in Dzongu but also pleaded with the Review Committee help save Dzongu and have the moral courage to take an honest and correct decision.

The Public of Dzongu area made a presentation and submitted the same to Review Committee.

The Review Committee was represented by three members;the Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary, Power and Energy Department and the Secretary, Forest and Environment & Wildlife Department. The District Collector (North District) and the General Manager of Sikkim Power Development Corporation were also present along with various other other officials.

The Lamas in their turn also made their representation on religious aspects of the negative impacts and fallouts in the event of the implementation of various hydel projects in and around Dzongu. They presented “Lhapsang Petcha” the holy text that contains all the religious name of holy places and deities. However the committee could not take the holy texts with them. The Lamas informed the Committee that 12 monasteries including Tholung and Lingthem monastery which are more than 200 years old with priceless relics and holy texts that would be affected by the Hydel Projects.

Apart from this Gyatso Lepcha of CLOS on behalf of Dzongu youths expressed frustation among youth regarding the implementation of the Hydel Projects in Dzongu. He requested a positive review to be taken with the intention to stop the implementation of Hydel projects in and around Dzongu.

However, the presence of officers from Himagiri Pvt Ltd, one of the hydel developers in Dzongu, accompanying the Review Committee have raised questions about the earnestness of intentions on the part of the Review committee.

The Review Committee have said that they would look into the presentations and memorandums made and will accordingly discuss it and inform the public on the outcome in the future.

Expecting a possible Law and Order problem, the North District Police were in full preparation and in their riot gear. However the demonstration passed of peacefully without any incident.

Our Salute to your Struggle............

Dear friends,

Greetings and best wishes for your Struggle against the Mighty State and MNC's nexus against the Himalayan communities .

We at Himalaya Seva Sangh have also been opposing construction of hydal projects in the fragile Himalayan Eco System . Some of us have recently organized a campaign march in the Uttrakhand region in all the major river valley systems from 1st to 17th January 2008 ending with a two day conference at Ramnagar.

Activists there decided to observe this year as Save the Himalayan Rivers Year. We have also initiate a website to focus on Water issues in the Himalayas which needs to be improved and strengthened epecially its campaign part.

Please also visit www.himalayanwater.org and give your inputs and suggestions to improve it. We have already given a link and news about your struggles in it.

With best wishes

Amities

Manoj Pande

On behalf of Himalaya Seva Sangh

15, Rajghat Colony, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi Complex,

New Delhi -110002, phone-011-23319665

http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=4&subLeft=2&chklogin=N&autono=311143&tab=r

Sreelatha Menon: A cow`s leg for tribals

An environment impact assessment report on a hydel project in Dzongu, the holy land of the Lepchas, overlooks the fact that it is banned to the outside world and falls in a biosphere reserve.

What has chastity of women, belief in spirits and gifting of a cow’s leg in marriages got to do with hydel power? One needs a consultant to give an answer.

Check this out. This is from an environment impact assessment report commissioned by a company called Teesta Urja Limited and prepared by consultants Wapcos Centre for Environment.

The consultants were asked to assess the impact that a 1,200-Mw hydel power project on Teesta river, called Teesta 3, would have on Dzongu, the ancient settlement of the Lepcha tribals in North Sikkim. The Ministry of Environment Ministry’s approval to the project depends on this report.

Lepchas are animists (having clans named after animals, wherein they worship animals) and believe in many gods and spirits of land, water and trees.

The consultants definitely were confused about animism and just stopped of calling Lepchas a species of animals who could not write a consultancy report in English like them.

Teesta 3 is one of the 26-odd hydel projects for which the Sikkim government has signed agreements with sundry private companies.

About 60 per cent of Teesta 3 involves work in the holy land of Lepchas, the mountains of Dzongu.

The Lepcha youth, those who had the benefit of an English education and had transcended the ‘animal’ existence attributed to them by the consultants, found this report hard to take. Already aggrieved by handing over of their mountains to the hydel power companies, they protested with a letter, which of course yielded no reply.

The report gives cultural details unsubstantiated by the authors and smacks of voyeurism. It says: Among Lepchas, marriages are solemnised with the boy’s parents offering two cows, a pig, 12 chicken and a mun jad (liquor)In the bride price, jewellery, land, cloth and a right leg of a cow is offered.

Of course, the reports obsession with cows matches only that of the RSS and it adds:

Gifting a leg of a cow may not be liked by their Hindu counterparts and this (?) may create discontent among the people.

The report skips the essential fact that Dzongu is a place banned to the outside world by the government of Sikkim in order to protect the shy Lepchas and their cultural identity. It also skips the fact that it is a world heritage site and falls in the Kanchendzonga biosphere reserve and national park.

Lepchas may agree to lump the cow’s leg but this one really takes their goat. Wapcos says: Chastity of women at the time of marriage does not hold a lot of importance. Pre-marital and extra- marital relationships are not uncommon.

The report concludes that the project doesn’t hurt anyone, least of all Lepchas and hence can be proceeded with, except that the workers should not mess around with the cows and the girls. The blasting of Dzongu for Teesta 3 is in full swing now.

There are 2,200 workers, which is 10 per cent of the population, and the project will last five years. Remember why Goans threw out the SEZs. But then Lepchas are not Goans.

The unlettered tribals, 1,000 in all, are moving out of nine villages of Dzongu, leaving the educated Lepcha youths to sit on a hunger strike in Gangtok which is now 200 days old, of course, with no one listening.





( Three young land owners who were wrongfully implicated in an assault case on NHPC surveyors in lower Dzongu and were in judicial remand, were released on bail after 14 days.

The surveyors of NHPC had entered private land without informing the the land owners, the public or any authority.)

Lachung people vs Hydel project

The People of Lachung supporting ACT's efforts and opposing the Hydel Projects in north Sikkim and particularly the ones coming close to their area.

219 days

DAMMING THE TEESTA..............

DAMMING THE TEESTA ............ PART 1

Latha Jishnu
New Delhi January 07, 2008

A gold rush is on in Sikkim for hydroelectric projects. Entrepreneurs from across the country have rushed to the Himalayan state to set up hydel projects, some with no experience in the sector, as the government goes all out to become a major power exporter.

The magnet for these projects is the Teesta, a turbulent river that drops from an elevation of 5, 280 metres to about 230 metres over a distance of 175 km, making it ideal for a cascade of hydro power projects.

So far, investment of around Rs 13,000 crore has been committed to the larger projects — and proposals are still pouring in despite the Sikkim government's insistence on 12 per cent free power from each project.

The state is also seeking a 26 per cent share in the equity although promoters say no money is being paid upfront by the Sikkim Power Development Corporation, the nodal agency. Instead, the state's contribution is being adjusted against the share of its free power.

Sources in Gangtok say hydro power is the biggest business going in the state whose mainstay is agriculture despite the severe limitations on cultivable land.

There are reports that handsome commissions are changing hands as promoters vie for projects. Companies, however, maintain it is the efficient environment that is drawing them.

"We took up the project because the Sikkim government is proactive and quick in decision-making," says Y N Apparao, managing director of Teesta Urja Ltd, which is setting up the largest of the projects, the 1,200-Mw Teesta III.

"Land acquisition, along with environmental and forest clearances, took less than two years." That could well be a record because such clearances usually take three or four years.

With the ministry of power's special thrust on hydro power, Sikkim has been aggressively promoting its potential over the past four years.

Twenty-nine projects, from the large to the tiny (32 Mw), will harness the power of the Teesta and its tributaries to throw up generating capacity close to 5,600 Mw.

The major projects, however, are the six cascading projects, Teesta I to VI, which will provide the bulk of the capacity (3,505 Mw). This was the original potential estimated by the Central Electricity Authority but since then the state has added several projects to the list along with 11 more that have been proposed as part of the prime minister's 50, 000 Mw hydro power initiative.

For the Teesta basin this is an unbearable burden. Neither its fragile geology, prone to earthquakes and heavy landslides, nor its unique ecology can sustain projects of this magnitude.

Sikkim is known for its extraordinarily rich flora and is one of the global hotspots for endangered species of flowers and medicinal plants.

An exhaustive report on the carrying capacity of the Teesta says only three of the six cascading projects are environmentally feasible (IV, V and VI) while putting a question mark over Teesta III.

At best, the basin can support 2,000 Mw of hydro power capacity, according to the chairman of the committee that prepared the just-released report.

Ironically, the report was commissioned by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) which has violated its own stipulations on clearances.

The first project it approved was the 510 Mw Teesta V by the public sector National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) in May 1999. At the time, MoEF had stipulated that "no other project in Sikkim will be considered for environmental clearance till the carrying capacity study is completed".

All the same, it has given clearance to seven others. DAMMING THE TEESTA PART 2 Professor M K Pandit, director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Mountain & Hill Environment (CISMHE), has produced a bombshell. His assessment of the Teesta basin's carrying capacity will not please the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) which commissioned it or provide much comfort to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) which paid for it. His brief was to evaluate the capacity of the Teesta river system with regard to the hydro power projects being proposed in the state and the findings are stark: the ecosystems above Chungthang and its environs have low carrying capacity for large-scale projects and should be left unperturbed. This means that the first three stages of the six cascading projects on the river (Teesta I to III) must be scrapped. However, since the last is under execution, there is nothing much that can be done, concedes Pandit. "The stakes are high in Sikkim and it is unlikely that the other two projects will be scrapped," says the CISMHE director who put together the 10-volume report jointly with Wapcos, IIT-Delhi, North Bengal University and Sikkim Government College. It cost Rs 5 crore, took nearly six years to complete and is a landmark report. "Initially, only five projects were envisaged; now there are 29 and I am horrified," says Pandit. The major concerns highlighted in the report are the cluster of epicentres in the region and the probability of earthquakes — the most recent was in February 2006 — combined with the geological weakness of the region. Apart from the frequent landslides, the thick moraine deposits in north Sikkim provide weak substrates to any large project, it warns. The other serious problem is the threat to the flora and fauna of the state, a huge chunk of which comes under the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve. The report provides detailed threats presented by five of the hydroelectric projects — the analysis on Teesta V, which is being executed by NHPC, is missing — and the short point is: the projects are all in geologically and ecologically fragile regions that are also biologically very rich. While Teesta I and II are deemed not feasible, detailed geological investigations are absolutely essential for Teesta III. The only project that the report endorses is Teesta VI because significant changes in the land use have already taken place. Pandit has suggested the setting up of a Teesta Basin Development Authority as the final authority for monitoring the various hydro projects and suggesting appropriate changes in their design and implementation. It should have legal powers and its rulings would be binding on all parties. The report also says it would not be wise to ignore the opposition to some of the projects by the local people. The Lepchas, one of the original tribes of Sikkim, have been on relay hunger strike since June 20 last year to protest against the incursion of outsiders into Dzongu Valley which they consider sacred. They are planning a legal challenge to Teesta III. Neither the Sikkim government nor MoEF has responded to Business Standard's queries about the conclusions of the carrying capacity report. AGAINST THE RIDE The government and developers always emphasise that run-of-the-river hydel projects are benign. This is not usually the case. In the case of the larger Teesta projects, it involves construction of large dams which divert the river waters through long head race or underground tunnels (HRTs) before the water is dropped back into the river at a downstream location after passing through the powerhouse. Some of the tunnels are over 17 km long, which means that the river runs dry for long stretches since 80-90 per cent of the water is diverted into the tunnels. The tunnels add to the geological problems in the area, which is marked by lethal flash floods. The only plus point is that smaller areas are submerged compared to storage dams. http://www.businessstandard.com/common/storypage_c.php?leftnm=10&autono=310127 (The Business Standard, January 9, 2008) DAMMING THE TEESTA - PART 3 What is the real cost of power being produced in Sikkim? This is the question that power purchasing corporations and retail consumers would like to know about the Teesta projects. The costs of power will be higher for consumers given the kind of agreements that Sikkim is signing. Take, for instance, the agreement on Teesta III, the largest project under implementation. According to the deal signed with Teesta Urja Ltd, the consortium developing the project, the 1,200 Mw project will give 12 per cent free power to the government for the first 15 years. Thereafter, the government's share will go up to 15 per cent till the end of the BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) contract which is for 35 years. Prayas, the Pune-based energy research organisation, says tariffs will increase quite sharply because of the free power deal. However, Teesta Urja managing director Y N Apparao says its tariff is still competitive. He told Business Standard that it has entered into a long-term agreement with the Power Trading Corporation (PTC), one of the consortium members, to provide power at a levelised tariff of Rs 2.25 a unit for 35 years. PTC will be supplying the power to the four northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The costs of the project have a bearing on the tariffs and a quick analysis shows wide variations in the costs of the Teesta projects. The public sector National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) which is expected to commission its 510-Mw Teesta V by May 2008 is unwilling to state what its tariff will be. But sources said it is expected to be in the region of Rs 2.15 a unit. According to the latest figures with the Central Electricity Authority, NHPC's costs for Teesta V have risen to Rs 2,527. This works out to a cost of just below Rs 5 crore per Mw. Teesta III, too, is in the same range, but the costs of the 500-Mw Teesta VI, promoted by the Hyderabad-based Lanco Group, are significantly higher at Rs 6.57 per Mw (CEA gives the project costs at Rs 3,283 crore). In fact, Lanco's proposal to sell power at a tentative Rs 2.32 to Maharashtra ran into rough weather at the regulatory committee hearings because there was no clarity on either the capital costs or tariff rates. An underlying problem, according to power analysts, is the lack of reliable hydrological data which is resulting in uneconomical hydropower projects in the Northeast and the Himalayan regions. This means that hydropower plants are not designed for optimum capacity. This also results in calculations on supply going awry. The CEA's preliminary observations on Teesta VI find that the project would operate at full capacity only during the three monsoon months, prompting experts to say that Lanco project should not be qualified as a peaking power plant. Besides, power generation from Teesta VI would be totally dependent on outflows of NHPC's Teesta V. The lack of robust hydrological data encourages state governments and promoters to put out optimistic (or unrealistic) assumptions about generation. The risk, says Girish Sant of Prayas, is amplified because there is no economic incentive in the current hydro power policy for 'optimum' design for dams and hydropower projects. Neeraj Vagholikar Kalpavriksh Apartment No. 5, Shree Dutta Krupa, 908 Deccan Gymkhana, Pune - 411004 India Ph: 91-20-25654239/25675450 email: nvagho@gmail.com nvagho@vsnl.net

Day 202..............

Palmukit Lepcha (second left) from Darjeeling and Tsheringkit Lepcha (second right) from Kalimpong joined the indefinite relay hunger strike at BL House, Tibet Road today.

NOW SPEAK !!!

Resolve it....!!

200 confused days are more than enough for both sides to have proven their point. One of course speaks of relay hunger strike launched in protest against the hydel project(work has begun on only one thus far) in Dzongu.

The protestors have made it clear that they are serious about their protest, convinced in their reservations(against the project) and committed in their pursuit to protest it. The Government on the other hand, by refusingto buckle in completely, has announced itsconviction on hydel delivering development to the Lepcha Reserve.

Two hundred days of continuing protest and stone- walling should have conveyed the message that protests and defence deliver only status quo; resolution requires communication. It is not enough for the protestors to count the number of support groups that have stepped forward or the expanded area of protest that the issue now commands. Similarly, the Government should not relax in the knowledge that the project related works have entered the next phase and that legally, there are no obstacles.

Development conflicts are not easy to resolve, but the present case is even worse; the two sides have withdrawn deeper into their incommunicado shells in the nearly seven months that have passed. At a time when they should have been debate across the table, they exchange snide remarks through the media. Reiterating positions taken 200 days back does not serve the issue at hand; it only reflects the failure of the two sides to approach the point of conflict with the intent to resolve it.

No one expects them to get along and the meeting need not be pleasant affairs, but they should get talking again……Get into shouting matches, but do it across the table. And please, approach the issue with the aim to resove it, not with the sole aim to win or embarrass.

(The above article appeared in the editorial column of NOW ! dated 7th January, 2008. Now! is a popular English Daily published in Gangtok.)