Addressing a press conference at CCDD office at Paona Keithel this afternoon, COLNAR convenor Kinderson Pamei, HSA vice-president Joseph Hmar, CCDD co-chairperson Aram Pamei, ACTIP co-convenor O Bikramjit and Ramananda representing affected villagers of Nungba asserted that a debate should be held in the Manipur Legislative Assembly and consent of the people, particularly those likely to be affected should be sought first before taking up the project.
The Tipaimukh Project was discussed in the State Assembly twice in 1995 and 1997 .
The project was rejected on both the occasions.
They asked as to why the SPF Government has been attempting to press the project forward skipping the Assembly.
Even though it is said that the installed capacity of the project is 1500 MW, the actual power generation would be only 420 MW.
From this, Manipur would receive just around 40 MW as its share.
Against this benefit of just 40 MW of power, the project would submerge around 192 square kms of land permanently which has rich flora and fauna and abundant medicinal plants, the civil society leaders cautioned.
The proposed joint meeting of the State Government, NHPC and Sutlej Jal Vidyoot Nigam Limited on initiating Tipaimukh project is nothing but invitation for mass protest movements.
Demanding that the proposed meeting be scrapped, the civil society leaders asserted that merits and demerits should be analysed thoroughly before taking up any work on Tipaimukh project.