They also submitted a memo addressed to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to revoke the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the Manipur state and two companies to construct the Rs 3,000-crore dam at the tri-junction of Manipur, Assam and Mizoram, according to a report published in Indian daily The Hindu on Monday.
The protesters alleged that construction of the dam would cause human, ecological and environmental destruction, reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting the daily.
The cycle rally was organised by the Social Action Development Organisation, an NGO in Thoubal, and supported by a number of anti-dam organisations.
Outlining the pros of building the dam which include Manipur receiving 12 percent of the total 1,500MW power generation for free, control of flooding in Assam’s Barak Valley and irrigation for agricultural land, the organisation’s secretary Mandir Laishram said it was difficult to believe that the dam would generate so much power.
Despite controlling floods in the Barak valley 311 sq km of land in Manipur would be submerged under the dam waters, Laishram alleged adding that nearly 30 km of National Highway No-37 would also be damaged.
The dam would destroy 25,822 sq km of forest and many exotic birds and animals from the forest and mountain region of the Tipaimukh dam area would lose their habitat, he said.