Newmai News Network Imphal | December 18 The Centre for Research and Advocacy Manipur (CRAM) has urged the Government of Manipur to desist from commissioning the Mapithel dam until further resolution of the "multiple controversies and unresolved matters" such as forest rights violations, rehabilitation and resettlement, alternate livelihood for upstream and downstream affected communities in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of all affected communities and also in the interest of human rights, sustainable and just development in Manipur. CRAM, “an indigenous peoples' organisation promoting sustainable development and human rights in Manipur,” in a statement expressed serious concern regarding plans to commission the Mapithel dam of the Thoubal Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project. The dam commissioning plan at this stage, it asserted, is still premature as the Government of Manipur “has failed to work out amicable way to resolve Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R and R) plans for all the affected villagers, in both upstream and downstream areas of Mapithel dam, who are compelled to sacrifice their precious ancestral land, forest, river and residential houses.” It recalled that the Maheshwar Dam in Madhya Pradesh was halted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2015 even after completion of the dam due to pending R and R matter for affected communities. The organisation also objected the commissioning plan of the dam without detailed impact assessment in both the upstream and downstream portion of the dam and “this constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights as the affecting communities have been given untold hardship without an alternative livelihood and other remedial measures,” CRAM maintained. “The dam commissioning plan of the project developer constitutes a clear disrespect of the right of the affected indigenous communities.” The Mapithel dam violates Forest Rights Act, 2006 as concluded by the recent judgment of the National Green Tribunal on December 6, 2017, CRAM said. “The Government of Manipur should initiate necessary steps to comply the directions issued in the Judgment of NGT court, Kolkata Bench to fully implement the Forest Rights (Recognition of ST and other traditional Forest Dwellers Rights) Act. 2006,” it added. According to CRAM, the commissioning of Mapithel dam is also “untimely and irrelevant” as the construction for the major components of the dam such as irrigation, power generation, and drinking water supply to Imphal area is still far from completion. “It is highly likely that the Mapithel dam repeats the same foot-steps of the previously failed and under-performed projects like Khoupum dam, Khuga dam, Singda dam and Loktak Hydro-electric project in Manipur,” it added.
