MON: The Wanching Village Council (WVC) has written to the Nagaland Parliamentary Secretary for Power, expressing concern over the latest Detailed Project Report (DPR) regarding the proposed Dikhu Multi-purpose Power Project.
The WVC stated that Manu Energy System Pvt. Ltd, charged to initiate the project, had earlier “confirmed that this project is situated under the jurisdiction of Wanching village of Mon District.” However, it stated that in the latest DPR, the project is “referred and assumed as located under Longleng District.” Terming this as a “diversion and distortion of facts,” the WVC asserted that the contents of the DPR “cannot be tolerated.” “This is a complete bias and total apathy towards the Wanching Village and its ownership,” it stated.
It further informed that “some villages have claimed that the land on the western side of the Dikhu river as belonging to them.” The WVC stated that these “claims for ownership are baseless and ridiculous.” “In fact, the ownership of the whole part of Tamlu area belongs to Wanching Village. This claim is supported by both traditional and historical facts,” it added.
The WVC said that the whole length of Yeangnyu River, starting from Aoying to the dam site and further till Menyupheng, “belongs to Wanching Village, except for a small portion of Aophai (between Aoying and damsite) which was given to Yongjong Morung of Yongnyah Village by Wanching.” It informed that another branch of the Lai River, extending till Yongpan Vuhleng, “belongs to Wanching Village.” The council affirmed that ownership of these rivers is supported by the fact that “Community Fishing in these rivers is only initiated under the authority on Wanching Village.”
Further, it said that the “whole length of the river is divided into several parts with each part having an owner which belongs to Wanching Village.” “In these portions of the river, the owner performs rituals and sacrifices on the day of community fishing. And after the fishing is completed, the owners collect fishes (Aonyah shaipu) from all the participating groups from other villages except from the Wanching Villagers. And during community fishing in the Lai river portion, fish tax is gifted by the Tangha Village to Wanching Village as recognition of the ownership of the river,” it stated.
Regarding the land, the WVC informed that Kanching, Anaoshai (Anaki), 4 morungs of Bura Namsang, Kangtsung, Wakamen and Tamlu villages used to pay annual taxes or tributes to Wanching village. “In the light of these aforementioned facts, the arguments for ownership of land and river by other villages are baseless,” it stated.
The WVC stated that it would oppose the latest DPR prepared by the Manu Energy until “it is corrected and made right.” It further resolved that until the said project reflects the “former DPR aspirant, which confirmed the project site belonging to Wanching,” the village would “neither allow a single pace of work to continue nor give an inch of our land and river for the project.” It demanded that the Company remove all workers and machineries from the location at the earliest, failing which the WVC cautioned that “it would not be held responsible in the event of any untoward incident at the project site.”
