GUWAHATI: Many organisations opposing the project allege that National Hydro Electric Power Corporation Pvt Ltd. (NHPC) did not clarify regarding implementing the advice of the expert committee in the project.
Surrounded by protests and controversies, the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project will start producing electricity soon, as 90% of work has been completed, according to sources. But even now there are oppositions to the project which is expected to generate 2000 MW of electricity.
“90% work of the project is completed. There was some trouble during the rainy season, but now it is in full speed,” said a source in the NHPC.
The 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project (LSHEP) is located on the Subansiri River, which is on the border of India’s two north-eastern states, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
The project is still being opposed by many organisations.
Opposing the project, All Assam Student’ Union (AASU) President Dipanka Kumar said that NHPC has taken advantage of the curfew and lockdown which was held during COVID. NHPC took the machinery to the project site and completed most of the work, Kumar alleged.
“Student union has already stated that until security is confirmed for people, work on the project should not be started,” Kumar said.
He also said that the experts from Gauhati University, Dibrugarh University and IIT Guwahati mentioned that the design of the dam is not perfect. But some advice of experts and some demands of protesters have been implemented by NHPC, he added.
People of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Majuli, Sonitpur and Biswanath districts are worried that if more than seven Richter scale earthquakes hit, then the dam might break.
AASU demands that government should assure security before making the dam operational, otherwise the union will continue opposing the project.
Aam Aadmi Party, Assam Coordinator Jitul Deka said the party doesn't support big dams. It may be one of the reasons for the flood. “This year we witnessed dangerous floods in lower Assam because of dams in Bhutan. In the future our party will take different initiatives to oppose it,” said Deka.
Assam CPI(M) general secretary Suprakash Talukdar said, “Expert committee has not clarified if this dam is suitable, so we too oppose the dam. All organizations who do not want the dam without clarification from the expert committee should come together and oppose it.”
AASU, Lakhimpur District President, Simanta Neog said that they are opposing Lower Subansiri Dam and they will stage a protest against it soon.
Subansiri Lower HE Project is the biggest hydroelectric project undertaken in India so far which is being constructed on the river Subansiri.
Initially, the project will start generating 500 MW of electricity from January 2023, and gradually it will start generating 2000 MW, said a source in NHPC.
According to sources, the cost of the mega project, which was scheduled to be commissioned in December 2012, had escalated to around ₹20,000 crores. The initial project cost was estimated at ₹6,285 crores.
The project was stalled for nearly eight years due to intense protests by many groups in Assam, which will finally be commissioned by January 2023.
The project might help improve the power scenario in the region, but the NHPC should clarify if they have implemented the advice provided by the expert committee.