8 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI STATE FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 Demand for revival of NEEPCO denies releasing flood water from power project Tezpur (old) rly AJIT PATOWARY circumstances the NEEPCO had 5,000 mm (five metres in height) level of the project is EL 567 me- ter utilising the water required for Ranganadi in the downstream of the station released floodwater from the of water from the RHEP dam in a tre. This project generates highest power generation, excess water was RHEP dam, which also carry suffi- GUWAHATI, July 20: On July 9 RHEP that attained a height of ten short span of time. amount of hydel power and contrib- spilled over through the gates of the cient water from their respective SPL CORRESPONDENT this year, the North Eastern Electric metres that day. This time, the NEEPCO author- utes the highest amount of power dam in a controlled manner, duly catchment areas to the Ranganadi. Power Corporation (NEEPCO) al- It needs mention here that the ities released water which was two to Assam, compared to other NE maintaining the full reservoir level. In the wake of the 2008 havoc, NEW DELHI, July 20: The legedly released about 10,000 mm WRD authorities were in the proc- times larger in volume than that of States. But it was not designed for Of the 1511 cumec of water, 200 several committees visited the af- Railway Ministry has con- (that is – 10 metres in height) of wa- ess of strengthening the Ranganadi the 2008. But due to the partial flood moderation, they said. cumec was utilised as power draft fected areas and the RHEP as well. firmed having received a ter from its 450-MW Ranganadi Hy- embankments under an estimated and retained within the reservoir, They maintained that the RHEP number of petitions demand- droelectric Power Project (RHEP) Rs 36-crore Flood Management Breaches in Ranganadi embankments thus controlling the downstream could not be linked with the catas- ing revival of the Tezpur (old) dam within a very short span of time Programme (FMP). The State discharges. The natural flood occur- trophe, said the NEEPCO sources. Railway Station under NF Rail- and this resulted in the two breaches Government had a share of 30 per strengthening of the Ranganadi Due to the incessant torrential ring in the upstream of the project Meanwhile, sources in the Brah- way in Assam. in the Ranganadi embankments caus- cent in this scheme. embankments, the flood could not rainfall in the catchment areas of the cannot be absorbed by the reser- maputra Board maintained that the In a Lok Sabha reply to a ing havoc in a vast Lakhimpur dis- WRD sources maintain that in create havoc similar to that of the Ranganadi since June 30, 2017, the voir. Had the Ranganadi dam not Ranganadi havoc could have been question by RP Sharma, Min- trict area, said highly placed sources 2008 also flood created havoc in 2008, WRD sources claimed. inflow of water in the river in- been there, the downstream situa- avoided, had the RHEP reservoir ister of State for Railways, in the State’s Water Resources De- North Lakhimpur town and other NEEPCO sources, on the other creased substantially and achieved tion could have been worse, NEEP- operated scientifically, by installing Rajen Gohain said that a few partment (WRD) here. areas adjacent to this district head- hand, claimed that the RHEP is a the maximum to the tune of around Co sources said. a network of designed rain gauge representations have been re- However, sources in the NEEP- quarters town, when the NEEP- run-of-the river scheme with a very 1511 Cubic Metres Per Second They also maintained that num- and pre-emptying the reservoir be- ceived including a reference CO have maintained that under no CO authorities released around small pondage. The full reservoir (cumec) at 3pm of July 9, 2017. Af- bers of tributaries have joined the fore the floodwater impinging on it. from Chief Minister, Assam on the revival of Tezpur (old) sta- tion. Dekargaon railway sta- tion is located at a distance of Mohilary announces about seven kilometres from Tezpur town. Dekargaon-Tezpur town, construction of Haj House part of the metre gauge track, CORRESPONDENT wished a happy journey to ca,” Mohilary said. was not converted to broad them and said that the con- On the occasion, BPF chief gauge at the request of the KOKRAJHAR, July 20: The struction of the Bodoland Hajji also handed over a cash of Rs then Assam Government. Re- Chief of BTC Hagrama Mohilary Mushafir Khana (Haj House) 10,000 and kits to each pil- connection of Tezpur town to on Wednesday announced that a in nearby areas of the Lokpri- grims of BTC region from the Dekargaon has been mooted Bodoland Hajji Musafir Khana ya Gopinath Bordoloi Interna- party fund. subsequently, Gohain said. (Haj House) would be construct- tional Airport in Guwahati Alauddin Ali, president of Yoga camp at ed near the Lokpriya Gopinath would start soon just after the BTC Region Minority Cell; Bordoloi International Airport in identification of the land. Sultan Ali, secretary of BTC Hailakandi Guwahati soon for the conven- Mohilary also said that the Region Minority Cell; Moula- CORRESPONDENT ience of the minority communi- BTC government is commit- na Abdul Malek, other MLAs, ty of the BTC region. ted for the welfare of the mi- EMs and MCLAs of BTC who HAILAKANDI, July 20: On Felicitating the Hajjis going nority community of the re- were present on the occasion, the occasion of the completion to Haj yatra at a function held gion. “I wish for a safe jour- appealed for universal broth- of one year of Patanjali Yoga on Wednesday, organised joint- ney for the pilgrims from the erhood through the pilgrims. Samiti, a day-long yoga camp ly by the Central committee BTC region and at the same It may be mentioned here for the age group of 8 to 80 of Bodoland People’s Party time we will wait eagerly to that this year, altogether 100 years, was organised at San- (BPF) and BTC Region Mi- receive them and I hope eve- pilgrims from BTC region will skrit Vidyapeeth here. nority Cell at Bodofa Cultural rybody will pray for peace and go for the holy trip in Saudi A scene of devastation caused by the Ronganadi flood waters at Putabeel of Nowboisa, in Lakhimpur disrict on Wednesday. It was inaugurated by veter- Complex, Chandamari in harmony of the BTC region Arabia from Guwahati Airport – UB Photos an music teacher of Hailakandi, Kokrajhar, Hagrama Mohilary as well as the State in Mec- on July 24 next. Harendra Chandra Nath. A large number of people from differ- ent parts of the district partici- Anti-superstition activists to Honour for Assamese pated in the camp. The inaugu- ral meeting was presided over by Sukomal Paul and was ad- doctor in Denmark dressed by Ajit Chakraborty, approach new President Chanchal Paul, Sankar Choud- SANJOY RAY Assam in the last five years or Tribune that the war against dent of the country to take GUWAHATI, July 20: Dr probably the only) Assamese hury and Vijoylakshmi Sinha of so, while the conviction rate superstition needs a strict law necessary action once he or Arindam Bharadwaz, a senior to have acquired the degree of Mahila Patanjali Yoga Samiti, GUWAHATI, July 20: With continues to be abysmally low and its effective implementa- she takes the oath of office. consultant of the Aarhus Uni- European Board of Interven- among others. Yoga instructor the country all set to get its 14th in the State. tion at the earliest. “We are drafting a letter for versity Hospital, Denmark has tional Radiology (EBIR). Amit Paul conducted the camp. President by Thursday, anti- Activist Birubala Rabha, who Home department sources the new President of India been unanimously selected as Dr Arindam Bharadwaz is All the speakers highlighted the superstition activists awaiting is scheduled to deliver a speech said that the Bill is currently seeking his/her intervention in the president of the Danish currently scientific committee benefits of performing yoga in nod for ‘The Assam Witch on the issue with the hu- the matter. The letter will be Society of Interventional Radi- member of European Society day-to-day life. Hunting (Prohibition, Preven- in the UN Bill on witch-hunting man rights dispatched within the next cou- ology (DFIR – Dansk Forening of Radiology (ESR) as well as Seminar on tion and Protection) Bill, 2015’ H u m a n section of ple of weeks,” Dr Das said. for Interventionel Radiologi ), of Cardiovascular and Inter- for over a year now, has decid- Rights Council in Geneva in the Ministry of Home Affairs “The ministry had sought Denmark during the annual ventional Radiological Society tourism ed to approach the new consti- September, too, is miffed at the and there is no word on the clarifications on a few points general meeting and confer- of Europe (CIRSE), again ence held recently. This was probably the first and only doc- GUWAHATI, July 20: North tutional head of the country pace things are moving, and approval as yet. which were clarified by the stated in a press release. tor from Assam to hold the East Vision, a Nagaon-based seeking intervention, as inci- opined that the dilly-dallying on Convenor of the Coordina- State government more This is the first time that an posts. He passed MBBS and NGO, in association with East- dents of branding women and the part of the government is tion Committee against Su- than a year back. But despite Indian has been elected to the MD (Radiology) from ern Iconic Tours and Travels, men as ‘witches’ continue to not helping the cause of the vul- perstition, an umbrella body all these, we are awaiting the Dr Arindam Bharadwaz post of a president of a Danish Guwahati Medical College in Guwahati, organised a semi- get reported at regular inter- nerable population. of anti-superstition organisa- nod as the delay has been as well as Scandinavian medi- dic (Scandinavian) societies of 1994 and 1999 respectively. nar on ‘Potentials of tourism vals from across the State. Rabha, who is spearheading tions in the State, Dr Natya- discouraging the people cal society. He has been work- Interventional Radiology com- He is the second son of Dr as a career option for students’ Nearly 100 cases of ‘witch- the anti-superstition campaign bar Das, said that the commit- working on the ground,” Dr ing in the Interventional Radi- prising of societies from Den- Prabin Chandra Sarma, ex- recently at the North East Vi- hunting’ were reported across in the State, told The Assam tee will move the new Presi- Das added. ology division of Aarhus Uni- mark, Norway, Sweden and MP from Guwahati and Geeta sion office premises here, stat- versity Hospital since 2008. Finland in 2016, the first ever Sarma, a pioneer of ed a press release. He was also selected as the Indian to hold that post. In Goalpariya Lokageet and a Around 40 students from Progress of SBM (G) schemes Chief Coordinator of the Nor- 2013, he became the first (and retired school teacher. different educational institu- tions of Nagaon attended the seminar. The key speakers in the seminar were Dr Sachin- in Jonai block reviewed dra Barthakur, senior advocate ANN Service in Rayang-Bijoypur, Misama- practice, but it also an initia- of 70 per cent progress in the and secretary of North East ra and Somkong panchayats. tive of the Central Govern- scheme and Simechapori GP Vision and Udit Bhanu Bar- JONAI, July 20: Dhemaji The scheme, run under the ment to promote safety, dig- under the block has been con- thakur, Director of Eastern Deputy Commissioner Rosh- Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan incor- nity and health security of the ferred prestigious Nirmal Iconic Tours and Travels, Gu- ni Apranji Korati, who re- porated to Swachh Bharat Mis- women,” said the DC while Gram Panchayat Award for the wahati, among others. viewed the progress of ongo- sion (Gramin), is being imple- adding that she is planning to year 2010-11. One electrocuted ing Swachh Bharat Mission mented by the Dhemaji divi- make short movies in local Presenting the ‘sanitation (Gramin) schemes in sion of PHE. The implement- (tribal) languages in order to profile’ along with economic DHEMAJI, July 20: One 40- Murkongselek Tribal Devel- ing agency has a target to con- motivate the rural people on status of the targeted fami- year-old Anidhar Saikia of opment (Jonai) block, has struct as many as 75,127 indi- the necessity of sanitary la- lies, the consultant divulged Goroimari village was elec- urged the implementing agen- vidual household sanitary la- trine/toilet. that there were 39,233 house- trocuted at Balijan village near cy to expedite the works to trines/toilets out of which Jonai SDO(C) Jadav Pegu in holds in the block as per 2012 Naruathan in West Dhemaji achieve set targets. 11,209 are allotted to Jonai his address urged the Swach- baseline survey. The survey when he came into contact Attending a block-level block. As such, the district so hagrahi to work as “messen- recorded 6,286 families be- with an electric wire that was meeting with Swachhgrahi and far has completed construction ger” of SBM schemes and long to APL and it placed hanging loosely near the officials of Public Health Engi- of 41,543 sanitary latrines motivate the community peo- 32,947 families in BPL cate- Magurmari RCC Bridge to neering (PHE) department at since the fiscal year 2014-15. ple to adopt hygienic practic- gory. Thus, the number of Balijan. The incident occurred Jonai SDO’s office on Tuesday, The DC said that district es such as use of sanitary toi- families use sanitary latrine/ on July 17. – Correspondent the DC verified physical administration was making all- lets, safe drinking water and toilet was recorded 23,044 Meet on issues achievements of the ongoing out efforts to implement the safe waste disposals. while 13,552 families found to sanitary latrine construction in SBM (G) scheme with suc- On the occasion, the project adopt open defecation. of border areas 15 gram panchayats under cess. She strictly directed the consultant made an overview Among others, Jonai Assist- CORRESPONDENT Jonai block. The DC was satis- Swachhagrahi and monitoring of panchayat-wise targets and ant Commissioner Sujata Go- fied with cent per cent PHE officials to ensure re- physical achievements of san- goi, Circle Officer M Payeng, DHUBRI, July 20: To raise achievement in Dekapam and markable progress in the block itary latrine works of the block BDO of Jonai (MSTD) block D awareness among the people Simenchapori, while she ap- within next two months. through power-point presen- Pathak and PHE executive En- living in the bordering dis- preciated the efforts of achiev- “Construction of sanitary tation. According to him, Jonai gineer Nabajyoti Neog also at- Army personnel belonging to the Jat Regiment sweeping a road, as a part of the Swachh tricts of western Assam, See- ing above 90 per cent works toilets is not only a hygienic block has achieved an average tended the meeting. Bharat Abhiyan programme, in Baksa district on Wednesday. – UB Photos manta Chetana Manch, Pur- vottar, will organise its State annual convention in the Dis- trict Library here. Families of Cachar, Nagaon Paper Mill employees on verge of starvation The organisation, that rais- CORRESPONDENT the mill was put under lock and key vation. Our husbands are not get- and there has been no production. line leader of INTUC Kishore ion Minister for Heavy industries es awareness about the issues and now he has stopped my tuition ting salaries for the past 10 months We were assured by the govern- Bhattacharjee, Deepan Dewanji and Public Enterprises through of the border areas of the re- SILCHAR, July 20: The closure and art classes because he cannot despite the mill being a unit of the ment of a certain resumption of and leader of CITU Supriyo Bhat- the Deputy Commissioner, Cach- gion, stated in a press release of the Cachar and Nagaon Paper Mill, bear the expenses any more. We Government of India. We are deep- production, but nothing has mate- tacharjee extended support to ar with copies of the same to Chief that they are organising the units of the State-owned Hindus- are being haunted with the bleak ly worried as we might have to rialised so far dragging the lives of their demands. Minister in which they demand- programme in a massive way tan Paper Corporation Limited future of the mill.” sell our homes to pay the dues of so many people into the mercy of Kaushik Rai read out the assur- ed immediate release of their sal- in the town on July 29-30. (HPCL) since 2015, has increased According to sources, so far as Income Tax, LIC etc.,” said Sar- the Almighty.” ances sent by the government for aries, resumption of production The convention will be at- the woes of the family members of many as 15 employees have died bajaya Biswas and Dolly Dey, On the other hand, the family the release of the salaries. Also, in the mill and a CBI probe into tended by 700 participants the mill employees. (11 from the Cachar Paper Mill and wives of the employees of Cachar members and children of the mill questions were raised on the per- the reasons behind the sick sta- from across the State, the re- In the words of Debodeepa Dhar, four others at the Nagaon Paper Mill Paper Mill. employees staged a protest formance of former Union Minis- tus of the mill. lease added. The convention daughter of Jyotindra Dhar, an em- at Jagiroad), while one employee Kamal Chakraborty, a former demonstration at the pedestal of ter for Heavy Industries Santosh It may be mentioned that in 2015, will be inaugurated by Chief ployee of Cachar Paper Mill at Pan- allegedly committed suicide for the employee of the Cachar Paper Mill, Khudiram Bose on Wednesday. Mohan Dev vis-a-vis the pathetic the government, in reply to a ques- Minister Sarbananda Sonowar chgram and a resident of Sonai Road need of money for medical treat- has blamed the apathy of the HPCL Besides the family members, status of the mill. tion raised by Silchar MP Susmita and will be attended by other Silchar, “Our life has been badly hit ment. The Cachar Paper Mill has management for such a situation. State BJP spokesperson Rajdeep Later, the family members of Dev, had made it clear that the Cen- political and apolitical dignitar- because of the closure of the mill. 680 employees. “Around 75,000 tonnes of bamboo Roy, former president of Cachar the employees sent a memoran- tre has no plan to modernise the ies from all over North-east. My father is having no salary since “We are on the threshold of star- is lying rotten in the mill campus district BJP Kaushik Rai, front- dum to the Prime Minister, Un- Cachar Paper Mill.