‘1,302.46 hectares of forest under threat’
Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 2
The state government is confirmed to be investigating whether or not the proposed Rs. 723.63 Crore Dikhu multi-Purpose Hydro-Electric Project is at all ‘feasible.’ The perceived natural “corollaries” are being examined following a perceived possibility that lands contiguous to Dikhu River, in Mon district, could be submerged.
Even recently, a number of villages from the regions of Longleng district contiguous to Dikhu River had forwarded a representation to the State’s Power department demanding that the project should be shelved. Fears were expressed by the villages’ authorities that the electric project’s reservoir dam itself would submerge huge swathes of agriculture lands. And along with the swathes, local village authorities said, it would submerge the only road linking Dikhu with the state and outside, the Kangching-to-Tanga road which is not even a paved roadway. The only NEC-funded road for Tamlu’s region is still under construction.
According to the summery report of the Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power, the planned 140 Megawatt project shall have a 98-Meters high reservoir dam and another formidable Diversion Dam, standing 261 meters high.
Interestingly, even as the report put the possible submersion of villages at “Nil” it marked 1,302.46 hectares of forest land to be submerged. The 98 meters high concrete gravity dam downstream would be in confluence with Dikhu River contiguous to nearby Tamlu village under Longleng district. Tamlu village is a mere 19 kilometers away from the site of the dam.
Of the 1,302.46 hectares of forest envisaged to be submerged, 692.47 hectares is “likely” to be in the Dikhu catchments’ area while 606.99 hectares would be submerged in the Yangnyu River catchments. In fact, the tail of the reservoir itself would trail up to 16.52 kilometers of Dikhu River and 21 kilometers of Yangnyu River.
The village authorities of B Namsang, Yongnyah, Tamlu, Tangha and Nian villages had demanded that the project should be stopped, fearing the possibility of “90%” of the lands contiguous to the project site being submerged. The biggest terror for these villages is the reservoir dam.
Responding to the fears expressed by the areas in concern, Minister for Power Doshehe Y Sema said investigation and survey works are on at Dikhu to see if it is feasible. While the sentiments of the people would be upheld, Sema said tonight, there can be no conclusion at this point whether the possibility of submersion is real. He assured that the ‘sentiments and sanctity of the people’ would be respected but said the study report has to be completed first before any decision is taken. Nonetheless, Sema assured, if the project is not found ‘feasible,’ the government ‘may not take it up.’
A similar story has been echoed by the people of the Doyang region under Wokha district, where the NEEPCO-run Doyang Hydro-Electric Project is reported to have submerged large swathes of hill regions. Just last year, a landowners’ union in Doyang had said that the Doyang reservoir had submerged fresh lands. The severely affected villages are Okotso, Akuk and Mekokla in Wokha and Philimi and Mukhami villages in Zunheboto district, it was reported.
