Bhupen Borah’s call attention motion on big dams; CM Gogoi replies

During a call attention motion moved by Congress MLA Bhupen Bora in Assembly session in July, the issue of big dams on the Subansiri river in the state of Arunachal Pradesh cropped up. After all, Uttarakhand flood disaster is a grim warning for Assam and parts of the North Eastern region. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi clarified that the government is not against hydro-power dams, but it would not compromise on the safety, security and livelihood of the people of Assam, which is a downstream state. This is how The Assam Tribune (July 19, 2013) reported:
Terming the Uttarakhand flood disaster as a grim warning for Assam, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today told the Assembly that there was an urgent need to have a high-powered authority on the Himalayas for ensuring a scientific and sustainable development process in the North-east.
The Chief Minister said this during a call attention motion moved by Bhupen Bora (Congress) on the issue of big dams on the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh.
“We are not against dams as we need hydro-power, but at the same time we will not compromise on the safety, security and livelihood of the people of Assam, which is a downstream State. Cumulative impact assessment of dams will have to precede work on any dam in Arunachal Pradesh, and we will not approve any dam if it poses a threat to us. The dams in Arunachal must benefit both Arunachal and Assam,” Gogoi said.
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