At a time when many, including the state’s former Governor Najma Heptullah, had pushed for decommissioning the Loktak hydroelectric project considering its adverse environmental impacts, the memorandum of understanding for commissioning of the project has reportedly gone missing.
The non-possession of the MoU in the hands of the state government has crippled the state government in reviewing the project as indicated by Power Minister Thongam Biswajit on Saturday while replying to a cut motion raised by Sugnu Assembly constituency MLA K Ranjit.
The MLA pointed out that the ecosystem of Loktak Lake and its surrounding areas have been adversely affected by the Ithai Barrage which was constructed for the project.
Before the Ithai Barrage was constructed, the natural flow of over 20 rivers that flowed into the Loktak lake and later merged with the Manipur River was not disturbed, he said, raising concern that the siltation caused by obstruction of the natural flow of water will push the freshwater lake to vanish in the next 20 years.
He further alleged that NHPC is only concerned about minting money out of the project by exploiting the Loktak Lake and never about its conservation.
Ranjit also questioned if no MoU was signed before the commissioning of the project as reflected by the response of an RTI application. He drew the attention of the minister to decommission the project at the earliest to protect Loktak Lake.
Biswajit clarified that the Public Works department had prepared the DPR of the project around 1967. “The government has been putting efforts to get hold of the memorandum copy but in vain. We have approached the Governor’s office and even NHPC as well as asking them to share a copy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren stated that the government takes the matter seriously as Loktak Lake needs to be conserved at all costs.
He said that the government has identified 28 areas for setting up mini hydro electric projects so that the electricity produced from there can be used to make up for the electricity the state gets as a share from the project.
As the state is getting only 12 per cent of the total volume of electricity produced by the project, the government will push for decommissioning the project once the state gets enough sources of electricity, Biren assured.
