North East - Developments & Debate

India lacks strong case against China

R Dutta Choudhury
GUWAHATI, March 4 – India does not have a strong case against China as per international laws if the neighbouring country decides to divert the river Brahmaputra to meet its water requirement. Though the issue is being discussed by the Committee of Secretaries of the Government of India for years, no step has yet been taken to practically use the water of the river.
Highly placed official sources in New Delhi told The Assam Tribune that so far India does not have any evidence of China diverting the water of Brahmaputra river and only two run-of-the-river projects have been set up. But according to information available with the Government of India, China carried out a survey on probable diversion of water of Tsangpo river (Brahmaputra is called Tsangpo in China) to meet the water requirements of some parts of the country and the possibility of diversion of water of the river in the days to come cannot be ruled out.

Sources said that according to information available, parts of China are facing severe water crisis and though the Government of China has been assuring India that it would not divert the Brahmaputra, it would not be safe to believe the Chinese blindly and there have also been reports that some channels to the water scarce areas were constructed by the Chinese. Of course, those have not yet been connected to the Brahmaputra, but such a possibility in the days to come cannot be ruled out.

Unfortunately, India is hardly using the water of Brahmaputra to stake claim under the provisions of the international water users’ rights to prevent China from diverting water of the river. Sources pointed out that as per international laws, the water users’ rights of the low riparian countries must be protected but as India has hardly been using water of Brahmaputra, nothing can stop China from diverting its water.

Sources revealed that the Committee of Secretaries of the Government of India, which is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, has been discussing the issue since 2006 and though the Committee is of the view that India must make optimum use of the water of Brahmaputra, nothing has come up on the ground so far. The Committee met for the last time in December and at every meeting the issue is being discussed.

Official sources pointed out that so far, different schemes and projects have been taken up on the tributaries of the Brahmaputra, which originated within India itself and such projects would not be enough to deter China from diverting the Brahmaputra. There is urgent need for making optimum use of the Brahmaputra water and the Ministries of Power and Water Resources must take up schemes immediately to prevent any attempt by China to divert Brahmaputra, sources admitted.

AT

Abducted forest officials untraced
Correspondent
DIPHU, March 4 – Twenty-four hours after the abduction of Abhitjit Rabha, Chief Conservator of Forest (Hills) and Ranjan Barua, Range Officer, Biodiversity Range Diphu, the administration and police are still clueless about the whereabouts of the forest officials. KPLT, the chief suspect in this high profile kidnap too has not established any contact with the families of the forest officials, or with any of their close associates till now.
Giving a new twist to the episode, KPLT has refused to own up the kidnap. In a message to a local vernacular daily, the outfit has refused to own responsibility of the forest officials’ abduction.

Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Joyram Engleng today appealed to the abductors to release the forest officials unharmed, on humanitarian grounds.

At a press meet held at his Diphu residence, CEM Engleng, while expressing deep concern for the kidnapped persons, said, “Any matter can be resolved through negotiation and peaceful means, no one should adopt such means.”

Herumai Barua, wife of Range Officer Barua has appealed to the kidnappers to release her husband and Abhijit Rabha on compassionate grounds. A similar appeal has been made by the family of Rabha today through the media.

“We are trying our level best through all possible means. Police, Army and paramilitary forces have intensified combing operation, but till now no progress has been made,” Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Karbi Anglong, told this correspondent this evening.

This evening Deputy Commissioner Kumar and Superintendent of Police B B Chetry held a closed-door meeting in this connection in the DC’s official chamber, but neither divulged anything about the outcome of the meeting to the media.

AT

Blast destroys power tower

SIVASAGAR, March 4 – An improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by anti-talk faction of ULFA exploded at Borpathar in Sivasagar district today, damaging a power transmission tower of NEEPCO, reports PTI.
Police said three IEDs, weighing nearly a kg, were planted on the power transmission tower and one of them exploded this morning damaging the tower.

The other two IEDs were later defused by the army bomb squad, the police said.

The tower transmits electricity from Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited’s Lakwa Thermal Power Station (LTPS) at Maibella.

The police suspect ULFA anti-talk faction had caused the explosion to threaten the pro-talk faction of the outfit chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who hails from the area.

AT

‘Influx affecting demography of Manipur’
Correspondent
IMPHAL, March 4 – Manipur’s Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) president Irengbam Chaoren has alleged that the impact of incessant influx of non-Manipuris has severely affected demography of the State and the native people face a grave threat from immigrants.
“Already, it has been reported that immigrants now constitute almost one-third of the total population of Manipur. It is most probable that the immigrants would outnumber the indigenous population after some years,”said the RPF leader in a statement to the people on the occasion of Independence demand day which it observed recently.

“The economic model being put into practice today in the name of development, and its objectives are not for welfare of the indigenous people”, it alleged.

AT

SDF celebrates foundation day

GANGTOK, March 4 – The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party, the ruling regional party in Sikkim for two decades, is celebrating its 20th Foundation Day at Jorethang in South Sikkim today.
Thousands of party supporters and people from all the four districts in Sikkim attended the celebration.

“With Sikkim receiving more than 100 national awards during the four terms in government, the SDF is dedicatedly working to bring the desired change in the State as opposed to ‘Parivartan’ advocated by the opposition,” Chief Minister and leader of the SDF Pawan Chamling said today.

The change the opposition want in Sikkim is “destructive”, he alleged. He said that Sikkim has received these awards because of the positive change that has been appreciated at the Centre.

“The image that Sikkim has created in New Delhi has helped making Sikkim what it is today and where it will go in the future”, he said. – PTI

AT

I have made a dedicated thread on Northeast Security Watch, Poster can post Security matter regarding N.E in Northeast Security Watch..

The thread is at Internal Security as a Sticky..


Link:

North East Security Watch

Nice to see you taking all the trouble of moving posts too in that sticky. Appreciated!

I have copied all the post as moving cause some instability, though the thread is ready and i have added few more to that..

You are very pro-active. Great bro.

‘Tarantulas’ invade Assam town, ‘kill’ two - The Economic Times

^^
I don't know how this post came to be in this subforum.

I merged it.

Sounds horrible.

77 dead in Assam floods, landslides

The current wave of floods in Assam has so far claimed 61 lives while another 16 persons were killed in rain-induced landslides in two districts of Kamrup and Dima Hasao. Ten persons have been reported missing due to floods that inundated vast areas in 23 out of the total 27 districts in the state.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA president Sonia Gandhi are expected to make an aerial survey of the flood scene in the worst affected Majuli River Island in Jorhat district, an official source informed. Majuli River island in Brahmaputra River, has reeled under worst ever flood in its recent history. The island is considered seat of Vaishnav culture and religion in the State and houses numerous Satras (monasteries).

The flood have deluged more than 2,166 villages under 113 revenue circles across 23 districts affecting a population about two million (20 lakhs). "Although the rain has eased since yesterday and the water level in rivers is showing a receding trend, the flood situation still remains grim," Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka said.

About five lakh flood-hit people are lodged in 768 relief camps set by the administration. So far over 2.2 lakh marooned persons have been evacuated from various parts of the state. The state has deployed 16 teams of NDRF, seven teams of Army and 20 teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in flood relief and rescue operation.

The NDRF teams have been deployed in districts of Barpeta, Dhemaji, Dima Hasao, Jorhat, Kamrup (metro), Kamrup, North Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia. Seven teams of the Army have been deployed in flood relief and rescue operation in districts of Barpeta, Dhemaji, Dima Hasao, Sivasagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia.


The Indian Air Force choppers were used to evacuate some distressed people in remote parts of Dhemaji and Tinsukia districts.

Assam government is preparing to provide Rs 1.5 lakh as ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of each of those killed due to flood and landslides in the State. The Prime Minister has announced Rs one lakh compensation for each of the deceased and equal amount of compensation has been announced by Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi to be paid from his relief fund.

Rediff

4,000 kg food packets airdropped in flood-hit Assam

The Indian Air Force has carried out 24 sorties and air-dropped 4,000 kg of food packets in the flood affected regions of Assam and is keeping a close watch on the situation in the area.

"The Tezpur-based 115 Helicopter Unit of the Indian Air Force worked on relief and rescue mission in the flood affected areas. It undertook 24 sorties in Chetak and Cheetah helicopters in areas east of Tezpur and air-dropped nearly 4,000 kgs of food packets since Thursday," an official said.

A large number of the affected people have taken shelter in small patches of high ground, together with their cattle and livestock.

Today, Air Commodore Sandeep Singh, Air Officer Commanding (Tezpur), along with District Commissioner, Sonitpur, Collector and Superintendent of Police, Tezpur, undertook reconnaissance sorties to re-assess the ground situation.

With water levels now receding, airdropping by helicopters in this sector has been currently put on hold. The pilots, however, remain on stand-by for any emergency situation, including evacuation of the marooned.

Rediff