GUWAHATI: Member of the National Board of Wildlife and noted environmentalist, Bittu Sahgal, said large dams proposed in Arunachal Pradesh should be reassessed taking into consideration the melting of glaciers in eastern Himalaya.
"Glaciers are melting fast due to the impact of climate change. The river flow data based on which many dams have been proposed should be reassessed. The cost-benefit analysis should also be reassessed based on the rate at which glaciers are melting," Sahgal said here on Thursday.
Sahgal was here to attend the foundation awards of Balipara Tract and Frontier Foundation (BTFF) held on Friday.
He said that Assam would be the worst-affected state once the dams in Arunachal Pradesh comes up as the Brahmaputra, which is the lifeline of the state, originates from a glacier in Tibet. Over 100 dams are planned in the various tributaries of the Brahmaputra and other rivers in Arunachal Pradesh, one of the most biodiversity-rich states in the country.
"The economy of Assam will be doomed once the large dams start to function. Flood and drought will be a recurring phenomena and silt is going do more damage than seismic threats. If water, soil and food production is affected, life will be miserable for the people of Assam," Sahgal warned.
"It is impossible for the economy to grow if we declare war against nature. How will our economy grow if there is no water left or soil becomes unsuitable for cultivation? We should protect our environment with a sense of patriotism," he said.
BTFF has instituted the awards in 10 categories to give recognition to those people in Assam, who have contributed to the conservation of ecological resources and help promotion of eco-friendly economy.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi's investment adviser and founder of BTFF, Ranjit Borthakur, said, "The prime objective of the NGO is to create a knowledge bank of the northeast's eco-resources and give recognition to those working for conservation and sustainable eco-friendly growth of the region." The BTFF has coined the concept of "naturenomic" to promote financially successful and ecologically sustainable economic growth through community-level participation.
"We want to live, love and learn from nature and work towards creating interdependence between nature and economics," Borthakur said.
