AGENCIES
AIZAWL, OCTOBER 23
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] plan to construct dams on a large scale by Mizoram government might pose an environmental threat at the cost of human habitation, said Peoples’ Right to Information and Development Implementing Society of Mizoram (PRISM).
A state level consultation on Land Issue was today held jointly by PRISM and Centre for Peace and Development (CPD) during which various problems and challenges related to land issue had been widely deliberated.
Presided by S.L.Ngursailova Sailo General Secretary (Public Revenue) PRISM, the consultative meeting observed that the excessive issue of land pass was the major problem faced by Mizoram in the present context. The absence of proper plan for effective utilization of land may appear as a serious issue in no time, observed the meeting.The government’s plan to construct electric power dam or Hydel project on every possible river may pose environmental threat to human existence and may effectuate ecological imbalance.
According to PRISIM, 70% of forest land will be submerged by water and only 30% of arable land will be available if large scale dam construction is made in the state.
APPREHENSIVE ABOUT COMPENSATION
PRISM and CPD said that the government will be reluctant to give compensation to the victim families residing at danger area in case of natural calamity.
PRISM also mentioned in a release that many lands allotted by government through NLUP and MIP projects had been sublet by the owning farmers by making land pass as government did not take proper step to check it. Therefore, an initiative should be taken to check these allotted lands, PRISIM added. The PRISM and CPD consultative meeting also observed that unless inter-village boundary are demarcated adequately, it may bring further tension between villages in the future. They asked the state government to resolve inter-village boundary tension.
The consultative meeting also discussed the danger dams may bring by over exploitation of natural resources and how reserved forest on the bank of a river affect the living of the people.
They agreed to have comprehensive study on implementation of The Mizoram Land Revenue Laws; land allotment to ministers, MLAs and other government officers; to prepare Land Policy draft for government to launch adequate land policy for public and to appeal to all landowners to submit details report of their land.
