ITANAGAR, Oct 1: The Forum for Siang Dialogue (FSD) has sought an assurance from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) team documenting the natural heritage of the Siang valley that the information they gather will not be used to justify building dams on the Siang river.
“The reason for our genuine fear is that the WII cannot be trusted. It justified construction of the 1750 Demwe Lower project at Parshuram Kund based on only a 20-day survey, and has used the opportunity to get itself a project for Rs 1.84 crore from the dam company to do studies along with construction of dam, while submitting their report in a kind of quid pro quo,” FSD spokesman Vijay Taram said.
“They have also manipulated information about submergence by dam and shown a much reduced submergence by the Demwe project, keeping in mind the interests of the project proponents,” Taram said.
He said the FSD needs an assurance from the WII that this is a genuine scientific expedition and “not a reconnaissance so that the WII can get mega projects funded by dam proponents in the future by justifying large dams which will destroy our indigenous people, their culture, identity, rivers, forests, and culture.”
