ITANAGAR, 9 Sep: The North East Human Rights (NEHR) has requested the Anjaw deputy commissioner to halt the assessment and land acquisition process for the Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project (HEP), citing multiple flaws in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted by WAPCOS Ltd.
The human rights organization claimed that the EIA contains multiple flaws and clear evidence of copy-paste work, indicating a lack of originality and due diligence.
“Furthermore, the preparation of the report has failed to adhere to the proper guidelines mandated for such assessments, thereby undermining its credibility and legality,” the NEHR wrote in a letter to the Anjaw deputy commissioner on 9 September.
It said that a legal notice has been issued to WAPCOS Ltd, seeking clarification on the grounds of alleged cheating and fraud under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as grabbing of scheduled tribe land through forged and false reporting, which may attract provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“Additionally, numerous complaints have been raised regarding the social impact assessment (SIA) for
the same project, further highlighting systemic issues in the project’s preparatory processes,” the organization said in the letter.
The human rights organization requested the DC to refrain from initiating any assessment or land acquisition process in the project affected families’villages until a satisfactory clarification is received from WAPCOS Ltd, addressing these concerns.
It also urged the DC to conduct an investigation into the matter with utmost urgency and impartially to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and guidelines.
The organization stated that failure to suspend such processes may compel it to pursue appropriate legal action in a competent court of law to protect the rights and interests of the affected communities.
