30 July 2015 Righting Forest Rights “Given the nodal ministry [Tribal Affairs] is unable to monitor the implementation of the provision—which is impeding the development process anyway—may be it is time the FRA was indeed amended to this effect.” Financial Times. #Thoubal # Mapithel
30 July 2015 Thoubal multipurpose dam project (=Mapithel Dam). Building started in 1989 without clearance. After the Forest Rights Act (2006) the first clearance was given in 2010; local displaced people petitioned the National Green Tribunal in August 2013 “following an RTI revelation that it is being constructed without any forest clearance“; the environment ministry issued a second (final) clearance in 2013; the petitioners protested that this clearance had been given without consulting the tribal people; the tribal affairs ministry waffled on this: first they said that consent was necessary and then that they would make an exception in this case. The next hearing is scheduled for 4 August 2015. #Thoubal #Mapithel
24 July 2015 Manipur’s looming environment catastrophe Flooding due to Mapithel Dam and non-observance of FRA. Livemint. Updates here. #Manipur (Ukhrul district, Chadong village). #Environment #Protest #Thoubal #Mapithel
16 July 2015 Chandel Naga bodies petition Union Minister to decommission Mapithel dam `The project violates the rights of the tribal communities over their ancestral land and forest and also violates the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 …’ Also HERE. #Manipur (Chandel District) #Protest #Thoubal #Mapithel