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Activists call for Laos's largest dam to suspend operations

Massive S.Korea river project faces mounting criticism
Seoul (AFP) March 23, 2010 - South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak called Tuesday for a campaign to promote his multi-billion dollar river development project, to counter criticism it could spark severe environmental damage. The massive Four Rivers Project is aimed at "resuscitating lives, restoring dying ecosystems and securing clean water", Lee was quoted as telling his cabinet. "When an election season comes, there may occur politically-motivated attacks against government's key policies," he said. "Each ministry must actively respond."

Local elections will be held on June 2. Under the 19-billion-dollar project, launched last November, the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan rivers will be dredged, given new banks and equipped with dams along a total length of some 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles). The government says less water will be wasted, floods and droughts will be controlled and water quality improved, while the economy of local provinces will be helped and tens of thousands of jobs will be created. But critics say that apart from environmental damage the project, due to completed in 2012, will gobble up funds for welfare, education and provincial development.
by Staff Writers
Hanoi (AFP) March 23, 2010
The largest hydroelectric project in Laos, which began selling power to Thailand last week, should suspend operations until it has fulfilled its obligations to local people, activists said Tuesday.

US-based watchdog International Rivers accused the Nam Theun 2 Power Company (NTPC) of flouting an agreement not to start commercial operations at their dam on the Nam Theun river before they had compensated affected villagers.

"The Nam Theun 2 Power Company (NTPC) is operating the dam illegally," Ikuko Matsumoto, the group's Lao programme director, said in a statement.

International Rivers said resettled communities were entitled to irrigated land while downstream villagers should have already received compensation for flooded gardens and alternative water supply sources.

More than 6,000 villagers were relocated to make way for the project.

"Dam operation should be suspended until the Nam Theun 2 Power Company complies with its legal agreements," International Rivers said.

NTPC announced on March 17 that it had begun supplying the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand with 1,000 megawatts of power, almost its entire capacity.

The World Bank, which has supervised and monitored the project, denied the activists' allegations.

"The notion that the project is in violation of legal agreements is incorrect," the Bank said in a statement to AFP.

It added that many people were already benefiting from a compensation programme that has been implemented for several years.

The power company said it was working on a range of social and environmental programmes and that independent monitors were checking the progress to ensure it met its obligations.

Laos is one of Asia's poorest nations but will earn royalties, dividends and taxes estimated at more than two billion dollars over the 25 years the power company will own the project, NTPC said.

Environmentalists had long opposed the development, which began in November 2005. The 1.45-billion-dollar Lao-French-Thai dam has a generating capacity of 1,070 megawatts.



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WATER WORLD
Thailand plans Myanmar hydropower plant
Bangkok (UPI) Feb 17, 2009
Thailand plans to go ahead with the construction of a dam and hydropower plant in Myanmar despite opposition from civic and environmental groups. "There will be more studies. Although this may lead to a delay, the project is not scrapped," Thailand's Energy Permanent Secretary Pornchai Rujiprapa was quoted as saying by Thailand news agency The Nation. The proposed 1.35 gigawatt H ... read more







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