Gangtok, Aug 29 Yet another apolitical outfit - Affected People's Forum (Teesta Stage V & VI) - has questioned the viability of hydel projects in North Sikkim claiming that the water sources in that region has dried up due to construction works at the 1200 MW hydel project at Chungthang.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor B P Singh, the outfit has demanded immediate suspension of the construction works by the private development, Lanco Energy Company, saying that the natural sources of water in North Sikkim have dried up due to drilling, blasting and tunnelling activities for the construction of the mega hydel project in question.
Apart from the natural water sources drying up, the residential buildings have developed cracks to jeopardise the safety of the local people due to the unmitigated disaster being caused to the pristine landscape of North Sikkim due to the construction works at the hydel project site, it alleged in its eight-point memorandum to the Governor.
The APF further accused the developer with hurting the cultural and religious sensibilities of the tribal people by acquiring the land which they have been using for nearly 70-80 years for cremation purposes, the memorandum claimed, adding the developer has failed to provide an alternative site to enable the people to perform the last rites of their dead relatives.
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