Mangalbare, July 28 

The Super Mai Hydropower Project which is under construction in Ilam has ignored the environment.

The locals here have blamed that the project dried up the river and its tributaries. The locals have been united and voicing against the project that it was not paying heed to environmental concerns. Even the small stream and tributaries to Mai River were usurped by the project, said Kush Bahadur Thebe, adding that although it was not big concern in the rainy season, the river and tributaries would be dry in winter season.

Once the major river and feeding streams go dry, it has direct impact on irrigation and use of water for cattle, he argued. Now, the locals have decided that they would not allow the hydropower project to use the water from Ingla and Samaha streams. The struggle committee has further urged the project to immediately stop the structures being made to supply water from Ingla and Samaha streams to the hydropower.

Although the locals raised voice against the project, their demands were not addressed. The struggle committee further said the project needs to bear social responsibility, but there was no transparency of budget use under this scheme.

Secretary of the struggle committee, Man Bahadur Gurung, warned if their demands were not addressed, the committee would launch organized protests.