Assam media team on goodwill mission to Arunachal

Itanagar, Sep 02 (UNI) A 15-member media team from Assam has arrived here on a four-day goodwill mission to foster better relations between the two neighbouring states.

The team, led by Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Assam, H Bhuyan, along with senior journalists, arrived here yesterday and would visit a few villages in the Assam-Arunachal border to study the problems faced by both the states.

Welcoming the team, Nyishi Elite Scoeity (NES) president Bengia Tolum hoped that the misgivings spread on various issues related to both the states would be removed once the journalists see the ground realities for themselves and highlight them in the right perspective.

He invited the team to visit Yazali for inspecting the 405 MW Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project (RHEP), where there is no reservoir but a diversion dam that cannot hold water for long time.

Recently, the Assam government had alleged that the June 14 devastating floods in that state this year was caused due to release of excess water by the RHEP, which was denied by both the Arunachal government and NEEPCO.

Referring to the flood that left a trail of destruction, including death of 17 people in Arunachal, Mr Tolum said the state first faces the fury of nature every monsoon before Assam.

''Instead of sharing our grief, Assam unfortunately blames Arunachal,'' he said, adding that the damage caused to a culvert on NH 52 by the flood prompted even the Governor and Chief Minister to blame the RHEP without ascertaining the facts.

''If the RHEP had released so much water, the railway line and bridges upstream would also have been washed away,'' he said.

Mr Tolum pleaded that the media, being the mirror of the society, should give the correct picture and information so as to clear misunderstandings among the people of both the states, particularly those living along the inter-state border so that they could live in peace and harmony.

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