Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
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Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;
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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;
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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of..."/>
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                <strong>Weeping Sikkim by Sreelatha Menon</strong></h1>
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                <br /><div align="justify">&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.<br /><br />Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.<br /><br />While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.<br /><br />Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.<br /><br />A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).<br /><br />It said, &ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.<br /><br />&ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.<br /><br />The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&rdquo;</div>               </font>
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&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;
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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;
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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

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&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of..."/>
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                <strong>Weeping Sikkim by Sreelatha Menon</strong></h1>
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                <br /><div align="justify">&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.<br /><br />Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.<br /><br />While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.<br /><br />Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.<br /><br />A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).<br /><br />It said, &ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.<br /><br />&ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.<br /><br />The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&rdquo;</div>               </font>
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&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;
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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Business Standard, 25 September, 2011, http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sreelatha-menon-weeping-sikkim/450363/&#039;,
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&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;lsquo;Earthquakes don&amp;rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&amp;rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&amp;rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&amp;rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&amp;rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &amp;mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &amp;mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It said, &amp;ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &amp;mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &amp;mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&amp;rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &amp;ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of..."/>
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                <strong>Weeping Sikkim by Sreelatha Menon</strong></h1>
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                <br /><div align="justify">&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.<br /><br />Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.<br /><br />While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.<br /><br />Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.<br /><br />A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).<br /><br />It said, &ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.<br /><br />&ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.<br /><br />The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&rdquo;</div>               </font>
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<div align="justify">
&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.<br />
<br />
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.<br />
<br />
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.<br />
<br />
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.<br />
<br />
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).<br />
<br />
It said, &ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.<br />
<br />
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&rdquo;
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&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of...',
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<div align="justify">
&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.<br />
<br />
Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim&rsquo;s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains.<br />
<br />
While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan&rsquo;s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak.<br />
<br />
Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim &mdash;which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake &mdash; should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it.<br />
<br />
A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw).<br />
<br />
It said, &ldquo;While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment &mdash; blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site &mdash; Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.&rdquo; No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years.<br />
<br />
The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. &ldquo;Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.&rdquo;
</div>',
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&lsquo;Earthquakes don&rsquo;t kill people, buildings do,&rsquo; is a saying Sikkim&rsquo;s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state&rsquo;s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake.

Lepchas, members of...'
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Weeping Sikkim by Sreelatha Menon

‘Earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do,’ is a saying Sikkim’s native Lepchas love to quote, since the state’s mountains are known to tremble often. The truth of this statement again came to the fore in the recent earthquake. Lepchas, members of one of Sikkim’s native communities with magical mythology and folklore, have been voicing their concerns over indiscriminate approvals to hydel projects in the hill state, especially those that seek to bury the Teesta river permanently in the womb of tunnels, blasted through mountains. While the fading of the river may have ecological implications, what is graver is the manner in which the river is being pushed into the tunnels. It has meant blasting of mountains on which the state stands so precariously. The seismicity of the state is well-known and locals say tremors are felt every few minutes. The people have lived with the tremors for generations. But the mountains of a people who built a ladder to heaven (a Lepcha legend) are no longer the same. While more than 100 people lost their lives in Sikkim in the recent earthquake, only one died in the neighbouring nation Bhutan. While Bhutan’s 75 per cent forest cover held the soil together, what Sikkim had were blast-scarred construction sites on every peak. Two years ago, the state government cancelled a handful of its 29 hydel projects, giving in to the demands of fasting activists of Affected Citizens of Teesta. Their demand then was that their mythological homeland, the Dzongu mountain in North Sikkim —which falls in the Kanchenjunga bio-reserve and is close to Mangan, the epicentre of the quake — should not be touched. But the MoEF has ignored their plea to stop the blasting or to regulate it. A letter by ACT to the chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley and Hydro Projects in the MoEF sought additional conditions for Teesta HEP Stage-III (a project that was recently praised by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, along with the projects coming up in Tripura, for adding to the target of achieving 65,000 Mw of power in the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with Teesta-III alone giving 1,200 Mw). It said, “While issuing the environmental clearance to M/S Teesta Urja Ltd for Development of Teesta HEP Stage-III, there is no mention of one of the most serious causes of destruction of the environment — blasting/dynamite. Due to this, there has been unchecked rampant blasting at the construction site of the projects, particularly at the dam site — Raman and other areas of the project. It is also known that unlike conventional hydro projects, the most serious damage to the environment is caused by tunneling. Also, the region above the Adit-II (Teng) experienced unprecedented landslides and flash floods in August 2002. Now, further disturbance by blasting in the area will certainly hit to the already disturbed area and lead to disastrous effects. “You are requested to kindly put fresh conditions to the project regarding blasting (it is a specific condition No 1 in Panam HEP clearance) that all blasting should be stopped till a reputed independent agency is appointed to install necessary equipment to measure the intensity and ensure that blasting is carried out in a controlled manner.” No such action followed. The numbers and needs are big, bigger than the mountains, its people and their lives: 64,000 Mw in five years, another 100,000 Mw in the next five years. The Lepchas cite a Cree saying to explain the dilemma between human need/greed and nature. “Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, you will find that money cannot be eaten.”