Guwahati, July 12: Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi today wrote an “open letter” to chief minister Tarun Gogoi, saying he and his supporters would continue to oppose the construction of big dams on the Brahmaputra even at the cost of their lives.

Seeking a public explanation from the chief minister regarding the benefits of big dams, including the Lower Subansiri hydel power project at Gerukamukh, the RTI activist said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Tarun Gogoi would become “villains” in history if they did not do anything to stop the construction of dams.

He said it had become inevitable for him to write the letter to the chief minister following the latter’s recent statement before the media that the government would provide all kinds of support and co-operation to the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) in transporting turbines to the Lower Subansiri project site along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

The letter said the KMSS would not allow transportation of turbines to the project site under any circumstance.

Akhil questioned the chief minister on how much electricity the state would gain after completion of the Lower Subansiri project and other big or small dams being built at various sites in Arunachal Pradesh. “The NHPC has been saying that Assam will receive only 25MW of free power from the Lower Subansiri project. On the other hand, Assam would not receive any quantum of free power from the projects being constructed in Arunachal Pradesh. However, the dams being built will have devastating impact on Assam,” the letter stated.

Criticising Tarun Gogoi’s role in treating the expert committee report on construction of the Lower Subansiri power project, Akhil asked the chief minister to immediately explain his government’s stand on the report.

“We will not allow corporate groups to take control of water in Assam. It is time to go for construction of small and environment-friendly dams to generate electricity in the state,” the letter stated.