North East India is seen as a neglected region not only in terms of its geographical location, but also in economic, political and social dimensions. North East India shares five international boundaries and is connected to India through a small corridor of about 22 kms, hemmed in between the north of Bangladesh and south-east of Nepal. It is also the home to around 300 overlapping indigenous communities and the Northeast is one of the major bio-diversity hotspots of the world. The region represents one of earth’s most climate friendly environments with lifestyle that contributes minimum carbon emissions. Since the initiation of Look East India Policy in 1992, there has been a process of exploiting rivers, and mineral resources of the region to meet the ever growing energy demand of the industries and the cities. Since almost sixty years North-East India is heavily militarized with about 500 thousand armed forces to control 1800 armed insurgents operating in the region. Perhaps the greatest concern about the future of NEI’s natural resources is the alleged link between the military-security apparatus and new extractive projects.
Manipur is one of the states of North East India, sandwiched on the extreme boundary of India between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Manipur has land area of 22327 sq. km and total population of 33, 93,896 as per the latest population census 2011. Forest land covers 64 % of the geographical area. Like other states of North east, Manipur is awash with natural resources. Its abundant fresh water supply and sub tropic climate are ideal for agriculture and its bio diversity includes India last remaining rainfall. There are large reserves of crude oil and today exploration is taking place. Manipur is part of Indo-Myanmar bio-diversity zone. The ‘Asian Highway’ project, which envisages an uninterrupted motorway network connecting 32 countries across Asia with Europe, is supposed to pass through the state along the National Highway 35 and traditional global market known as Moreh. Manipur is also the most militarized state in North East India. There are more than 60,000 military and security personnel to counter insurgency operations in the state. The people of Manipur are experiencing conflict and violent in different forms but also abject poverty with limited access to their basic rights and services. Women too experience sexual gender based violence resulting to increased number of women living with HIV/AIDS, psycho -social disorders, drugs and arm peddling, as sex worker facing different types of social stigmas. The responsibility of home making and engaging in conflict and peace process in a masculine and militarized environment has heightened the burden of women. They are soldering multiple responsibilities as breadwinners, protectors of their families and communities, cultural identity and the natural resources in different ways.
The Government estimate of oil is around 600 million tonnes which translate into oil reserves of around 1,600 barrels per day or more than half a million barrels a year. Today’s value of 1 barrel is roughly between $ 80 to 88, which makes oil in Nagaland worth a gross annual turnover of roughly more than 260 crores. The State Government of Nagaland folated an expression of interest (EOI) for 11 oil and gas zones and gave permit for oil zones at Wokha and Paren to a company called Metropolitan Oil & Gas Pvt Ltd (MOGPL) . Champang oil field falls under Wokha where ONGC had extracted beyond the agreed amount to the tune of 1.3 million tonnes worth INR 329 crores where only INR 33 lakh was paid as royalty to Nagaland government and out of which 63 lakh was given to landowner. In the whole process of extracts of oil in Nagaland and the massive damage caused by leakage have led to confusing and local conflict in the region.
In Meghalaya coal and limestone are the main minerals being mined at present. As per record of Meghalaya Govt, Department of Mining and Geology the total annual production of limestone in 2009-2010 is 38,82.139 metric tonnes and 57,57,015 metric tonnes of coal. According to 2001 census data there were 4044 workers engage in coal mining which represent less than one present of total workers in the state. The NGT has dubbed the method used to extract coal in the state through a practice known as rat-hole coal mining as an unscientific, unregulated and illegal activity causing serious ecological and environmental damage and putting the lives of workers at risks. It further commented that this practice has benefitted only the coal mine owners with no substantial gain to the society and the state government. Rat-hole mining in Meghalaya generates adverse impact in the form of contamination of water bodies by the acid mine drainage. Roadside dumping and transportation of coal are other sources of air, water and soil pollution which imposes a cost in terms of its impact on the health and livelihood of citizens at large. These external costs of coal mining in the state have been discussed in many scientific studies. Other studies from around the world have also referred to external costs of coal mining in the form of global warming from greenhouse emissions, accidents, biodiversity impact, noise pollution, congestion and damage to roadways. In August 2014, the National Green Tribunal has upheld its ban of coal mining in Meghalaya on ground that “Noting that right to life is far more significant than economic interest of a state or an individual”
North East is known for its resource rich country and it is considered as the future power house of India. There are 8 mega dams existing and many more proposed dams are in the pipeline. Of all these dams, the Subansari dams (2,000 MW ) in the border of Assam and Arunachal is the most controversial dam projects. The report by a technical experts’ committee (TEC), which was submitted to the Planning Commission, has questioned the safety of the dam on the Subansiri River a tributary of the Brahmaputra. The report also suggests that the very foundation, on which the dam rests, might be weak. “The sandstone, which really looks and behaves like a sand rock, on which the dam is founded, has all through the SLP planning considered very weak. Its adequacy and competence to support the concrete gravity dam is not established satisfactorily,” it states. The Planning Commission had declined to make the report public in spite of RTI queries filed by environment activists Rohit Choudhary and Neeraj Vagholikar. Vagholikar says the government cannot refuse such requests because the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) had passed an order that all reports have to be made public after they are submitted. He cited the case of Madhav Gadgil’s report on the Western Ghats, which was made public by the Union environment ministry under order of CIC.