Manipur state government in India is now supporting the construction of the Rs60B (US$1.4B) Tipaimukh dam on the Barak river. In March 1997 the Manipur state assembly resolved to oppose construction of the dam, based on the area of land that would be submerged by the reservoir and the number of villages that would be flooded. However, the government has since decided to rescind its previous decision, after considering detailed engineering reports by the Brahmaputra River Develop-ment Board and the North Eastern Power Corporation (NEEPCO).
The recent NEEPCO report says that the height of the dam across the Barak river will be reduced to 170.5m, thereby reducing the flooded area. Once commissioned the dam will contribute 1500MW to the power-starved northeastern region in India and Manipur, the state that will be flooded by the reservoir, will receive 12% of the power for free.
