Protestors Occupy Offices of Power Plant in Para State
8/9/91
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/* Written 5:19 pm Aug 9, 1991 by oxre in peg:rainfor.general
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/* ---------- "Amazonian Protest about Plague of" ---------- */
ALERT - ALERT - ALERT - ALERT - ALERT - ALERT -
PROTESTERS OCCUPY OFFICES OF THE BRAZILIAN POWER
COMPANY IN TUCURUI, PARA STATE.
9 AUGUST 1991
On 1 August a group of about 250 people, who live in the area of
Para state affected by the Tucurui hydroelectric power plant,
occupied the offices of Eletronorte, the state electricity
company, in the town of Tucurui. They are protesting about the
company's failure to take effective action to control a plague of
mosquitoes, which has made life in some communities almost
impossible.
Tucurui was built to supply power to the industries that were
created as part of the Greater Carajas Programme. [In particular
it provides energy to the pig iron smelters in Para, the Alumar
aluminium smelting plant in the state of Maranhao and Abras in
Para. Alumar is owned by Billington/Shell, Alcoa and Camargo
Correa, while Albras is owned by a Japanese consortium called
Nippon Amazon Aluminium Company - NALCO - and the Brazilian state
miningcorporation Companhia do vale do Rio Doce - CVRD.]
Tucurui, which is on the Tocantins river, was the first major
hydroelectric plant in the Amazon and it began to operate in 1984.
Many peasant families who were forced to relocate have never been
compensated. Indigenous groups like the Gaviao da Montanha and the
Parakana lost much of their land and their population sharply
declined.
Ecological problems have only worsened as the years have passed.
The Tocantins river upstream from the dam is so polluted as to
make fishing impossible, creating problems for the families living
on theriverbank. But the worst ecological problem may be the
proliferation of mosquitoes along the shores of the reservoir.
More than 1500 families or about 8000 people, including the
Parakana Indians, are affected by the plague of mosquitoes. In
some areas, people report, the situation is so extreme that they
are being bitten 500 times in an hour, making it impossible for
farmers to tend their crops.
In 1989 the rural workers union of the towns affected campaigned
for a commission to be set up to examine the extent of the
problem. A Commission was formed which included representatives
of Eletronorte, the Rural Workers'Union, INPA (the Brazilian
Institute of Amazonian Research) and the Brazilian Environmental
Protection Agency, IBAMA and its report was published in January
1990. The report concluded that the dramatic increase in the
mosquito population was directly attributable to the environmental
change following the formation of the lake and the selection of
poor sites for resettlement. The clearing of hillsides had caused
layers of soil to be carried down in streambeds, creating
favourable environments for breeding mosquitos. Furthermore
failure to clear the forest before the area was flooded had meant
that the floating deadwood and plant mass encouraged the
proliferation of aquatic plants and, therefore of mosquitoes.
The report cautioned that "any solution to the problem ... will
only show results in the medium and long term". (source: Relatorio
da Comissao de Estudos da Proliferacao de Mosquitos a Montante de
Tucurui, 1990: 26-27)
Despite these findings and the warning that the plague was
reaching calamitous proportions and was liable to spread, no
action has been taken. The Commission recognised that "living
conditions for both human beings and animals are extremely
unhealthy" but it did not make recommendations for the solution of
the problem. This was to be subject to negotiations between
Eletronorte and representatives of the resettled communities.
But there has been no progress. In March 1991 the mayor of the
town of Tucurui declared a state of emergency, which prompted the
state legislature to set up a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry
to study theproblem and to make recommendations on how to tackle
the environmental impact of the Tucurui Hydroproject.
But for those people forced to live in the resettlement areas the
situation has become intolerable. They have reacted with
indignation to the dilatory response of the power company to their
plight and are concerned that its proposal to bring the outbreak
under control through the use of pesticides will simply add to the
ecological problems of the area.
The situation in the town of Tucurui remains tense and Eletronorte
is seeking an injunction to have the occupation brought to an end
through the intervention of state police.
The protesters are calling on Eletronorte to provide compensation
for those families who may have to leave the area because
conditions have become intolerable and for medical attention for
those who have fallen ill with malaria as a result of the plague.
Thirdly, they want Eletronorte to set up a committee to study
their claims for full compensation for all the damage that the
construction of the dam has caused them.
NGOs are urged to send telexes of faxes asking for the Brazilian
authorities:
- to show restraint in bringing the occupation to and end;
- to give urgent consideration to the immediate implementation of
environmentally sound measures to control the mosquito outbreak;
- and to provide full compensation to those who have lost their
homes and livelihoods or who have suffered other damage to their
physical well-being as a result of construction of the dam.
Tricia Feeney
Development Policy Unit
OXFAM-UK/I
Addresses:
Ilmo Sr Jader Barbalho
Governor of the State of Para
telex: 091-1012
Sr Afonso Tiago Simas
President of Eletronorte
Brasilia
telex: 061-1279
Maria Tereza Fernandes Serra
Departamento de Meio Ambiente (Environment Department
of State Electricity
Eletrobras Company)
Rio de Janeiro
FAX:021-252-9806
Telex: 021-22395