Norte Energia is willing to fill Belo Monte lake without guaranteeing rights

The company Norte Energia requested IBAMA (Brazilian Federal Institute for Environment), last week on Wednesday, the licence for operating the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam. If IBAMA accepts the request, the company will be able to start filling the lake. The problem is, that the company did not yet accomplished with its obligations in guaranteeing the rights of those affected.

In Altamira, there is still thousands of families living in the area which will be affected by the lake of the reservoir of the dam. Only 2,500 out of 4,500 families affected which the company intend to resettle are living at the “resettlement” build by the company. Besides, not all those affected will have the right of a new home. Some are only receiving insufficient compensation to purchase a new property in Altamira and others are not even registered by the company, meaning, having no rights guaranteed.

The company’s resettlement are already presenting problems. Some houses (made out of injected concrete) already have infiltrations, the sewage system is not functioning, the streets have not lightening yet and there are not public services, as schools and health care centres. Besides, it is far from the centre of the city.

The indigenous population are also unsatisfied with the company. Last Monday, more than 100 indigenous people of the region of Volta Grande do Xingu blocked the Transamazonica highway at the kilometre 27. They denounce the delay at the accomplishment of the “conditions” that the company should attain regarding the indigenous population. Until now, for example, no heath care centres and schools have been build in the 34 indigenous villages of the region. The Norte Energia refuses to dialogue/negotiate with the indigenous and have already requested repossession suit, which have been denied by the Justice Tribune of Pará.

Still at the region of Volta Grande, the problems also affects non-indigenous population. Located 13 kilometres below the dam, the residents of Ilha da Fazenda denounces the impacts regarding the fishing activity and the impracticability to continue living at the place due to the draught of this part of the river, caused by the dam. Norte Energia, although, does not consider in resettling these people.

Ilha da Fazenda, at Volta Grande, at the km100 where the Xingu river will be deviated and will be pratically dry. Photo: Rogério Soares

“70% of the people affected by dams in Brazil haven’t had any right guaranteed. At Belo Monte, the tendency is that this fact will be repeated. That is why our work in the region is to organize those affected and struggle, because, in our case only the struggle guarantees our rights, affirms Iury Paulino, of MAB coordination.

Although the company requested licence to already operate the dam, the construction of Belo Monte is delayed. According to original schedule, the families which lives in the region affected by the lake should have been resettled until end of last year, to start the filling of the lake and the functioning of the turbines at end of January of 2015.