Assam-Meghalaya tribal groups protest Kulsi River hydro project

Guwahati: Several tribal organisations have once again raised strong opposition to the proposed 55 MW Ukiam hydropower project, jointly planned by the governments of Assam and Meghalaya on the Kulsi River — a key habitat of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin.

The dam is proposed at the confluence of the Dron, Shree, and Dilma rivers that form the Kulsi, located on the Assam-Meghalaya border, around 80 km southwest of Guwahati.

On Thursday (September 25), hundreds of villagers gathered at the popular Ukiam picnic spot to voice concerns over the project’s potential impact on the ecology and local livelihoods.

The protest was organised by the Assam-Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, which includes the Garo National Council (GNC) and the Rabha National Council (RNC).

Vowing to resist the project “under any circumstances,” GNC president Enindra Marak alleged that the two State governments were downplaying its consequences. “They claim only about 15 villages would be affected, but the impact will stretch from the hills of Meghalaya to the Brahmaputra,” he said, suggesting that work may be stalled until after the 2026 Assembly polls.

RNC chief convenor Gobinda Rabha warned that nearly 1.9 lakh bighas (25,418 hectares) of land could be submerged if the dam comes up. He accused the Assam government of sidelining indigenous voices and pushing the project in tribal areas without proper consent.

“The Kulsi hydropower project will cause irreversible ecological damage, just like two other projects being pursued in the region — the Dorabeel Logistics Park at Kukurmara-Palashbari and the proposed satellite township at Borduar,” he said.

Committee leaders expressed disappointment that both State governments have ignored several memorandums submitted against the project. In Meghalaya, however, the project faces additional hurdles as land tenure laws empower only traditional chiefs to grant no-objection certificates.

The plan for the hydropower and irrigation project was first announced on June 2, following a meeting between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

The announcement came amid ongoing efforts to resolve border disputes, with six of 12 contentious sectors settled through a March 2022 agreement.

At the time, Mr. Sarma had said the two governments would proceed with the Kulsi project only after consultations with local communities. “The project is designed to generate electricity for both States, while Assam will also benefit from irrigation facilities,” he told reporters.