Assam: SLHEP dam turbine part transported after 14 years

North Lakhimpur: A part of a giant turbine intended for the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Power (SLHEP) dam at Gerukamukh in Assam was finally transported to its destination after remaining stranded for fourteen years.

The turbine component, mounted on a massive carrier, was initially halted by anti-dam protesters at Dhalpur in Assam's Lakhimpur district during a mass blockade led by KMSS leader and current opposition MLA Akhil Gogoi on the night of November 30, 2011. The protest, which turned violent, forced authorities to divert the cargo to North Lakhimpur for safety.

On December 1, 2011, protesters once again stopped the cargo in North Lakhimpur, compelling district authorities to suspend further movement. Since then, the turbine part remained parked in a corner of the A-Team Field at North Lakhimpur Government Higher Secondary School, along with its transport vehicle.

Over the years, the vehicle deteriorated, but the turbine part stayed intact. Street artists painted murals and protest artwork on the turbine, turning it into a symbolic statement against the mega dam project, opposed by several organisations including KMSS, AASU, AJYCP, TMPK, and AADSU.

Today, the long-abandoned machinery was finally removed and transported to the SLHEP dam site at Gerukamukh, operated by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).