Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Former MLA Samarjit Haflongbar is pushing to kill a 1,250 MW pumped storage project in Haflong. He wants the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to intervene immediately. The project threatens Dima Hasao, a Sixth Schedule tribal hill district. He demands officials respect the law.
Haflongbar argued that the Sixth Schedule exists to safeguard indigenous land, water, and traditional culture. Any major work in the region requires extreme caution. He warned that massive infrastructure could wreck local forests and ancestral livelihoods. He stated, "A project of such magnitude may have far-reaching consequences for the environment, forests, water sources, traditional land-use systems, villages and livelihoods of the indigenous people."
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes sent a reminder letter on 13 August 2026. It demands answers from the Deputy Commissioner of Dima Hasao and the Principal Secretary of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council. These officials must provide transparent facts immediately.
Haflongbar urged the Assam government and the council to pause all progress. They must finish a full review of constitutional and environmental impacts before moving forward. He wants the people consulted first. Development is necessary, he noted, but it cannot destroy the identity or future of the local tribes.
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