Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Protests ignited in Chhaygaon over the proposed 55 MW Kulsi Hydropower Project. Demonstrators are ready for a fight. On August 1, the Kulsi Nadibandh Birodhi Sangrami Mancha and various civic groups issued a stern warning: pull the project or face a massive agitation.
The plan targets Ukiam on the Assam-Meghalaya border. Residents fear for their land and the river ecosystem. The project includes a 60-foot-high dam and carries a price tag of Rs 1,454.95 crore. Opponents claim the footprint covers 26,000 hectares, stretching from Ukiam through Chhaygaon to Chamaria.
Tensions spiked after the Brahmaputra Board handed over the Detailed Project Report to the Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited last week. General Manager Abhay Kumar and Chief General Manager Saurav Saikia signed the documents. The Brahmaputra Board, part of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, now wants immediate groundwork.
Critics call the government move a provocation. They cited concerns over displacement and environmental decay. The forum blasted local leaders for their silence. They stated, "The government’s continued push for the project, despite objections from groups in both Assam and Meghalaya, had intensified public resentment."
The Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council and local MLAs have yet to clarify their positions. Activists now plan to mobilize residents across the region. They are waiting to see if the government blinks.
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