By Abhijit Kalita
Palasbari, June 7: Sharp resistance has emerged against the proposed 55-megawatt hydropower-cum-irrigation project on the Kulsi River, following a recent meeting between Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma at Koinadhara Guest House, where both leaders reportedly agreed to move ahead with the controversial initiative.
In response, a joint press conference was convened on Friday at the central office of the Chhaygaon Anchalik Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU) in Rihabari. Multiple Rabha community bodies, including the Rabha Mahila Parishad and the Sixth Schedule Demand Committee, expressed unequivocal opposition to the project, citing threats to both the environment and indigenous livelihoods.
ARSU Central Committee Vice President Pradip Rabha voiced strong discontent with the decision taken by the two state governments and demanded an immediate withdrawal. He announced that if the proposal is not scrapped, the student body will spearhead a mass democratic agitation in collaboration with local communities.
A large protest has been scheduled for June 9 in Ukium, a sensitive border village along Assam and Meghalaya, and is expected to witness the participation of various indigenous and ethnic groups from the region.
“The Kulsi River is not just a water body—it is the cultural and ecological lifeline of South Kamrup,” Rabha stated. “This dam would irreversibly disrupt the river’s natural course, impact biodiversity, and directly endanger species like the Gangetic dolphin. It also poses a significant risk to the ecologically fragile Chandubi Lake and nearby communities.”
Rabha warned that the 62-meter-high concrete dam would lead to frequent and unpredictable water releases, potentially flooding downstream villages, destroying farmland, and endangering livestock and human settlements.
He further urged the state governments to reconsider imposing large infrastructure projects in ecologically and demographically sensitive zones. Instead, he demanded the immediate implementation of the Sixth Schedule in the Rabha Hasong region, opposing any move to establish a satellite township that could marginalize indigenous communities.
Laskar Rabha, President of the Chhaygaon ARSU, confirmed that the June 9 protest at Ukium would serve as a show of unified resistance from multiple communities determined to safeguard their land, river, and rights.