Assam: Dima Hasao village headman flags encroachment, environmental threats; opposes proposed mining activities

The Gaon Bura of Longplaidisa village in Umrangso, Dima Hasao district, has raised strong objections to proposed drilling and mining-related activities in the area, alleging land encroachment, environmental risks and violation of community consent.

In a formal letter to the Director of Geology and Mining, Assam, village headman Duttaram Hojai appealed for an immediate halt to any exploratory drilling at Longplaidisa village. 

He cautioned that such activities threaten valuable cultivable land, forest cover, flora and fauna, water bodies and the overall ecological balance. 

Hojai noted that the tribal residents of Longplaidisa village are already suffering from pollution and social impacts caused by existing cement plants, ongoing mining operations and alleged illegal rat-hole coal extraction, which have led to an inflow of outside labourers and a rise in crime.

In a separate letter to the Principal Secretary of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), Hojai accused a private cement company of encroaching over two kilometres into the boundary of Longplaidisa village. 

He said the company has begun constructing a road through Nobdilongkukro village and is allegedly planning limestone mining in the Longplaidisa area — all without the consent of the villagers.

The residents of Longplaidisa village have strongly opposed the encroachment, asserting that any mining or road construction would endanger their land, environment, wildlife and streams. 

Hojai stressed that the people of the Umrangso region have already borne the brunt of unchecked industrial activities and have a duty to protect their land and environment for future generations.

Urging urgent intervention, the village authorities called on NCHAC and the state government to review the matter and take necessary action to safeguard the rights, resources and traditional way of life of the people of Longplaidisa village.