Massive protest erupts against proposed Kulsi dam at Assam–Meghalaya border

Thousands of people staged a massive protest at the Assam–Meghalaya border village of Ukiam on August 1 against the proposed Kulsi River dam, with demonstrators demanding the immediate cancellation of the project, citing concerns over displacement, environmental damage and public safety.

The protest, organised by the Assam–Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, saw residents from both states gather along the banks of the Kulsi River, raising slogans against the proposed hydroelectric and irrigation project.

The Kulsi River, formed by the confluence of three rivers at Ukiam, has been identified by the Assam and Meghalaya governments for the construction of a dam, with the Brahmaputra Board entrusted with preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

Opposition to the project has persisted for years, with local Khasi communities from Meghalaya and Rabha, Garo and Bodo communities from Assam expressing fears that the dam would threaten their homes, livelihoods and the region's ecological balance.

Addressing the gathering, Joint Protection Committee youth president Biswajit Rabha claimed that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier assured residents that no dam would be constructed on the Kulsi River if local people opposed the project. However, he alleged that the DPR was handed over to the Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited on July 30, reviving fears among the affected communities.

Rabha accused the governments of ignoring public concerns and warned that the proposed dam would endanger the lives of thousands living downstream.

Several local organisations, including Rabha and Garo student bodies, also participated in the demonstration. Protesters alleged that instead of bringing development, the project could submerge villages and force residents from their ancestral lands.

The Rabha Students' Union of Kamrup district, in a statement, said the proposed dam site falls within one of India's most seismically active regions, making the project highly risky. The union claimed that memorandums had been submitted to the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya last year seeking reconsideration of the proposal, but meaningful consultations with local communities have not taken place.

The student body further pointed to the recent floods in Upper Assam as an example of the devastating impact of water-related disasters and urged the governments to abandon the project in the interest of public safety.

The protesters warned that they would intensify their agitation if the authorities proceed with the proposed Kulsi River dam, saying the issue represents a larger conflict between infrastructure development and environmental and community rights in the ecologically sensitive Assam–Meghalaya border region.