Protests against the ambitious ₹1,455 crore Kulsi Hydropower Project have recently intensified, with anti-dam groups vowing a 'massive agitation' following reports that authorities are moving forward with the controversial venture. The project, slated for the Kulsi River along the Assam-Meghalaya border, has faced sustained public resistance from communities in the region.
The Kulsi Nadibandh Birodhi Sangrami Mancha (Anti-Kulsi Dam Struggle Forum), backed by several local civic organisations, held a press conference recently to voice their strong disapproval. They accused the government of pushing ahead with the 55 MW hydropower project despite significant and ongoing opposition from residents living along the river, who fear its potential environmental and social impacts.
This fresh wave of protests comes days after reports indicated renewed governmental efforts to advance the project. The forum warned that if construction plans are not halted, they would escalate their peaceful demonstrations into a larger, more widespread movement to protect the river and the livelihoods dependent on it. The long-standing contention surrounding the project highlights the ongoing tension between developmental aspirations and local environmental and community concerns in the Northeast.
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