A proposed hydropower-cum-irrigation project on the Kulsi river, jointly planned by the governments of Assam and Meghalaya, has triggered strong opposition from communities and local organisations along the Assam–Meghalaya border.
First conceived in 1997 and later classified as a National Project, the Rs 1,454.95-crore Kulsi project is expected to generate 55 MW of power and provide irrigation to nearly 26,000 hectares of land. The dam was proposed to be built at Ukiam in the upper reaches of the Kulsi river, which flows from Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills into Assam's Kamrup district.
The Kulsi river serves as a habitat to approximately 20 endangered Gangetic river dolphins, identified in India's first national dolphin survey, released in April 2022. More immediately, it provides the foundation for countless livelihoods dependent on fishing, farming, and the seasonal rhythms of water flow.
Protesters argue that disrupting the river's natural flow would threaten both biodiversity and local livelihoods. The proposed 62-meter-high dam would also impact at least 12 wetlands, including Chandubi Lake—one of the world's largest tectonic lakes located just 3 kilometres from the dam site.
Community leaders voiced fears that up to 25 villages across Kamrup and West Khasi Hills could face displacement, mostly forest settlements inhabited by Rabha, Garo, and Khasi families for generations. These villages include Ukiam, Barjhar, Dighalbil, Warygrow, Krishnapur, Umthali, Mekhamdal, Darifang, and others. “Although they have applied for title certificates under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, they will not be eligible for compensation if they're shifted by the authorities to facilitate the project for the lack of land documents,” the organisation members told the media.
Agricultural communities downstream fear the dam would reduce water flow, affecting farming and fishing operations that have sustained the region for generations. “The crops and natural vegetation of South Kamrup depend on the Kulsi's flow. Installing a 62-metre-high dam at Ukiam would severely disrupt this ecosystem," read a memorandum.
On 25 June 2025, a coalition of nineteen organisations staged a major rally in Chaygaon, Kamrup district. Participating organisations included the All Rabha Students' Union (ARSU), Assam-Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, Garo National Council, and Khasi Students' Union, along with others from Gorkha, Koch-Rajbongshi, Bengali, Bodo, and tribal communities. Earlier in June, another protest meeting was convened at Ukiam itself, attended by representatives from both Assam and Meghalaya.
Memorandums were submitted to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma through the local administration, demanding immediate cancellation of the project. The Chaygaon unit of ARSU even described the project as a "water bomb near Chandubi."
Chief Minister Sarma, who had announced the Kulsi project alongside Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma on 2 June 2025, described the hydropower and irrigation scheme as a “friendship initiative” between the two states, promising benefits such as power generation and irrigation across Kamrup and Goalpara.
In response to the protests, Sarma said that the government would not proceed without public consent. “If the people do not want the project, they can simply file an application. What is the need for protests?” Sarma remarked.
The Assam government has since clarified that no decision has been finalised. An official statement read that the government would "address the apprehensions among local communities on the potential ecological impact, displacement of people, and possible adverse impacts on agricultural livelihoods."
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to cancel the project
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project stalled due to protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Water bodies, "Agricultural land, Residential area"
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
1454
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Law, Other, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Assam Government; Meghalaya Government; Kamrup District Administration; Circle Office of Chhaygaon; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
All Rabha Students’ Union (Arsu); Assam–Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee; Assam–Meghalaya Joint Resistance Committee; Khasi Students’ Union; Garo National Council; All Assam Koch Rajbanshi Students’ Union; All Assam Bengali Youth Students’ Federation; All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union; All Assam Tribal Sangha; Ukiam–Kyrsai Group; Christian Forum; All Assam Students’ Union;
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).
