Dima Hasao Residents Voice Strong Resistance Against Proposed 1200-MW Hydropower Project

Haflong: In a strong show of resistance, people from Moti Lampu, Moti Hojai, and Riam Bathari in Dima Hasao district opposed the 1200-MW hydroelectric power project, proposed jointly by Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL) and Adani Green Energy Ltd.

In a detailed memorandum addressed to Dilip Saikia, president of the Assam BJP, village representatives Mohonlal Rajiyung (Gaonbura, Moti Lampu), Joytolal Khersa (Gaonbura, Moti Hojai), and Nailon Bathari of Riam Bathari expressed deep alarm over reports that the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the project site.

The memorandum stated that villagers have recently come to know that the Forest Department has already conducted a survey, which has increased the fear that commissioning the project would submerge vast stretches of fertile agricultural land and traditional jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation areas, the backbone of the local economy.

The objection letter strongly underlines the severe ecological implications: it warns that this project could result in the permanent destruction of rich forest cover, rare wildlife habitat, streams, flora and fauna, and the delicate ecological balance of the region. Villagers argue that such irreversible damage would leave indigenous communities devoid of natural resources for survival.

The signatories stressed that the villagers have inhabited the area ‘since time immemorial’, depending basically on agriculture, especially eri-muga silkworm rearing and traditional jhum cultivation. They warn that the hydropower project would displace tribal families, uproot them from ancestral land, and threaten their cultural and economic identity.

Terming the move as an attempt to benefit 'a few rich people', the villagers vowed to undertake democratic protests until the proposal is withdrawn. They urged the BJP leadership to intervene immediately and safeguard the rights, livelihoods, and future of the tribal communities affected by the project.

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