Members of 19 organisations hit the streets in a southwestern Assam town on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) to oppose a 55-megawatt hydropower project planned jointly by the governments of Assam and Meghalaya on the Kulsi River, a natural habitat of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin.
The protest rally culminated in these organisations submitting a memorandum each to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma via the Circle Officer of Kamrup district’s Chhaygaon, about 40 km from Guwahati.
The organisations include the local units of the All Rabha Students’ Union, Assam-Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, Garo National Council, Khasi Students’ Union, All Assam Koch Rajbanshi Students’ Union, All Assam Bengali Youth Students’ Federation, All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union, All Assam Tribal Sangha, and Christian Forum.
The two Chief Ministers announced the plan for the 55-MW hydropower and irrigation project after a meeting on June 2 to resolve the remaining six of 12 disputed sectors along their 885-km interstate border. The other six areas of difference were resolved through an agreement in March 2022.
The Kulsi River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows down from the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.
