Context
Indigenous communities in Assam and Meghalaya have opposed the proposed 55-MW Kulsi Hydropower-cum-Irrigation Project, citing ecological concerns and unresolved interstate boundary disputes. The project threatens the habitat of the endangered Gangetic dolphin and faces opposition from traditional village chiefs.
Explanation
- Kulsi River is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, flowing through Meghalaya and Assam.
- It is formed by the confluence of the Dron, Shree and Dilma rivers.
- The proposed dam is located near the Assam–Meghalaya border, approximately 80 km southwest of Guwahati.
- The Kulsi River provides an important habitat for the Gangetic river dolphin (Platanista gangetica), India’s National Aquatic Animal.
- The Gangetic dolphin is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Indigenous communities, including the Bodo, Garo, Khasi and Rabha, oppose the project over ecological and land-rights concerns.
- The Assam–Meghalaya boundary dispute dates to Meghalaya’s formation in 1972, involving 12 disputed areas, of which six were addressed through a 2022 agreement.
- Meghalaya’s traditional Khasi chiefs, known as Syiems, exercise customary authority over community affairs and land.
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Kulsi Hydropower Project: Ecology and Tribal Rights