Guwahati: A three-hour sit-in demonstration was held at Baithalangso in West Karbi Anglong on Tuesday, with indigenous organisations and community groups opposing two proposed pumped storage power projects in the district, demanding the unconditional release of indigenous land rights activist Pranab Doley and an early resolution of the long-pending boundary dispute.
The protest was organised jointly by the Autonomous People’s Movement (APM), Duar Amla MAC Constituency Committee, All Tiwa Students’ Union (ATSU), Karbi Students’ and Youth Council (KSYC), and local tribal and indigenous communities.
The organisations submitted a memorandum to the Assam Chief Minister through the West Karbi Anglong deputy commissioner, demanding that the state government halt the transfer of tribal land to corporate interests for the proposed projects, ensure Doley’s unconditional release and resolve the long-standing boundary dispute.
The groups said the land, forests, hills and natural resources of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong were closely linked to the customary rights, identity and livelihoods of indigenous communities. They opposed any move to transfer tribal land to private corporate interests in the name of development and called for the protection of land rights and community ownership of natural resources in the Sixth Schedule areas.
The protest comes amid concerns over two large off-stream, closed-loop pumped storage projects proposed by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) in the hill district.
The projects comprise a 1,500-MW pumped storage project at Lipgaon village in the Diphu subdivision of East Karbi Anglong and a 900-MW facility near Tharakhunchi village in the Donka subdivision of West Karbi Anglong. Community groups have been routinely raising concerns over forest diversion, displacement of indigenous families and potential threats to wildlife.
For the Lipgaon project, 441.9 hectares of proposed reserved forest land under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act has been sought for diversion. The project involves the construction of upper and lower reservoirs, water conductor systems, pipelines and roads. Although labour camps, workshops and muck-dumping sites are proposed on non-forest land, a substantial part of the project infrastructure would be located within forest areas.
Project details indicate that nine families across five villages would face displacement, while 89 families have been identified as project-affected. A detailed Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) plan is yet to be prepared. The project would also require the felling of 21,767 trees.
The forest area is home to several wildlife species, including leopards, barking deer, porcupines, slow lorises, hoolock gibbons, serows, rhesus macaques, flying squirrels, king cobras and pythons.
The second project, a 900-MW facility near Tharakhunchi, has been approved in principle. It requires the diversion of 79.37 hectares of reserved forest land, while the total project area is 308 hectares, including non-forest land.
The forest area proposed for diversion comprises moderately dense and open forest, with canopy density of up to 0.7. Of the 8,147 trees recorded in the area, 6,905 are proposed to be felled, apart from bamboo groves.
The forest patch also supports leopards, barking deer, slow lorises, hoolock gibbons, serows, flying squirrels and several species of snakes. The project is expected to displace seven families from five villages, while 294 families have been identified as project-affected.
The organisations also demanded Pranab Doley’s unconditional release. Doley has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for opposing the transfer of agricultural land for a proposed Hyatt luxury hotel project near Kaziranga National Park.
On the boundary dispute, the groups said the prolonged uncertainty had caused hardship and insecurity among tribal and indigenous communities in Karbi Anglong and adjoining areas. They called for dialogue with all stakeholders to reach a permanent settlement, taking into account historical records, official administrative documents and the interests of local residents.
They maintained that development projects should not undermine local livelihoods or be undertaken without considering residents’ views and obtaining their free, prior and informed consent.