Wed Jun 25 17:52:45 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
Multiple organizations in Assam and Meghalaya are protesting a proposed 55-megawatt hydropower project on the Kulsi River, citing environmental concerns, potential displacement of tribal communities, and the threat to the endangered Gangetic river dolphin. The project, a joint venture between the Assam and Meghalaya governments following border dispute resolutions, is facing opposition from local communities who fear its impact on their livelihoods, water resources, and the region’s ecological balance. Protesters have submitted memorandums to the Chief Ministers of both states demanding the project’s cancellation. The protests come after similar projects were recently cancelled or relocated in the state.
**News Article:**
**Assam/Meghalaya Hydropower Project Sparks Outrage, Threatens Endangered Dolphins**
*Guwahati, Assam – June 25, 2025* – A coalition of nineteen organizations took to the streets in southwestern Assam today to voice their strong opposition to a proposed 55-megawatt hydropower project planned on the Kulsi River, a critical habitat for the endangered Gangetic river dolphin. The project, a joint initiative by the governments of Assam and Meghalaya, has ignited concerns over environmental damage, displacement of tribal communities, and the survival of the region’s unique ecosystem.
Protesters marched in a unified front, culminating in the submission of memorandums to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart, Conrad K. Sangma, through the Circle Officer of Kamrup district’s Chhaygaon. Among the organizations participating are local chapters of the All Rabha Students’ Union, Assam-Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, Garo National Council, Khasi Students’ Union, and several other student and community groups.
The hydropower project, announced on June 2, 2025, following agreements on interstate border disputes, is intended to provide both power and irrigation. However, critics argue that the dam will have devastating consequences for the Kulsi River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River. The Kulsi flows down from the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya
“This project is unreasonable and will kill the lifeline of cultivators and fishermen in the area,” stated a joint statement from the protesting organizations. They emphasized that the dam would severely impact water resources, especially during the dry season, and disrupt at least 12 wetlands, including Chandubi, a significant tectonic lake.
The organizations also highlighted the potential displacement of tribal communities, including Garo, Khasi, and Rabha people, who reside in 19 affected villages in Assam’s Kamrup district and three in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district. They also noted the lack of compensation for displaced residents.
A key concern centers on the project’s impact on the Gangetic river dolphin (Platanista gangetica), locally known as sihu. Listed as endangered by the IUCN and declared the State Aquatic Animal of Assam and National Aquatic Animal of India, the dolphin’s habitat is directly threatened by the dam. “The proposed hydropower project will be destructive for the animal,” the organizations warned.
The protests come in the wake of similar environmental concerns leading to the cancellation of an Asian Development Bank loan for a solar power project and the relocation of an Adani Group thermal power project in Assam. With increasing public awareness of ecological issues, the future of the Kulsi River hydropower project hangs in the balance as the state governments face mounting pressure to reconsider its feasibility.
First Piper 