How could the joint hydropower project between Assam and Meghalaya affect the National Green Tribunal?
NGT may review joint hydropower project due to ecological risks to endangered dolphin The joint project, which plans to build a 62-metre-high, 55-megawatt dam on the Kulsi River, faces significant ecological implications. The Kulsi River is identified as a natural habitat for the endangered Gangetic dolphin. Given the scale of the project and its impact on 46 villages across the two states, the National Green Tribunal is likely to initiate a regulatory review to assess the environmental and social consequences before the project can proceed.
- Effect
- Strong negative
- How direct
- Brind's reasoning
- When
- Within weeks
- The story
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How it reaches National Green Tribunal
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The governments of Assam and Meghalaya are pursuing a 55-megawatt hydropower-cum-irrigation project on the Kulsi River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. The project, announced in June 2025, is located on the border of the two states, near Guwahati. More than 2,000 people from indigenous communities gathered to renew their opposition to the plan, which is located in a natural habitat of the endangered Gangetic dolphin. Traditional chiefs in Meghalaya also stated they would not grant consent for the project.
The full event1independent outlet -
The joint project involves building a 62-metre-high, 55-megawatt hydropower-cum-irrigation project on the Kulsi River. The reports state this project has significant ecological and social implications, particularly because the Kulsi is a natural habitat of the endangered Gangetic dolphin.
No report states this step directly. Brind drew it from the reporting on each side of it, so treat it as an informed guess.
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Indian Legal Affairs department
Everything about National Green Tribunal
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The facts so far
As reported. Each one links to where it comes from.
- The project is a 55-megawatt hydropower-cum-irrigation project on the Kulsi River.thehindu.com
- The Kulsi River is a natural habitat of the endangered Gangetic dolphin.thehindu.com
- The proposed dam is 62-metre-high.thehindu.com
- The project would affect 46 villages across the two States.thehindu.com
Why it matters
The National Green Tribunal is the primary judicial body responsible for protecting the environment and adjudicating disputes related to large-scale infrastructure projects in India. Its intervention could lead to mandatory modifications, stricter environmental clearances, or even temporary halts to the project, significantly impacting the timeline and cost of the joint venture.
This situation highlights the ongoing tension between national development goals—such as generating 55MW of power and irrigating 26,000 hectares—and the protection of sensitive ecosystems and indigenous community rights. The opposition from indigenous communities, coordinated by the Assam-Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, adds a layer of social complexity to the regulatory challenge.
What we don't know yet
- What specific environmental impact assessments have been conducted for the Kulsi River habitat?
- Will the traditional chiefs grant the necessary no-objection certificates for the project?
What would change this answer
— Other considerations
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Since the National Green Tribunal is likely to initiate a regulatory review, has a formal Environmental Impact Assessment been completed for the Kulsi River project?
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Who else could feel it
Other possible ripples from the same event.
- Kamrup Metropolitan districtAlready happeningKamrup Metropolitan district faces significant ecological and social implications from joint hydropower project
- Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation LimitedPossibleProject delays or cancellation may impact Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited's capacity.
Reporting
- thehindu.comSaturday
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Brind's analysis is written by AI from the reporting linked above and can be wrong. This explainer is a possibility worth considering, not a forecast: steps marked as Brind's reasoning are not stated in the reporting. It is not investment advice; do your own research.