Dima Hasao: In 2022, just as Assam and the rest of India were recovering from two years of COVID-enforced, tragedy struck several parts of Assam due to floods. Now, this in itself was not a big deal. Assam is one of India’s most disaster-prone districts and floods are almost a certainty in the Brahmaputra Valley.
However, what caught people by surprise was that, unlike the Brahmaputra Valley, it was the erstwhile Cachar Hills that bore the brunt of the floods. Within the Cachar Hills, it was the Dima Hasao district which suffered the worst fate, and the image of a destroyed railway station, the New Haflong Station, made front page news across the country.
The destruction in Dima Hasao, however, was not new: since the beginning of the century, Dima Hasao’s forest cover has diminished significantly. Between 2001 and 2023, Assam saw a 100 per cent reduction in relative tree cover. Most of this loss occurred in two regions — Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao — which together account for over 62 per cent of the state’s forest loss. Karbi Anglong alone lost 119 kha of forest, well above the state average of 12 kha.
Add to this, the fact that Dima Hasao district is the most forest fire-prone district in the country, followed by Lunglei, Lawangtalai and Mamit districts in Mizoram, and it becomes clear that for the region to survive and prosper, the environment must be at the centre of policymaking.
Take the picturesque town of Umrongso in the Dima Hasao district for example. It is poised on the cusp of a ‘major transformation’, one that promises economic growth but threatens the very existence of its indigenous inhabitants. The Assam government’s plans to allocate 9,000 bighas of land to the Adani Group to establish Asia’s largest cement plant have sparked widespread concern among the Karbi and Dimasa communities, who have been living in the area for centuries.
“The Geology and Mining department has not taken concern from the land owners and villagers for this mining project. If this is undertaken, we will have nowhere to go and settle,” said Joysing Durong, Former Member of the Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council (DHADC).
This sentiment is echoed by Bidya Inghi, a resident, who stated, “We have donated land for developmental projects in the past also; however, no development has been seen to date. Most mining activities in Dima Hasao District are done in the Umrongso area.”
The proposed project, touted as a panacea for economic growth, raises critical questions about the fate of the indigenous people, their ancestral lands, and the environment.
The Karbi Student’s Association (KSA), Mining Area Affected People Association (MAAPA), and Kopili Area Mining Affected People Association (KAMAPA) have expressed their vehement opposition to the project, citing the devastating impact it will have on the local ecosystem and the displacement of indigenous communities.
“In the name of development, we have been donating land to the government, but we have not benefited earlier; therefore, we do not want mining in our region anymore,” added another resident. This sentiment is shared by many in the community, who feel that their rights and interests have been consistently ignored by the authorities.
The Karbi people, who were initially displaced in the 1970s by the NEEPCO Kopili Hydro Electric Project, have been forced to relocate multiple times due to industrial projects, including the establishment of cement factories such as Vinay Cement Ltd. and NECEM Cement Ltd.
The proposed new mining lease, which covers 1,270 hectares of land, directly affects many of these villages, including New Umrongso, Langmeklu, and Borolarpheng.
Bida Enghi accuses the authorities of violating the land rights of the tribal people, who have historically depended on communal property and forests for their livelihood. “The mining companies have no regard for our community’s connection to the land, which is sacred to us,” he added.
The tribal groups also raised concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed mining projects, citing potential deforestation, water pollution, and land degradation.
They emphasized that the mining activities would disrupt the fragile ecosystem of the region and adversely affect the livelihoods of the local people who depend on agriculture and forestry.
“The exploitation of mineral resources in the name of mining and cement industries in the Umrongso area caused a wide range of environmental problems such as land degradation, deforestation, air, water, and noise pollution,” the letter read.
“The setting up of numbers of cement factories and mining in tribal areas of Umrongso adversely affected the groundwater table, which resulted in the yield of water from the wells being reduced, and the overground water table highly decreased, and many rivulets, streams, and springs have dried up,” it stated.
“Acid mine drainage, liquid effluents from limestone mining and cement factories handling plants, colliery workshops, and mine sites, as well as suspended solids from mine and factories, have all caused serious water pollution, adversely affecting fish and aquatic life, and the dust emission from the factories caused serious air pollution,” the groups added.
The tribal groups also expressed concerns about the health risks posed by ongoing industrial activities, citing increased air pollution, water contamination, and the spread of diseases like respiratory illnesses and cancer. The cement factories and mining activities have caused dust emissions, polluted water sources, and jeopardised the local population’s health, particularly vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.
The letter warns of potential food insecurity, with the destruction of forests and farmland making it increasingly difficult for the Karbi people to maintain their traditional agricultural practices. The loss of community resources, coupled with displacement, has left many families struggling to access even necessities like clean water and firewood.
The groups are urging the government to take action to protect their constitutional rights, as enshrined under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which provides special protection to tribal communities in the Northeast.
This story has been published as part of the AIPP-EastMojo Fellowship 2024
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