By Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC)

The Government of Assam has proposed to build a massive 1,000 MW solar project on the land of Indigenous Peoples in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), with partial funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB Project No. 57077-001 in India). The solar project is a joint venture between Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL) and Oil India (OIL). Approved by the Government of Assam in August 2022, it is expected to produce 50 million units of electricity per year and construction is expected to be completed by July 2025. This Solar project is likely to affect around 9,000 Indigenous villagers in 23 villages. The project is being executed despite stiff resistance from the affected Indigenous peoples.

The Assam Solar Project will require a total of 18,000 bighas land (approximately 2400 hectares) which the KAAC has agreed in principle to allot to the APGCL, Government of Assam. Out of the total 18,000 bighas, 16,511 bigha (2201.5 ha) is KAAC land (i.e. government land) and 1,489 bigha (198.5 ha) is customarily owned land by Indigenous Peoples, specifically the Karbi and Naga tribes.

On 24 October 2024, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $434.25 million loan to establish this Solar Project in Assam, Northeast India. In a statement the ADB said:

The Assam Solar Project will construct a grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) facility in Karbi Anglong district with a capacity of 500 MW. The project will support the development of a grid-connected battery energy storage system to ensure grid stability and meet peak power demand. This storage system will be established through a joint venture between the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. Tripura Power Company Ltd.

Unfortunately, the ADB has ignored the strong opposition to the project from the affected Indigenous tribes. The affected Indigenous peoples have submitted petitions to the Government of Assam as well as to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council to cancel the Solar project.

Opposition to the project

The Assam Solar Project is located in Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council which is designated as a notified tribal area under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

ADB’s combined Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples Plan (RIPP) of July 2024 acknowledges that “The Project area is predominantly resided by the Indigenous Peoples, i.e, scheduled tribe. People affected by the land acquisition are indigenous peoples/scheduled tribes as the land belongs to the IPs. Project beneficiaries are also mostly STs/IPs.”

The Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples Plan also claimed that consultations were carried out by APDCL and ADB consultants and ADB team attended some of them, with multi stake holders such as (i) Chief Executive Member (Head of the Council) along with council officials, (ii) Affected People, (iii) Indigenous Peoples, affected IP, Community members, village head and council representatives, (iv) Gaon Bura (Village Head), (v) General IP community, (vi) Women and Vulnerable, (vii) Affected Tenants, (viii) School Authority near to the project site, (ix) Business operators in the nearby market place and (x) Non-Government Organization (NGO).

The ADB claims that “People were supportive about the project; however, they expect fair assessment and compensation for affected lands and assets. Broad community support (BCS) was obtained from all seven villages through consultation and information disclosure.”

However, the situation on the ground seems to be totally different. In a letter to the Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, written on August 29, 2024, the affected indigenous landowners stated that many project affected indigenous landowners have been threatened to accept the project. The letter suggested that while genuine landowners are opposed to the land acquisition, fake landowners from outside are supporting it to make money. They wrote to the Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council:

Many of our Scheduled Tribes people living in these villages are terrorized into agreeing to accept compensations meekly for the loss of their land for their land, not on their own free will. This terrorism is created by the fact that several persons who have never lived in these villages have allegedly and stealthily made pattas of several plots of land here in their own names only for getting compensation money illegally, and these outsiders are fiercely pursuing in the offices for receiving payment of compensation. Our villagers are even threatened not to oppose against setting up of the Solar Project. The outsiders want the Solar Project, but the genuine villagers do not want, because setting up of this Solar Project will lead us to destruction due to loss of our land and immovable properties and our emotion attached to our land.

“We want the value of land; we do not want the price of land. We do not want alternative land at a different place. We have been living here for more than six hundred years since our great grandfather’s time…”, they declared.

While the ADB has claimed that only seven villages are going to be affected by the Solar project (namely Lahorijan, Khatkhati, Borlengrijan, Karagaon, Longkathar, Lalmati and Nahorijan), the Indigenous peoples have claimed that the Solar project shall affect as many as 23 villages having predominant indigenous population. These 23 villages have been identified as (1) Men Tisso village, (2) Bonglong Terang Arong, (3) Lokpo Kiling Arong, (4) Sam Teron Arong, (5) Langbirik Rongpi Arong, (6) Sarpo Terang Arong, (7) Miji Kro Arong, (8) Sarsing Kramsa (Langtuk Kramsa) Arong, Hatoka, (9) Bidysing Timung killing, (10) Mohori Teron Arang, (11) Kania Hanse Arong, (12) Long Kathar Arong, (13) Longhup Timung Arong, (14) Kara Rongpi Arong, (15) Keda Phen Rengma village, (16) Rengma Phen Kara Arong, (17) Sonjoy Rongphar (Longle Keer, Lalmati, Balijan) Arong, (18) Samuel Lougun Adivashi village, (19) Langroiso Adivashi Arong, (20) Langbali Adivashi village, (21) Nihang Terang Arong, (22) Teke Ingti Arong and (23) Hada Rengma village.