Adani–Umrangshu land row winds down after villagers accept compensation

Haflong, Nov 1: The intermittent year-long dharnas to protest against the alleged handing over of nearly 9,000 bighas of land, spread across several villages in the Chhota Lakhindong and adjoining areas of Umrangshu, to the Adani Group are nearing the end. Reports suggest that the company concerned has reached a settlement on compensation with the affected villagers, effectively ending the agitation.

With the disputes apparently resolved, establishment of multiple cement plants, including the proposed Ambuja Cement project, is now expected to move forward in the region.

Indications of this became evident during the public hearing conducted by the Assam Pollution Control Board on Wednesday. Observers said that after compensation payments were settled, the hearing and subsequent clearance procedures seemed more like a formality than genuine environmental scrutiny.

It is alleged that both the government and the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council had been planning the land transfer to the Adani Group for a considerable time. The move had earlier faced resistance from several local parties and organisations that were supporting the villagers’ opposition to the project. Court cases followed, and protests intensified. However, with the initiation of compensation payments, most villagers reportedly opted for monetary settlements over continued resistance.

Expressing strong dissatisfaction, former Council member and chief convener of the Sixth Schedule Protection Committee, Daniel Langthasa, said that the entire process lacked transparency. “We are not against development,” Langthasa stated, “but why were the legal procedures of land acquisition not duly completed? The entire exercise in Umrangshu on Wednesday was a mere show. How can compensation be paid before the Assam Pollution Control Board grants clearance?”

He further warned that indiscriminate establishment of mining and cement projects on thousands of bighas of land will turn Umrangshu into a heavily polluted zone. “When such large-scale industrial units come up, even the air we breathe will become heavy, and there’s no assurance that the drinking water will remain safe,” Langthasa cautioned.

Langthasa also expressed his disappointment over allegations made during the public hearing that his group was “inciting” the villagers. “Such statements are deeply unfortunate,” he said, reaffirming his organisation’s stand for lawful and environmentally responsible development in the hill district.

By Correspondent