The cancelled project, backed by the Assam government and the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), threatened to displace over 20,000 Karbi, Naga, and Adivasi families by acquiring 2,400 hectares of land — largely agricultural, forest, and customary land protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
TFM Report
In a landmark moment for Indigenous rights and environmental justice, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has officially cancelled its $434 million loan and technical assistance package for the controversial 500 MW Assam Solar Park project in Karbi Anglong. The decision, taken on May 23, 2025, comes after an intense, years-long grassroots campaign led by the Karbi Anglong Solar Power Project Affected People’s Rights Committee (KASPPAPRC).
The cancelled project, backed by the Assam government and the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), threatened to displace over 20,000 Karbi, Naga, and Adivasi families by acquiring 2,400 hectares of land — largely agricultural, forest, and customary land protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
“This is a historic win for our people,” said Pranab Doley, spokesperson of KASPPAPRC. “We have shown that when people unite and raise their voices, they can stop even the most powerful of forces. But our fight is not over — we demand full recognition and protection of our traditional land rights.”
Flawed Approval Process
The ADB approved the loan in October 2024 despite sustained objections from local communities. Affected villagers alleged that the ADB and project proponents failed to secure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) — a violation of both international norms and constitutional protections.
Consultations were conducted in only 9 of the 23 impacted villages, and crucial documents — such as the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples Plan (RIPP) — were not publicly disclosed or translated into local languages. These procedural failures denied thousands of people access to vital information.
“The Sixth Schedule is our constitutional safeguard. Its violation here shows the extent of political overreach,” said Bikram Hanse, General Secretary of the All-Party Hills’ Leader Conference. “But we will continue resisting these illegal land grabs.”
The IEE reportedly underestimated Indigenous landholdings, claiming only 8.2% of the proposed site was customarily owned, a figure strongly contested by residents.
Environmental and Gendered Impacts
Beyond human rights violations, the project raised deep environmental concerns. It threatened biodiversity near the Deopani and Nambor wildlife sanctuaries and risked disrupting elephant migration corridors and polluting water bodies.
Women, who play central roles in agricultural livelihoods, stood to suffer disproportionately. Loss of land would have dismantled community-based farming systems and disrupted the transfer of traditional ecological knowledge.
A Victory Forged in Resistance
The project’s cancellation was achieved through a sustained campaign involving peaceful protests, press conferences, legal appeals, and direct engagement with both local authorities and the ADB.
Key actions included:
- Memorandum to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (August 2023)
- Public petition to district and state authorities (August 2024)
- Press conference and renewed memorandum (March 2025)
- Parliamentary intervention by Assam MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan (March 11, 2025)
- Representation at ADB’s Annual General Meeting (May 2025)
“This is a turning point,” said Rayyan Hassan, Executive Director of NGO Forum on ADB. “The people came first this time. No development project, no matter how green, should override environmental justice and Indigenous sovereignty.”
Calls for Accountability and Future Action
While the cancellation is being celebrated as a triumph, rights advocates are demanding a responsible exit strategy from the ADB. Communities remain vulnerable to retaliation and unresolved risks.
“ADB cannot simply walk away,” said Vidya Dinker, Executive Director of Growthwatch. “It has a responsibility to protect those who risked everything to expose this project’s failures. We will hold them accountable.”
The committee is now urging the Assam government and APDCL to permanently halt any future attempts to acquire the 2,400 hectares and instead recognize the traditional land tenure of Indigenous communities.
“This experience exposes the flaws of India’s current model of large-scale solar development,” said environmental advocate Vaishnavi Varadarajan. “We need a just and decentralized energy transition — one that respects Indigenous rights and prioritizes ecological sustainability.”
As Indigenous communities in Karbi Anglong celebrate their victory, they also send a message to international financiers: Green energy cannot be built on stolen land.