Landslide hits major hydel project in North-East

Landslides have damaged a diversion tunnel in the Lower Subansiri hydropower project on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, halting the flow of the Subansiri river. This has sparked protests from organizations like AASU, AJYCP, and KMSS, who demand the cancellation of the 2000-MW NHPC project due to concerns about its impact on downstream areas in Assam. NHPC claims that the river’s flow has been restored since the landslip, and the project’s first two units are expected to be operational by February 2024.