Guwahati, June 22 -- Tribal communities and environmental groups from Assam and Meghalaya have launched widespread protests against the Assam government's plan to build a 55-megawatt hydroelectric dam at the source of the Kulsi River in Ukiam, Meghalaya.

Protesters warned that the project threatens the region's fragile ecology, riverine biodiversity, and long-standing cultural ties to the river.

The Kulsi River, which begins in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, forms when three major hill streams, Ghagua, Sree, and Dron, merge near the Assam-Meghalaya border at Ukiam.

From there, it flows through a network of villages before joining the Brahmaputra. Locals fear the dam will disrupt this natural course and severely impact villages downstrea...