Akhil Gogoi at Ranganadi on Friday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Dec. 16: Anti-dam activists today blocked all supplies to the Lower Subansiri project site in Dhemaji despite Dispur’s efforts to pursuade them, though unofficially, to hold talks and end the impasse.

Thousands of protesters, led by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, imposed a blockade on the approach road to Gerukamukh at Ranganadi bridge, 3km from Lakhimpur town, disrupting all supplies to the dam site.

Over 10 vehicles remained stranded near the site of protest through the day.

CMO sources told The Telegraph that both official and unofficial channels of communication have been opened with the organisations opposing the dam project to end the standoff which started last month following the “detention” of a NHPC-bound truck in Lakhimpur town.

Though the source did not say who would do the talking, he said Dispur was ready to do everything to get the blockade withdrawn, if possible before the Assembly session starts from December 19.

The anti-dam issue is likely to figure in the Assembly.

Dispur, he said, was also trying to impress upon the anti-dam lobby to seek a proper assessment by Neepco and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) of the downstream areas and channelising of 12 rivers flowing into the state from Arunachal Pradesh to control floods rather than opposing the project.

According to an inspection report submitted by the PWD to chief secretary N.K. Das following a breach in the Gai river in September, the rivers to be channelised are Singora, Ranganadi, Kakoi, Boginadi, Baghinijan, Subansiri, Kunatara, Jiadhol and Simen.

Sources in the Lakhimpur and Dhemaji district administrations said they were in touch with representatives of the anti-dam brigade to sit for talks with the government in the “greater interest” of the state rather than wait for a formal invitation which is “unlikely” to come from Dispur.

Both chief minister Tarun Gogoi and power minister Pradyut Bordoloi have publicly evinced interest in “meaningful and sincere” dialogue as Dispur would not compromise the interest of the state for power.

They also said two AGP legislators — Utpal Dutta and Naba Doley — submitted a memorandum seeking a halt to the big dams and a review of the NHPC project.

“AGP workers staged a protest separately and only around 3,000 participated against an expected turnout of 30,000,” an official said.

The KMSS assistant secretary, Bedanta Laskar, however, denied any possibility of parleys till work was stopped on the project. He said around 15,000 had been part of today’s blockade.

AGP leader Chandramohan Patowary was among several senior Opposition party leaders who joined KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi in seeking a halt to the project.

Representatives of the BJP, CPM and CPI were among those present, Laskar said.

The KMSS, in fact, hardened its stand today by appealing to local NHPC employees to stay away from work and those from outside the state to leave immediately before the situation gets out of control.