GUWAHATI, JULY 2: In an important move towards settling the decades-old interstate border dispute, Assam and Meghalaya survey teams—along with top government officials—started planting boundary pillars in Assam’s Kamrup district Hahim area on Tuesday, July 1.
This is a crucial turning point in the enforcement of the boundary pact between the two Northeast states, which have been embroiled in border conflicts for decades.
The installation process was officially opened at Hahim’s Rongthali village and will proceed along the banks of the Gijang River, passing through some strategically significant locations. It is the culmination of years of dialogue among states and negotiation, indicative of the forward movement on marking out areas where claims overlapped in the past.
Related Posts:
This breakthrough is the outcome of continued efforts by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who led a series of top-level parleys to resolve the problem in peaceful and collaborative ways. Their effort, along with suggestions from ministers, bureaucrats, and technical experts from both sides, resulted in defining twelve contested sectors.
On March 29, 2022, the initial phase of the resolution process successfully resolved six priority areas: Hahim, Gijang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata, and Batachera. These areas having been officially resolved, the foundation for the physical demarcation by boundary marker installation is laid.
The two Chief Ministers’ most recent meeting on June 2, 2025, reiterated their pledge to ensure the installation of boundary pillars in all resolved areas before India celebrates Independence Day. The program is being greeted as a move toward lasting peace, improved governance, and administrative transparency in one of the Northeast’s most sensitive border areas.
Citizens of Hahim welcomed the set-aside, describing it as a “historic moment” and an indication that decades of tensions and uncertainty were finally over. Locals hoped that the boundaries made plain would bring increased stability, identity, and neighborhood solidarity.
As per officials, the ongoing instalment phase will move from Rongthali via Umchek (Mathapota), Mashpara, Malapara, Ranighar, and along the Tirchang River to Chalpara, ultimately stopping at Athiyabari-Rangchapara via Thutiyabazar close to the Hahim market. Survey teams also corroborated that identical work is to be initiated in the nearby Gijang region shortly, further reinforcing demarcation work and ensuring long-term conflict resolution.
