Fresh ploughing attempts spark alarm over Moran Golf Course

Guwahati, Feb 11: The historic Moran Golf Course, a heritage site that has played a crucial role in nurturing golfing talent from the tea community of Upper Assam, is battling for survival amid allegations of large-scale land conversion.

The management of Thowra Tea Estate, owned by James Warren Tea Limited, has been accused of ploughing significant portions of the golf course for plantation purposes. Of the total 20.30 hectares of the golf course, nearly 8 hectares were reportedly converted into plantation land in 2023. Fresh attempts are now allegedly underway to plough additional areas.

Concerned over the continued destruction, the Moran Polo Club has sought urgent intervention from the District Commissioner of Dibrugarh to halt further damage. The golf course, which lies adjacent to the Moran airstrip, falls within the Thowra Tea Estate.

“Despite earlier interventions by the district administration and the Moran Polo Club Committee, a substantial portion of the golf course has already been destroyed and converted. We have been informed that the Thowra Tea Estate management is preparing to plough the remaining portion of the golf course in the coming days,” the Club stated in a letter addressed to the DC.

The Moran Golf Course is officially listed by the Department of Tourism as a State tourism and heritage asset, recognising its historical and cultural significance and the need for its protection. Archival photographs and historical records also establish that the course once functioned as a landing and take-off ground for light aircraft, making it an important part of Assam’s early civil aviation history.

The Upper Assam Golf Association (UAGA) regularly organises caddie tournaments at the course, identifying promising talent from the tea community. Selected caddies receive structured mentoring and coaching, with opportunities to participate in Indian Golf Union circuits, opening pathways to professional golfing careers. Several former caddies from Moran have gone on to work as coaches and course managers at defence and private golf courses across the country.

The first major destruction of the golf course occurred in 2021, when seven of the original nine holes were damaged or rendered unusable. The historic aircraft hangar located on the premises was also demolished. Following severe land loss due to encroachment, the course was later redesigned into a six-hole layout, optimally utilising the limited remaining area.

Representations seeking protection of the golf course have been submitted to the district administration on multiple occasions in the past, but concerns persist as fresh threats loom over the remaining land.