arunachal-villagers-drop-resistance-sign-on-to-siang-dam-project

Villagers of Pangkang (Kumku) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang district have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government to commence the preliminary feasibility report (PFR) for the ambitious Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) at Boleng.

The Government of Arunachal Pradesh has signed a landmark MoU regarding the Pre-Feasibility Report for the Upper Siang Multipurpose Project with the community of Pangkang (Kumku) village.

This significant step underscores the commitment of both the state and central governments… pic.twitter.com/ImtROUGVvh

— Ojing Tasing (@OjingBJP) May 23, 2025

The proposed project, if found feasible, aims to bring substantial socio-economic benefits to the local community while countering China’s expansive hydropower development along the Yarlung Tsangpo, the upstream stretch of the Siang River in Tibet, a government statement said.

 

The 11,000 MW hydropower project is designed to generate clean energy, improve environmental resilience, and ensure the security of downstream river flows. It forms a crucial part of India’s water security strategy and national interest in the Northeast, the statement added.

 

The MoU includes a special development package worth Rs 5 crore to be implemented over three years.

 

A newly constituted village development committee (VDC), comprising likely project-affected families, will oversee infrastructure improvements, healthcare services, and livelihood programmes to guarantee inclusive and equitable growth for the local community.

 

Siang deputy commissioner P N Thungon signed the MoU on behalf of the government, with village leaders Taba Tamut and Bakin Tali representing the local community’s broad consensus and support.

 

Present at the signing were state Panchayati Raj, Transport and Cooperation Minister Ojing Tasing, hydropower joint secretary Hage Lailang, Hydropower Chief Engineer Atek Miyu, and state BJP general secretary and government emissary Nalong Mize.

 

"This is not only about power or water. It is about harnessing the potential of Siang River for the collective prosperity of the local area, state and nation," Thungon said.

 

The project, to be executed by the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC), faces resistance from several tribal organisations, led by the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), which fears the project’s impact on more than 40 villages.

 

The SUMP, estimated to cost Rs 1.13 lakh crore, is regarded by the government as a strategic response to China’s 60,000 MW dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which could disrupt the flow of water into the Siang River.

Meanwhile, massive protests broke out across the Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, May 22, as hundreds of tribal residents, farmers, and youth took to the streets to oppose the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

 

The demonstrations, spearheaded by the All Adi Welfare Society (AAWS) Youth Wing and the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), saw participation from villagers across Parong, Riew, Geku, and Dite-Dime. Protesters raised slogans such as “No Dam, No Survey”, demanding an immediate halt to all pre-feasibility studies and condemning the presence of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the region.

 

“The government cannot bulldoze our ancestral rights in the name of development,” said a protester from Riew village, holding a placard that read Land is life. Dams destroy both.

 

Concerns over ecological degradation, seismic vulnerability, and forced displacement have fuelled resistance. Many allege that the ongoing surveys are being conducted without free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous communities, a breach of constitutional safeguards and global norms on tribal rights.

 

The state government, under Chief Minister Pema Khandu, has defended the dam project, stating that it is crucial for flood control, hydropower generation, and a strategic counter to Chinese infrastructure on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the upstream course of the Siang River. However, tribal organisations argue that national interest cannot override local livelihoods and heritage.

 

“The Siang project threatens to submerge our culture, forests, and way of life,” said a member of the SIFF. “We are not anti-development, but this project is being pushed without transparency or respect.”

 

Civil society groups have called for an independent environmental and social impact assessment and an immediate rollback of police deployments for survey operations.

 

Protest against the Siang Upper Hydro Project continues as the govt has forcefully deployed Central Armed Police Forces in two Siang districts, despite persistent opposition from local people against the construction of the 11,000 MW hydroelectric dam. #Arunachal
VC: Pasu Diino pic.twitter.com/GA07GofZws

— Tongam Rina (@tongamrina) May 23, 2025

Protest against the forceful deployment of armed personnel for the construction of the 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Hydro Project. While the state remains adamant about building the mega project, the people continue their opposition. #Arunachal pic.twitter.com/DCicmyJYgv

— Tongam Rina (@tongamrina) May 22, 2025

 

Also read: Siang project a defence against China’s water moves: Khandu

Why is the project important for India?

The proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh is emerging as a centrepiece in India’s long-term strategic, environmental, and hydrological response to Chinese infrastructural assertiveness across the Himalayas.

 

Envisioned to harness the Siang River—a key tributary of the Brahmaputra—the project holds critical importance not merely for its potential to generate over 11,000 MW of clean hydropower, but also as a geostrategic bulwark amid concerns of upstream Chinese interventions. China has announced plans to construct a super dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the Tibetan name for the Siang, near the Great Bend before it enters Indian territory.

 

 

Officials familiar with the matter said the Indian project aims to assert lower riparian rights, counterbalance potential disruption to downstream flows, and enable real-time monitoring of the river's hydrology in case of sudden or unilateral upstream activities.

 

Apart from strategic signalling, the multipurpose project is seen as vital to curbing annual floods in Assam and other downstream areas. The Siang-Brahmaputra system is prone to extreme seasonal swelling, impacting millions. The dam's water regulation capacity is expected to ease this burden.

 

The infrastructure associated with the project—roads, bridges, logistics corridors—will simultaneously bolster India's defence mobility and civilian development in one of its most remote and sensitive border areas. The Centre sees it as a means to boost economic activity and employment, while reinforcing India's administrative presence in Arunachal Pradesh, a territory repeatedly claimed by China as "South Tibet".

 

The Siang Upper project is among the largest hydropower proposals in India, and is expected to play a significant role in the transition to green energy, meeting rising electricity demands while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Once commissioned, it will feed surplus electricity into the national grid and improve grid stability across the Northeast.

 

The project is also being factored into India’s larger hydro-diplomatic strategy, particularly in ongoing engagements with China over transboundary river data sharing and dam construction in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra.

 

Environmentalists have raised concerns about displacement, biodiversity impact, and seismic vulnerability. However, government sources have indicated that environmental clearances will involve a phased, consultative approach, balancing ecological sensitivities with strategic imperatives.

 

In light of these developments, the Siang project has assumed a multidimensional role—as a tool for deterrence, a flood defence mechanism, an energy provider, and a development enabler—in a region increasingly viewed as pivotal to India’s security and foreign policy calculus.

Also read: Resistance to Siang Dam grows, President’s help sought