Arunachal students' body demands withdrawal of forces from Siang survey

The Adi Students’ Union (AdiSU) has called on Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu to step in and order the withdrawal of paramilitary forces deployed in Siang and Upper Siang districts for survey work linked to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

In a memorandum submitted to the chief minister on August 25, the student body argued that the deployment for the pre-feasibility report (PFR) was carried out without consulting residents of the 31 villages likely to be affected. The group said the move has triggered panic and unrest in the area.

AdiSU also alleged that government school land in Boleng, Pangin, Kaying and Pessing has been encroached upon, while several gaon burahs (village chiefs) and head gaon burahs were suspended without justification. The union demanded the eviction of encroachers, restoration of suspended local leaders, and a halt to survey activities until villagers are formally consulted.

The students’ organisation warned that it would begin a democratic agitation within 15 days if its demands are ignored.

The SUMP, designed as a run-of-the-river project on the Siang River, carries a proposed capacity of 11,000 MW and was first conceived by the NHPC in 2009. Officials project that the scheme could play a major role in irrigation and flood control while generating power. If built to full capacity, the reservoir would be among the largest in India, holding nearly 9 billion cubic metres of water.