Siang dam row: Anti-dam activists Ebo Mili, Otul Jerang begin hunger strike in police custody in Arunachal

Anti-dam activists Ebo Mili and Otul Jerang, who are currently in Pasighat police custody in Arunachal Pradesh, have reportedly begun a hunger strike, amid escalating tensions over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

According to reports, the two activists started the hunger strike on Monday morning, October 26. 

Further details about their demands and the reasons behind the protest were not immediately available.

Mili and Jerang had surrendered to the police following violence linked to the anti-dam agitation on Friday night, as opposition to the proposed mega project intensified in the Siang region.

The agitation has been marked by protests against the conduct of the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), with anti-dam groups raising concerns over the project's potential impact on indigenous communities, land and the environment.

The unrest has also prompted heightened security arrangements in the region, with authorities seeking to maintain law and order amid continuing opposition to the project.

The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is a proposed large hydropower and water-storage project on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh. While the project is being assessed for its hydropower potential and strategic significance, sections of local communities have opposed it over concerns about displacement, environmental damage and the impact on their traditional way of life.

The situation remains sensitive, with further developments awaited regarding the activists' hunger strike and the police proceedings.