Arunachal: Adi community council urges demands govt action after Siang flood erosion threatens Mebo villages

Massive erosion caused by the Siang river’s annual floods has left villages under Mebo Sub-Division vulnerable, prompting the Adi Baane Kebang (ABK) and its Youth Wing to visit affected areas and call for urgent government action.

ABK, the traditional apex, appellate, and supreme council of the Adi community, along with its East Siang District and Mebo Block units, inspected flood-hit villages including Namsing, Seram, Borguli, and Sigar. The delegation was received by local leaders, including ZPM Gumin Tayeng, Gaon Burahs, village secretaries, and panchayat officials.

At Namsing, one of the worst-affected villages, the team surveyed areas where hundreds of households have been displaced and the Circle Office building’s site has been severely eroded. ABK President Tanon Tatak highlighted the urgent need for state and central government intervention to implement emergency flood control measures.

“Hundreds of hectares of land have been washed away over the years. Immediate attention is needed to prevent further loss of life and property,” Tatak said.

In Seram, Borguli, and Sigar villages, ABK officials listened to residents’ accounts of repeated flood damage and the failure of earlier protection works. Village leaders stressed the need for flood protection embankments and boulder bunds in vulnerable areas. In Sigar, they pointed out that a 2020 flood control project failure redirected the Siang River, causing extensive erosion and forcing villagers to relocate.

ABK has proposed a road-cum-flood protection mega embankment along the left bank of the Siang, from Raneghat Bridge to the Assam-Arunachal border. The project aims to curb annual erosion and could also boost riverfront tourism.

ABK President Tanon Tatak assured residents that the organisation would petition the state government, led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, to reconsider and resubmit the flood protection project for approval.

Meanwhile, ABK Youth Wing President Oki Dai expressed frustration over the government’s inaction. “We submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister in August 2023 requesting a personal inspection of the flood-hit areas. Despite this, no high-level visits took place. We are now planning a protest by locking down government offices in Mebo,” he said.

The ABK delegation included Vice President (Protocol) Olen Megu Damin, East Siang Unit President Dijhi Tamuk, GS Anit Tamuk, and other leaders such as Indu Yommin, Kinung Tamut, and Mongol Aje.