Arunachal’s Bhanu Tatak, Dibang Resistance honoured for river conservation efforts

The annual Bhagirath Prayas Samman (BPS) Award has been jointly conferred on Arunachal Pradesh's Bhanu Tatak and Dibang Resistance for their exemplary conservation efforts in the Dibang river basin. 

The award was given at the tenth edition of India Rivers Week hosted at BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune on November 25. 

The citation for the award underscored the critical significance of the Dibang River and its tributaries in supporting one of India's most biodiverse landscapes. 

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Arunachal's indigenous communities and their enduring relationship with these waterways have been crucial in sustaining downstream prosperity and well-being in the valleys of Assam for centuries, the citation read. 

Dibang Resistance was lauded for its relentless efforts, particularly in opposing the threat posed by mega hydropower dams proposed on the Dibang River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. 

Tatak, acknowledged as the voice of Dibang, received praise for leveraging artistic and research skills in the fight for transparency and community control over projects that could potentially harm local communities and their ecology.