Dibang dam row escalates: Communities threaten legal action, mass protests in Arunachal

Tensions over the Dibang Multipurpose Hydro Project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley have reached a flashpoint, with local organisations warning of legal action and large-scale protests over alleged neglect of downstream communities.

The Dibang Multipurpose Hydro Project Downstream Affected Area Committee (DMHPDAAC) has accused the government of failing to implement critical downstream protection measures, despite a sanctioned budget of ₹154 crore. 

The committee has set an August 24 deadline for work to begin, cautioning that any further delay will trigger a “massive democratic movement” across the region.

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In a parallel move, the Uttama Bor Abor Sanrakshana Sanrachana (UBSS), one of Arunachal’s few public charitable trusts, is preparing to challenge in court what it calls the “unfair exclusion” of downstream residents from the official list of project-affected communities. UBSS has also urged the influential Adi Baane Kebang (ABK) to honour its pledge made at the Parbuk Kebang to spearhead united democratic action. The trust has warned that failure to do so will prompt it to campaign for ABK’s derecognition in the Dibang belt.

Both DMHPDAAC and UBSS have written to the Deputy Commissioner, the ABK, and the head of the project office, expressing public frustration and demanding urgent intervention.

With the August 24 deadline approaching, the Dibang project faces the prospect of simultaneous street protests and courtroom battles — a confrontation that could redefine the future of one of India’s largest hydropower projects.