Riga signs MoU for Siang dam PFR; Arunachal CM thanks villagers as opposition mounts

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has expressed gratitude to the people of Riga village in Siang district for consenting to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a mega hydropower project with an estimated capacity of 11,000 MW.

Following a meeting held in Itanagar on Friday evening between CM Khandu and representatives of Riga village, led by Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Ojing Tasing, Khandu took to X to thank the villagers. "Heartfelt thanks to the people of Riga for their consent and support... a step taken in the larger national interest," he posted. He described Riga as one of the largest Adi villages in the Siang belt and emphasized its importance in the state's developmental vision.

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Minister Tasing confirmed to PTI that the people of Riga had agreed to the PFR survey, marking a shift from earlier opposition. The state government is now engaging in dialogue, stressing the potential benefits of the project while assuring that local concerns will be heard.

However, strong resistance continues. The Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF), leading the movement against the dam, has rejected the MoU, calling it "meaningless" and unrepresentative of the affected population. SIFF President Lamok Padun claimed that while only 25 percent of Riga would be directly impacted, people from 27 villages stand opposed to the project.

Padun also alleged that the state government pressured BJP workers in Riga to sign the MoU and announced that SIFF will hold a protest rally at Geku in Upper Siang district on July 14.