Arunachal: Armed forces deployed as villagers protest massive Siang dam survey

Residents of 27 villages along Arunachal Pradesh's Siang River have launched an indefinite peaceful protest against the deployment of armed personnel to conduct surveys for the controversial 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. The massive hydropower initiative, led by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), would involve constructing a 300-metre-high dam on the strategically important river.

 

The protest began Friday in Beging village under the banner "No Dam, No Survey," marking a significant escalation in local opposition to what the state government describes as a project of national security importance. Armed forces have established makeshift camps covered with blue tarpaulin in the area, prompting concerns about the militarisation of what locals see as a civilian dispute over land rights and environmental protection.

 

The Arunachal Pradesh government, backed by New Delhi, positions the dam as essential defence infrastructure against China's upstream activities. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has repeatedly emphasised the project's strategic value in countering Beijing's 60,000 MW Medog Dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet.

 

"China's construction of the world's largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River poses significant risks to the water security, ecology, and livelihoods of millions of people downstream in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Bangladesh," Khandu said in January. "The Siang dam project is of national importance, and I am holding discussions with people regarding that. The project is needed to maintain our water security, and if China uses their dam in future as a water bomb, we should be ready with our defence mechanism."

 

Two newly elected MLAs have thrown their support behind the initiative. BJP's Topin Ete, representing Aalo West Assembly constituency, and NPP's Pesi Jilen from Liromoba constituency both advocate for the project, urging opponents to view it as multipurpose infrastructure rather than solely a dam.

 

Both legislators endorsed the Chief Minister's position that the project serves national interests and would provide flood control and irrigation benefits for the Siang belt while acting as a strategic counter to Chinese water infrastructure upstream.

 

Village residents and student organisations have strongly opposed both the survey and the methods being used to conduct it. The students' organisations and local groups argue that deploying armed forces creates an atmosphere of intimidation rather than fostering genuine consultation with affected communities.

 

"With more than 27 villages along the Siang river anticipating irreversible impact on their dwellings, farms and houses have been opposing the survey and the dam," said Okit Jamoh, a local activist. "A security camp was established in Beging as some people thought otherwise and allowed the security men to camp."

 

Jamoh criticised the heavy-handed approach, stating that "Beging, a proposed area for PFR activity, despite significant protests from affected landowners. This heavy-handed approach is unjust and undermines the voices of those who will bear the brunt of these decisions." He has called for constructive dialogue with communities that may be impacted by dam construction.

 

ADISU initially opposed the deployment of armed forces in schools across the Siang district for conducting the pre-feasibility report survey. While the location shifted from a school in Boleng to the Industrial Training Institute in Panging, student leaders remain adamant about keeping security forces out of educational institutions.

 

"Despite our persistent efforts and the voices of our community echoing the need for a safe learning space, we are disheartened to see that the situation has simply shifted from Boleng to the Industrial Training Institute in Panging," Jamoh stated. "This relocation does not resolve the underlying issues, and we stand firm in our belief that armed forces have no place within our schools."

 

The Siang River, which forms the main channel of the Brahmaputra as it flows into India from Tibet, represents a critical water resource for the northeastern region. The proposed dam would generate 11,200 megawatts of electricity while providing flood control and irrigation benefits, according to government officials.