Arunachal: ‘We will bring more forces, no one can take law into their own hands,’ says IGP

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Central Range, Hibu Tamang on October 24 warned that additional security forces would be deployed if required and that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands, following protests and violence in Pasighat, the headquarters of East Siang district, over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

Tamang made the remarks while addressing a press conference in Pasighat in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of East Siang district. 

The briefing came a day after violence was reported during a 12-hour bandh called by organisations opposing the implementation of the proposed project and the conduct of its Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) activities by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

The bandh on October 23 was called across Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts over grievances relating to the proposed mega dam, deployment of security personnel and the ongoing feasibility-related survey activities.

The agitation has intensified amid demands from protest organisations for the suspension of PFR activities, withdrawal of central security forces from project-affected areas and the release of people arrested in connection with earlier protests.

The situation escalated in parts of the region on October 23, with clashes between protesters and security personnel reported during the shutdown. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters at Dite-Dime near Geku in Siang district, where at least four women were reported injured.

In Pasighat, tensions also mounted during demonstrations opposing the project. The district administration and police are monitoring the situation following the bandh-related unrest.

Why is the Siang project facing opposition?

The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is a proposed mega hydropower and water-storage project on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh. The project, estimated at around 11,200 MW under one of the proposed configurations, is considered strategically significant because of its potential role in water storage, flood moderation and hydropower generation.

The Centre has also viewed the project in the context of concerns over China's proposed large dam infrastructure on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows into Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang before joining other rivers to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.

NHPC has been tasked with preparing the project's Pre-Feasibility Report to assess its technical viability and help determine the appropriate site and parameters. The PFR is an initial assessment and does not, by itself, constitute final approval for construction.

However, sections of the indigenous communities and local organisations have opposed the project, citing concerns over potential displacement, loss of ancestral land, environmental consequences and the impact on traditional livelihoods. They have also objected to the deployment of central security forces to facilitate survey work in areas where resistance has continued.

The state government has maintained that the feasibility assessment is necessary to establish whether and how the project could be developed. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said that the government would undertake consultations with affected communities if the project progresses beyond the feasibility stage.

The latest round of protests has further highlighted the challenge before the government and NHPC of advancing the technical assessment while addressing the concerns of local communities and maintaining law and order.