Fri May 23 10:16:10 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Villagers in Arunachal Pradesh have launched a protest against a proposed 11,000 MW hydroelectric project on the Siang River. They are concerned about the ecological impact, displacement from their ancestral lands, and the forceful surveying being conducted with armed security. The project is being pursued by the NHPC, supported by the Chief Minister, who cites the need to counter China’s dam-building activities on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Siang River). The villagers demand a peaceful dialogue and withdrawal of security forces.

**News Article:**

**Arunachal Pradesh Villagers Protest Massive Hydroelectric Project Amid Security Buildup**

*Guwahati, May 23, 2025* – Villagers from the Siang, Upper Siang, and West Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh have begun an indefinite sit-in to protest against the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multi-Purpose Project (SUMP). The demonstration, organized by the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), is a response to the deployment of security forces facilitating a pre-feasibility study for the mega-dam project.

Residents fear the 300-meter high dam, to be built on the Siang River, will cause significant ecological damage and displace them from their ancestral lands, referring to the river as ‘Ane’, meaning ‘mother’.

“We cannot allow PFR for a project that will rob us of our ancestral land and livelihood,” a SIFF member stated.

The villagers are demanding the immediate withdrawal of armed security personnel and a peaceful dialogue with government representatives. They cite the controversial Dibang Valley hydroelectric project as a cautionary tale, where land acquisition followed the pre-feasibility report.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has defended the project, emphasizing the need to counter China’s plans to construct a 60,000 MW hydroelectric project on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the Tibetan stretch of the Siang. Khandu warned of potential water diversion and downstream devastation if China proceeds with its plans unchecked.

However, the villagers remain steadfast in their opposition, citing a violation of their fundamental rights and expressing deep concerns about the project’s impact on their livelihoods and cultural heritage.

“This forceful survey is a blatant violation of our fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India,” said Bhanu Tatak and Nith Paron of SIFF.

The protest underscores the growing tension between development aspirations and the preservation of indigenous rights and environmental concerns in the region.

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