Fri May 30 11:11:26 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

The article reports on escalating protests in Arunachal Pradesh, India, against proposed hydropower projects. Indigenous communities are voicing strong opposition to several projects, including the 400 MW Mihundo project on the Dri River, the 1200 MW Kalai-II project on the Lohit River, and the massive 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multi-purpose Project. Concerns include lack of free, prior, and informed consent, potential submergence of ancestral lands and sacred sites, ecological damage, and the region’s seismic vulnerability. The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum is intensifying its agitation. The government justifies the Siang project as a countermeasure to a large Chinese dam project upstream.

**News Article:**

**Arunachal Pradesh Sees Surge in Protests Against Hydropower Projects**

**Guwahati, May 30, 2025** – A wave of protests is sweeping through Arunachal Pradesh as indigenous communities voice staunch opposition to a series of proposed hydropower projects. The movement, sparked by concerns over the massive dam planned for the Siang River, has ignited resistance to smaller-scale initiatives as well.

The Ekhomey Mowo Welfare Society, representing villages in the Dibang Valley, has formally objected to the 400 MW Mihundo (Mihumdon) Hydroelectric Project on the Dri River. The society claims the project, slated for commissioning in 2026 by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, violates regulations by failing to secure free, prior, and informed consent from affected communities. Residents worry about the project’s impact on the region’s delicate seismic and ecological balance.

Further east, villagers in the Anjaw district are fighting the proposed 1200 MW Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project on the Lohit River. According to a social impact assessment, the project would severely affect the villages of Nukung and Mla. Locals are especially concerned about the potential submergence of sacred Mishmi tribal sites, including Kutung Graam and Parshuram Kund.

The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum has vowed to escalate its campaign against the 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multi-purpose Project, spearheaded by the NHPC. While the government defends the project as a necessary countermeasure to a 60,000 MW hydroelectric dam planned by China on the Yarlung Tsangpo River upstream, protestors decry the “militarisation” of project sites and potential ecological damage.

These widespread protests highlight the growing tension between development needs and the rights and concerns of indigenous communities in the sensitive Himalayan region. The standoff shows no sign of abating as communities vow to protect their ancestral lands and cultural heritage from large-scale hydropower projects.

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