Protests by residents of the Siang basin in Arunachal Pradesh against a proposed multipurpose dam have intensified, leading to clashes with security personnel and vandalism during Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s visit to Yingkiong. The proposed project, India’s largest dam, is slated to be built on the Siang river.
Protests by residents of the Siang basin in Arunachal Pradesh against a proposed multipurpose dam have escalated over concerns about its potential impact on their land and way of life. Members of the Adi tribe, who live in the basin, have maintained that the project threatens their livelihood for several years.
The Siang river flows into Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet, and is the main tributary of the Brahmaputra. The proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is India’s largest dam and is the site of the current tensions.
On Monday, villagers and security personnel clashed in Geku during protests against the project and the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces for the pre-feasibility survey. Four persons were arrested in connection with the incident.
As tensions rose on Wednesday, protesters allegedly entered and vandalised the residence of Tuting-Yingkiong MLA Alo Libang in Yingkiong. Several government vehicles were also reportedly damaged. Movement along the Yingkiong-Komkar-Geku stretch and towards Dite Dime was disrupted as protesters put up blockades at several locations, and some vehicles used by security personnel were set on fire by the demonstrators in Dite Dime and Komkar.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu, along with Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and other state officials, visited Yingkiong on Tuesday and Wednesday to meet residents and advocate for a pre-feasibility study of the proposed multipurpose project. Activist Ebo Mili claimed that Khandu’s meeting in Yingkiong was a ‘complete failure’, with villagers feeling frustrated.
At a meeting in Boleng, Khandu said the government was not seeking to rush the project beyond the feasibility stage. He added that if the experts determine after the preliminary feasibility report that the project cannot be built, there will be no further process.
In June 2025, a collective of 114 scientists, researchers and practitioners had called for suspending all construction, surveys and pre-clearance activities related to the proposed project, citing its ecological, cultural, and socio-political risks.
Source:
Scroll.in
