Residents of the Siang basin in Arunachal Pradesh have been protesting against a proposed dam, setting vehicles on fire and vandalising the residence of a MLA. The project is described as India's largest dam.
Protests by residents of the Siang basin in Arunachal Pradesh against a proposed multipurpose dam have intensified, with demonstrators clashing with security personnel and setting a police vehicle on fire during Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s visit to Yingkiong in Upper Siang district. The Siang river flows into Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet and is the site of the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Residents have opposed the project for several years, with members of the Adi tribe maintaining that it threatens their land and way of life. The protests escalated after the government began deploying Central Armed Police Forces for the pre-feasibility survey of the proposed project. On Monday, villagers and security personnel clashed in Geku during protests against the project and the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces. As tensions rose on Wednesday, protesters allegedly entered and vandalised the residence of Tuting-Yingkiong MLA Alo Libang in Yingkiong. Khandu was in Yingkiong to meet residents and advocate for a pre-feasibility study of the proposed project, but protests forced him to cut short his visit.
Source:
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