The Siang Dam And A Threatened Homeland, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), an 11,000 MW hydroelectric dam by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), is proposed in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Adi community, through the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), opposes the project, citing threats to their livelihoods, culture, and ancestral lands.
• The State government is pushing for a Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) study, citing China's construction of the Medog dam on the Yarlung-Tsangpo.
• Recent protests against the dam have led to alleged police crackdowns, lathi charges, arrests under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014, and allegations of fraudulent Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for consent.
• The SIFF has rejected talks with the Chief Minister, demanding the release of arrested activists and withdrawal of security forces from affected areas.

Siang Dam Protest.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• The SUMP was declared a national project by the Government of India in 2008, with local opposition forming the SIFF around 2012.
• The Adi people's opposition is rooted in concerns over the submergence of paddy fields, orange orchards, and sacred sites integral to their Donyi Polo religion.
• The government justifies expediting the SUMP as a countermeasure to China's Medog dam project on the Yarlung-Tsangpo, which feeds the Siang river.
• Protests in October 2026 involved alleged lathi charges on elderly villagers, arrests of anti-dam activists, and clashes that led to the setting ablaze of NHPC premises.
• Allegations suggest that consent for the PFR study was obtained through MoUs signed under deceit, force, or by threatening to withhold government scheme benefits.
• These MoUs reportedly offered a "special relief package" and sought "irrevocable consent" for the PFR study, explicitly stating it was not consent for the dam itself.
• Activists claim the project could submerge up to 40 Adi villages and that government officials bypassed traditional community democratic processes.
• The SIFF has proposed an alternative strategy of damming smaller tributaries of the Siang, which they claim could generate more power with less environmental and social impact.
• Concerns have been raised about the State government's financial obligations to NHPC stemming from past loans and numerous unfulfilled hydropower MoUs signed by previous administrations.
• The lack of specific constitutional protections for Arunachal Pradesh under Article 371(h), unlike those for Nagaland and Mizoram, is highlighted as a systemic issue.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP): A proposed 11,000 MW hydroelectric dam on the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh.
• National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC): A public sector enterprise under India's Ministry of Power, responsible for hydropower development.
• Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR): An initial study to assess the technical, economic, and environmental viability of a project before detailed planning.
• Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014: A state legislation used to address activities deemed unlawful within Arunachal Pradesh.
• Article 371(h): A special provision in the Indian Constitution granting special status to Arunachal Pradesh, which critics argue lacks sufficient safeguards for local communities.