As Siang Dam Protests Turn Violent, NHPC's Rs 11-Cr PR Push Faces Test, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• Protests against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) turned violent in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, leading to security deployment and imposition of restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
• The violence occurred despite NHPC Limited's significant public relations efforts, including a Rs 10.91 crore contract with a Mumbai-based PR agency, to build local support for the 11,200-MW project.
• One NHPC office was completely gutted and another partially damaged during the unrest, with security personnel using teargas against protestors.
• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu acknowledged "misinformation and misconceptions" surrounding the project and called for dialogue.
• The project, currently at the pre-feasibility stage, is strategically important for India to counter China's upstream dam activities on the Brahmaputra River.

Detailed Insights:

• The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) is planned near Geku village in the Upper Siang district and aims for hydroelectric power generation, flood control, and strategic water security.
• NHPC Limited, a Navratna public sector undertaking, is India's largest hydropower developer and is spearheading the project.
• The PR agency's mandate included engaging local communities, state officials, and national media to reposition the project as an opportunity for development.
• Local opposition, particularly from the indigenous Adi community and groups like the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF), stems from fears of displacement, submergence of ancestral lands, and environmental damage.
• Section 163 of the BNSS, which replaced Section 144 of the CrPC in 2024, empowers Executive Magistrates to issue preventive orders to prohibit public gatherings and actions that could disturb public order.
• The project's strategic significance lies in its potential to regulate water flow and mitigate the impact of China's large-scale dam construction on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River upstream.
• The Chief Minister's call for dialogue highlights the need to address local concerns and bridge the information gap regarding the project's importance and potential impacts.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP): A proposed mega-hydroelectric and flood-control facility on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh, with an installed capacity of 11,000-11,200 MW.
• NHPC Limited: A Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, primarily involved in the development of hydroelectric power.
• Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Section 163: A statutory provision empowering Executive Magistrates to issue preventive orders to prohibit actions or gatherings that pose an urgent threat to public order or safety.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A management concept where companies integrate social and environmental concerns into their business operations, mandated in India by Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.