Tensions are rising across Arunachal Pradesh over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, an 11,200 MW mega dam intended to counter Chinese infrastructure upstream. Local indigenous communities and youth groups are fiercely resisting the survey work, warning of cultural erasure and displacement as protests escalate along the Siang River basin.
Strategic Defense Rationale Versus Downstream Security Concerns
The central government maintains that the proposed 11,200 MW dam is essential for national defense, arguing that the installation will provide necessary checks against upstream Chinese water infrastructure. Plans to harness the Siang and Subansiri rivers first emerged in 1982 via the Brahmaputra Board, though countering upstream projects was not an initial priority. Strategic interest shifted when the central government raised alarms over Chinese developments on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, known downstream as the Siang. Those proposals merged into a single umbrella project in 2017, gaining renewed prominence after China approved a 60,000 MW lower Yarlung Tsangpo project in December 2024.
Today, 110 households from Geku came forward and signed the MoU in support of the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.I congratulate and thank every family that signed the MoU. The people of Geku have shown tremendous courage and vision. Every… pic.twitter.com/jhMiELfGvh
Defending the state’s position, Pasighat West MLA Ninog Ering emphasized the security imperative behind the initiative.
It is a national interest project. What if China purposely releases water and uses it [its dam] as a water bomb? We need checks and balances in place. This is why the Centre emphasised that we need this project.
Independent experts, however, question whether the dam effectively addresses those strategic risks without operational transparency from Beijing. Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, argued that India is advancing the project based on assumptions rather than concrete data regarding upstream operations.
The government is trying to say that the SUMP is required to counter China. But the problem is that we don’t even know the basic dimensions of the Chinese project. Only when we know the operational SOP of the project will we know what kind of impact it will have on India and what needs to be done to take care of it.
Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams
Indigenous Resistance and Community Opposition Along the Siang River
While officials frame the mega dam as a vital security shield, indigenous Adi community members, youth leaders, and riverbank residents view the development as an existential threat to their homes, heritage, and livelihoods. Opposition boiled over following a 12-hour shutdown, which was followed by reports of vandalism and violence in Pasighat that continued late into the night. For local villagers, the river holds deep cultural, economic, and spiritual significance. Dubit Siram, a resident of Geku village and general secretary of the youth wing of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, described the river as a mother for them culturally, economically, socially and on religious terms. Siram warned that the project would reduce residents to refugees in our own land.
Photo: military-stuff.org
Protesters remain deeply skeptical of government assurances regarding the pre-feasibility survey stage.
Survey Status and Government Commitments to Affected Communities
The project currently sits at the pre-feasibility survey stage. In September, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu sought to calm public anxiety by stating that the project would not be rushed beyond the feasibility stage and that there will be no further progress if experts deem it unfeasible. Khandu also promised extensive consultations, including social and environmental impact assessments, before any detailed project report takes shape.
Ering added that the Chief Minister has given the assurance that even after the PFR if villagers do not want the project to go ahead, then it will not be done. At the same time, Ering condemned the recent unrest while acknowledging communication gaps.
People have the right to be angry, but we are ready to hold conversations. Maybe we could have implemented the awareness programmes sooner. But the point is that there are elements that are constantly instigating the protestors.
