Arunachal Pradesh faces protests over 11,000-MW Siang dam, 1,605-MW Subansiri project

Guwahati: Despite Arunachal Pradesh trying to convince people that China is building mega dams in Tibet and that Arunachal Pradesh needs to fast-track its hydropower projects, a couple of mega projects in the state are facing bitter opposition from the people, resulting in large-scale violence and arson.

Last Friday and Saturday, violent protests took place in Pasighat in East Siang district, with protesters attacking the residences of political leaders and setting fire to an NHPC office and a police station. Additional forces were rushed to the area.

The violence, which started on Friday, continued until Saturday morning. The protests were against the 11,000-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).


The unrest continued until around 4 am on Saturday. The houses of MLAs Ninong Ering and Oni Panyang, as well as that of BJP state president Kaling Moyong, were attacked and vandalised.

The anti-dam protests in Arunachal Pradesh widened, with protesters opposing the 1,605-MW Subansiri Upper Hydroelectric Project (SUHEP), also known as the Menga Dam, on Monday.

Normal life was disrupted across Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district on Monday as student organisations enforced a 12-hour bandh demanding the withdrawal of the proposed project.

A senior police officer said there were large-scale incidents of arson, vandalism and confrontations with the police. “Some policemen were injured.”

The police officer said a vehicle was set on fire, a police vehicle was damaged and overturned, and electronic equipment and surveying tools at an NHPC-related office were reportedly damaged or burnt. The unrest also led to the cancellation of a public hearing scheduled in connection with the proposed project.

The state government had held a series of public meetings over the last two years to allay fears of environmental damage following the project.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said that the Siang SUMP should not be viewed merely through the prism of a conventional hydropower project, but as a national project with wider strategic and security implications.

He emphasised that the issue was not about his personal interest or that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but about India’s national security and defence preparedness.

Addressing an interaction programme with government officers and officials of Siang district at Boleng recently, the Chief Minister said the Preliminary Feasibility Report (PFR) was expected to take only three months, covering November, December and January, after which there would be greater clarity on the feasibility, location and technical parameters of the proposed project.

Referring to the large water infrastructure project announced by China in 2021, the Chief Minister said India and Bangladesh had sought details and discussions with the Chinese side regarding the project and water-sharing concerns, but those requests had not been accepted. He also referred to existing water-diversion routes in China and the proposed diversion of water towards its northern dry belt.

Khandu had said the proposed SUMP therefore needed to be examined scientifically and technically rather than being accepted or rejected without adequate assessment.

The Chief Minister had assured that the government would undertake extensive consultations with affected communities if the project proceeded beyond the feasibility stage.

Khandu reiterated that the government was not seeking to rush the SUMP beyond the feasibility stage but wanted the PFR completed so that an informed decision could be taken on whether, where and how the proposed structure could technically be developed.

“If the experts determine after the PFR that the project cannot be built, there will be no further process,” he had said.

Khandu said the PFR was the immediate priority and should be completed without further delay, stressing that technical clarity on the project was essential before any decision was taken on its subsequent stages.

He said the PFR would establish, among other things, whether the proposed structure would be technically feasible in Arunachal Pradesh’s Seismic Zone V, what level of protection it could provide against a possible release of water from upstream, and whether suitable locations existed for construction. If the project was found technically feasible after the PFR, the subsequent stages would include a Social Impact Assessment (SIA), an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) in accordance with the applicable laws and procedures.

Khandu had also clarified that land acquisition, assessment of agricultural and horticultural assets, and Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) were separate components. He said affected villages would be consulted regarding relocation, including the choice of location, while those whose land was acquired would receive compensation in accordance with applicable rules. He also spoke of the need to provide infrastructure such as roads, schools, electricity and water in relocated settlements.

Highlighting the possible economic implications, the Chief Minister said the proposed project could represent one of the country’s largest investments, estimating the investment initially at around Rs 1.5 lakh crore and potentially reaching Rs 2 lakh crore.

Earlier, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said that China’s refusal to enter into binding international water treaties and its selective sharing of hydrological data had raised concerns in the region and suggested an urgent need for cooperative governance of shared water resources in Asia.

He had informed stakeholders about the Chinese plan to construct the world’s largest hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which enters Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang and becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam before flowing into Bangladesh.

He pointed out that the dam would allow China to control the timing and volume of water flowing downstream, which could have devastating effects during periods of low flow or drought. The mighty Siang, or the Brahmaputra River, would dry up during winters, disrupting life in the Siang belt and the plains of Assam, he cautioned.

Conversely, according to Khandu, sudden releases of water from the dam could cause severe flooding downstream, particularly during the monsoon season, displacing communities, destroying crops and damaging infrastructure. Furthermore, the dam would alter sediment flow, affecting agricultural lands that rely on the river’s natural replenishment of nutrients, he said.

“China’s construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River poses significant risks to the water security, ecology, and livelihoods of millions of people downstream in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Bangladesh. The potential disruption of water flow, flooding, and ecosystem degradation could have far-reaching consequences for us,” he had said.

“Tibet is often referred to as the ‘Water Tower of Asia,’ supplying water to over a billion people in the region. Its environmental health is critical not only to China and India but also to much of Asia. Therefore, India, given its direct dependency on Tibet’s rivers and climate patterns, has a significant role to play in global environmental conservation efforts,” Khandu had said.

With an assessed hydropower potential of nearly 58,000 MW, accounting for around 40% of India’s total hydropower potential, Arunachal Pradesh is uniquely positioned to contribute substantially to the country’s energy security and non-fossil energy ambitions. The state has set an ambitious target of harnessing 40 GW of hydropower capacity by 2047.