Opposition to the proposed mega dam on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh erupted into violence in Pasighat following a 12-hour bandh across three Arunachal Pradesh districts.
By PC Bureau
October 25, 2026
The Centre has airlifted two companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), comprising around 250 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh East Siang district after protests against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) descended into violence, leaving government offices, police vehicles and the homes of political leaders damaged.
The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the deployment from Navi Mumbai, with the personnel airlifted aboard an Indian Air Force aircraft on Saturday and expected to be operational by Sunday. Several CRPF units were already deployed in Arunachal Pradesh. Officials said central security personnel, some of whom sustained injuries, had helped contain the unrest since Friday.
The violence erupted late Friday after a 12-hour bandh across Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts against the proposed mega dam. Although the shutdown remained largely peaceful, a group of young protesters continued their agitation after it ended, demanding that the state government address their concerns over the project.
The situation subsequently deteriorated in Pasighat and adjoining areas. Protesters allegedly torched six police vehicles near Raneghat Bridge and set fire to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) office. They also broke into the Adi Bane Kebang (ABK) office near the airport, vandalised rooms and burned files and documents.
Arunachal Pradesh’s proposed 11,200 MW Siang Dam faces fierce opposition from Indigenous Adi communities over displacement and ecological destruction.
Protests on October 23–24 led to clashes, four women hospitalised after tear gas use, and an NHPC office and vehicles torched in Pasighat.
27 villages could be affected, with protesters demanding a halt to surveys and the release of detained activists.
While the government cites China’s hydropower plans in Tibet, locals fear losing ancestral lands, livelihoods and cultural heritage.— Surya Yadav (@suryaupse) October 25, 2026
At Pasighat police station, protesters damaged part of the boundary wall and set fire to seized vehicles on the premises. The mob then targeted the residences of Arunachal Pradesh BJP president Kaling Moyong, Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering and Mariyang-Geku MLA Oni Panyang, damaging property and ransacking structures.
Ering alleged that cash and other valuables were stolen from his residence. The attacks were reportedly linked to the leaders’ support for the proposed project and their efforts to persuade local villagers to back it.
Security personnel used tear gas to disperse the crowds. The clashes left five police personnel and several protesters injured. Police subsequently detained five youths in connection with the vandalism and alleged robbery at the residences. Shops and businesses across Pasighat remained closed on Saturday, although vehicles continued to ply.
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Prohibitory orders imposed, police warn of action
East Siang District Magistrate Jayanti Pertin imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, covering Pasighat headquarters and the towns of Mebo and Ruksin from 5 pm on October 24.
The restrictions prohibit gatherings of more than five people, public meetings, processions and the carrying of weapons, including daos, bows and arrows, knives and lathis, except by authorised security personnel. Acts of vandalism, intimidation and other activities likely to disturb public peace are also prohibited.
Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range) Hibu Tamang, speaking at a joint press conference with the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police, warned that those responsible for the violence would face legal action.
“You cannot hold the law to ransom,” Tamang said, while appealing to protesters to pursue their demands through peaceful dialogue.
Arunachal CM offers talks, stresses peaceful resolution
Chief Minister Pema Khandu described peaceful protest as an essential democratic right but said demonstrations must remain within the law and must not result in damage to public or private property or disruption of public order. He termed the Pasighat incidents regrettable and appealed to all sections to maintain peace.
Addressing opposition to the dam, Khandu said the government remained open to discussions with organisations and community representatives on the project’s potential benefits, possible adverse impacts and local concerns.
He offered to hold discussions in Itanagar, Pasighat or any mutually convenient location, and said he was also willing to visit the Siang region with officials. Khandu emphasised that public consensus would remain central to the process and urged stakeholders to resolve differences through dialogue rather than actions that threaten public safety.
Congress accuses government of pressuring villagers
Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Bosiram Siram blamed the state government for the unrest, describing it as “state government-induced” violence.
Siram alleged that the Pema Khandu-led government was deploying large numbers of security personnel and pressuring villagers to support the pre-feasibility survey for the approximately 11,000-MW project, while failing to adequately address Adi community concerns over ancestral land and natural resources.
He accused Khandu, MP Tapir Gao, minister Ojing Tasing and legislators from the Siang belt of backing the project for their own benefit. He also criticised the argument that the dam was necessary for national security and for regulating water flows from Chinese dams.
Calling the Adi people traditionally peace-loving, Siram urged the government to stop what he described as the “bullying” of villagers and address their grievances rather than suppressing local opposition.
The allegations against the state government and political leaders could not be independently established from the information available.
Dispute over mega dam deepens
The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project has been designated a national project. Opposition has centred on fears of displacement, environmental damage, threats to river-dependent livelihoods and inadequate consultation with communities living along the Siang River.
The violence has brought renewed attention to the widening divide between the government’s push for the project and local communities demanding greater consultation and safeguards. While the administration has offered dialogue, the immediate challenge is to restore calm in Pasighat and establish a credible process for addressing residents’ concerns.
The central question remains whether the government can build public confidence in a project of this scale without deepening tensions over land, livelihoods, environmental risks and the rights of affected communities.
