BY PC Bureau
May 30, 2025 — A groundswell of resistance is sweeping across Arunachal Pradesh as indigenous communities escalate protests against proposed mega-hydropower projects, raising alarms over environmental degradation, large-scale displacement, and cultural erosion. The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a proposed 11,000 MW dam on the Siang River, has emerged as the epicenter of the conflict, with the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) pledging to sustain their agitation until central forces and survey equipment are withdrawn from Siang and Upper Siang districts. Similar opposition is mounting against other projects, such as the 1,200 MW Kalai-II and 400 MW Mihundo hydropower projects, as communities demand a halt to what they see as ecologically and socially disastrous developments.
Siang Upper Multipurpose Project: The Flashpoint
The SUMP, spearheaded by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), aims to harness the Siang River, which originates as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and flows into Arunachal Pradesh before becoming the Brahmaputra in Assam. The project, estimated to cost Rs. 1.3 lakh crore, is touted by the BJP-led Arunachal Pradesh government and the central government as a strategic counter to China’s 60,000 MW dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo, which could reduce downstream water flow and threaten India’s water security. However, local communities fear the SUMP will submerge dozens of villages, displace thousands, and disrupt the region’s fragile ecosystem.
In Siang and Upper Siang districts, villagers have maintained a round-the-clock vigil since early May 2025 to block NHPC’s pre-feasibility surveys. The deployment of 19 companies—nine central paramilitary forces, nine state police units, and one women’s police contingent—has heightened tensions, with protesters accusing the government of using force to suppress dissent. SIFF president Gegong Jijong declared, “If we allow this dam, our villages will be underwater, and our way of life will vanish. We will not stop until the forces leave and the project is scrapped.”
The protest by villagers against the Siang Upper Hydro Project would not have escalated had the Pema Khandu government tried to listen to the people. They have been protesting for so long. Refusing to engage, yet deploying central armed police personnel, was bound to trigger more… pic.twitter.com/ucAivoyd5C
— Tongam Rina (@tongamrina) May 27, 2025
The protesters draw parallels with recent hydropower-related disasters in Uttarakhand (2021 Tapkeshwar floods) and Sikkim (2023 Teesta dam collapse), which caused widespread destruction. A 2024 study by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, cited on X, warned that the Siang basin’s seismic vulnerability and glacial lake outburst flood risks make large dams particularly hazardous. “The SUMP could displace over 20,000 people and submerge 150 sq km of fertile land,” said Taniya Riba, a local activist, echoing concerns about irreversible ecological damage.
Broader Opposition to Hydropower Projects
The resistance extends beyond Siang. In Anjaw district, the Nukung Welfare Society has opposed the 1,200 MW Kalai-II project, citing a social impact assessment that predicts the displacement of at least 1,500 families and the loss of agricultural land. On May 29, 2025, residents of Nukung and Mla villages held a public rally, blocking NHPC survey teams and demanding a halt to the project. Similarly, in Dibang Valley, the Ekhomey Mowo Welfare Society formally opposed the 400 MW Mihundo project on May 30, 2025, arguing it threatens the Idu Mishmi community’s cultural heritage and the region’s ecological balance. “This project risks destabilizing our sacred lands and the livelihoods of our people,” the society stated, highlighting the loss of biodiversity hotspots and traditional grazing grounds.
The development followed after the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, a civil rights organisation, mostly comprised of members from the Adi tribe, called for “indefinite dharna” against the “forceful deployment of the CAPF’ at the Begging village, the site for the pre-feasibility… pic.twitter.com/yoEhDvJpf3
— Maktoob (@MaktoobMedia) May 27, 2025
Lobsang Gyatso, a prominent anti-dam activist from Tawang, has been criticizing the government’s focus on mega-projects, noting that smaller hydropower projects (90-100 MW) are dismissed as “unviable” despite being less disruptive. “The government prioritizes profits over people. Big dams bring big problems—landslides, floods, and cultural erasure,” Gyatso said. He urged authorities to address displacement and environmental concerns transparently rather than deploying forces to quell protests. Posts on X reflect similar sentiments, with users like @ArunachalVoicecalling the SUMP a “colonial imposition” that ignores indigenous rights.
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Government’s Push and Strategic Context
The BJP government in Arunachal Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, is aggressively promoting hydropower as a path to economic development for the industrially backward state. In November 2023, the state signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) like NHPC, SJVN, and THDC for 13 hydropower projects, excluding SUMP, projected to generate 13,000 MW and attract Rs. 1.4 lakh crore in investments. The central government, under PM Narendra Modi, views these projects as critical to counter China’s upstream damming, which could disrupt water flow to Northeast India and Bangladesh. A 2025 Ministry of Power report emphasized that SUMP could store 9 billion cubic meters of water, mitigating flood risks and ensuring energy security.
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However, the government’s push has met fierce resistance, reminiscent of the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, stalled for years by protests in Arunachal and Assam over downstream flooding risks. NHPC plans to operationalize two units of the Subansiri project at Gerukamukh in June 2025, despite ongoing local opposition. The project’s history, including violent clashes in 2011 and 2019, underscores the region’s contentious relationship with large dams. Critics, including the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), argue that these projects prioritize national interests over local communities, with downstream impacts like altered river flows threatening Assam’s agriculture.
Historical and Environmental Concerns
Arunachal Pradesh, with its 160,000 MW hydropower potential, is often called India’s “powerhouse,” but its rugged terrain and seismic activity pose significant risks. The 2005 Pare Hydroelectric Project and the 2013 Dibang Valley floods, linked to dam construction, are cited as cautionary tales. A 2023 report by the Wildlife Institute of India flagged the SUMP’s potential to disrupt the Siang River’s aquatic ecosystems, endangering species like the golden mahseer and affecting downstream fisheries in Assam. The Idu Mishmi community also fears the loss of sacred sites, including the Athu-Popu festival grounds near the proposed Mihundo dam.
Past agreements with private companies, such as Jaypee Group’s 2008 MoU for the Siang project, collapsed due to local opposition and funding issues, highlighting the challenges of implementing mega-dams. The current shift to central PSUs is seen as an attempt to bypass such hurdles, but protests suggest community resistance remains a formidable barrier.
Current Developments and Future Outlook
As of May 30, 2025, protests continue across Siang, Anjaw, and Dibang Valley, with SIFF planning a major rally in Pasighat next week. The Congress party, led by state president Nabam Tuki, has accused the BJP of “bulldozing indigenous rights” and demanded a CBI probe into the deployment of central forces. Meanwhile, the Arunachal government has promised compensation and rehabilitation packages, but specifics remain vague, fueling distrust. A recent X post by @SiangVoiceclaimed, “The government’s ‘development’ is our destruction—#NoBigDams.”
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The standoff raises broader questions about balancing energy needs, geopolitical strategy, and indigenous rights. With China’s dam operational by 2030, India faces pressure to secure its water resources, but the human and ecological costs of projects like SUMP could deepen regional unrest. As protests intensify, the government must navigate a delicate path to avoid alienating Arunachal’s indigenous communities while pursuing its hydropower ambitions.
