Itanagar: Over 100 civil society organizations and environmental groups have appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to withdraw the paramilitary forces deployed in Arunachal Pradesh for the pre-feasibility survey of the Upper Siang Hydropower Project.
The 11,000-megawatt Upper Siang Hydropower Project in the Upper Siang district is seen as a strategic move to counter China’s hydel projects on the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) river.
The project faces opposition from local Adi communities who fear displacement from their ancestral lands and severe environmental consequences.
Last week, the state government reportedly began deploying Central Armed Police Force personnel to the district for a pre-feasibility survey of the proposed project. This deployment resulted in peaceful protests from residents in the valley.”
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has assured that the project will not proceed without the consent of the local people.
However, 109 organizations have written to the President, urging the withdrawal of the paramilitary forces.
In their letter, they pointed out that India has signed conventions and climate treaties that pledge to protect the rights and livelihoods of indigenous peoples, as well as the biodiversity and ecosystems they rely on.
The Siang Valley, within the ecologically sensitive Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve, is known for its rich biodiversity.
In their open letter to the president, civil society organizations and environmental groups emphasized that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to which India is a signatory, grants Indigenous peoples the right to consent to any activities that may impact their lands, resources, livelihoods, and health.
They highlighted the disturbing fact that the state and central governments have violated their earlier promise, made just a few months ago, that no project activities would be undertaken without the consent of the people.
The organizations have also expressed concerns about the growing environmental risks posed by large hydropower projects, citing disasters such as the 2021 Chamoli avalanche and the 2023 Teesta III dam collapse.
ALSO READ: Arunachal officer dismissed over APPSC exam paper leak scandal
They have called d for a reassessment of India’s hydropower plans in the region, highlighting declining river discharge and financial losses from delayed projects like the Subansiri Lower Hydropower Project.
