Itanagar: Hundreds of people on Sunday staged a protest at the entrance to Parong village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang district, opposing the proposed deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for conducting a study to prepare the pre-feasibility report (PFR) for the 11,000-mw Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.
Shouting slogans against the state government, the protesters expressed deep concern over potential displacement, loss of ancestral lands, and threats to biodiversity.
They accused the government of infringing upon the rights of the people and demanded the immediate withdrawal of security forces and the suspension of the project.
The protestors were mostly from Parong, Riew, Geku, and Sitang villages in Siang and Upper Siang districts.
Notably, the state government had set December 15 as the date for the deployment of the security forces.
In addition to the central forces, the state government has also planned to deploy state armed police forces for the PFR of the Siang dam project.
In the Upper Siang district, three companies of CAPFs will be deployed at Geku, Uggeng and Jengging. A platoon of state police will be deployed at Yingkiong.
In Siang district, two companies will be deployed in Begging village, two companies in Parong village and one company at the NHPC office in Boleng. A company of state police will also be deployed in Boleng.
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In the East Siang district, CAPFs will be deployed for the protection of the NHPC camp office in Pasighat.
The protesters accused the government of using heavy security to intimidate and silence local opposition to the project.
