GUWAHATI: Residents of the Dite Dime area in Arunachal Pradesh‘s Siang district staged demonstrations on Saturday, opposing the proposed 12,500 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
The proposed mega hydropower project on the Siang River has faced strong opposition from locals, who argue that it threatens their land, livelihoods, environment, and way of life.
Notably, Dite Dime, Parong and Uggeng are the three proposed sites of the project.
Chanting slogans against the government and NHPC, over 600 people staged demonstrations against the “forceful survey-cum-pre-feasibility report” for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.
The protests were organized by the All Adi Welfare Society, Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, and Banggo Students’ Union.
On Friday, the Parong village committee lodged a complaint with the Siang superintendent of police against the NHPC for “forceful implementation” of the PFR, which is seen as a prelude to the dam’s construction.
The committee alleged the survey was against the consent of the people who would be affected by the project.
The committee urged the SP to lodge an FIR against the NHPC and the executing agencies for forcibly conducting the survey “against our constitutional and legal rights”.
The committee highlighted that the gram sabha members, village chiefs, Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, and the general public had unanimously rejected the PFR of the project during meetings with the deputy commissioners of Siang and Upper Siang districts on June 22 and 24.
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In a letter to the state government on July 20, the NHPC requested round-the-clock security at the proposed sites for core drilling and geophysical studies amidst opposition from the public.
On Friday, Siang deputy commissioner PN Thungon issued an order directing people to refrain from taking part in Saturday’s protest “against the government and developmental activities”.
