Adi tribe fears Arunachal dam will extinct its community

Forum for Siang Dialogue (FSD), Siang Peoples' Forum (SPF) and Adi Students' Union (AdiSU) were opposed to the construction of a dam for the project saying it would affect 6,708 Adi households with a population of 34,911.

The Rs 13,000 crore Lower Siang Hydro Electric Project, to be build by JAPL, a unit of Jaypee Associates, is likely to affect more than 50 villages in Upper East and West Siang districts inhabited by the Adi community.

"No dams on river Siang at the cost of our extinction shall ever come up and we pledge that we shall fight to the finish for our pride, honour and survival," SPF Chairman Ojing Tasing said in at joint press conference here yesterday.

The organisations were also apprehensive that 15,000 odd migrant labourers to be engaged by the company would jeopardise existence of tribal population in these districts with only 54 per cent indigenous population.

"There are also possibilities that some of the migrant population might be carrier of diseases like AIDS and hepatitis, hitherto unknown in the districts," FSD general secretary Vijay Taram said.

The relief and rehabilitation package offered by the company to the affected families were not sufficient, he said, adding that Pongging and Godak villages in East and West Siang districts where the dam was to be constructed was an earthquake prone zone.

The organisations further alleged that the company had hurt the sentiment of Adi community by distorting fact about traditions, customs and practices of the tribe in its documents like Environment Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment and the recent Downstream Impact Assessment.

Taram said the documents published last month would enable the developer to conduct public hearings and get environment clearance from the Centre to start the 2,700 mega watt hydro electric project.

The organisations said they would stop the proposed public hearing on the project from December 20.