Arunachal villagers launch fresh stir against proposed dam meant to tackle China threat

Guwahati: Angry villagers burnt a hanging bridge to prevent the central security forces from entering Begging village in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang district on Friday, where they launched an "indefinite" agitation against the proposed hydro power project on the Siang river that seeks to tackle possible threats from China.

A large number of agitators climbed the hills and gathered at Begging village, where the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), a central PSU, is gearing up to carry out a pre-feasibility study for the Siang multi-purpose project. The government deployed Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, a central paramilitary force, on Thursday, in view of the possibility of violence. The agitation was launched by Sinang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF) and another local organisation.

"Although we have launched a peaceful agitation, some villagers got angry over deployment of ITBP personnel and they set the hanging bridge that connects Begging with other villages on fire. We have now convinced the protesters not to resort to further violence and continue the peaceful agitation," Nith Paron, a leader of the SIFF's youth wing, told DH over phone on Friday.

The protesters demanded withdrawal of the central forces within three days and removal of the machines deployed by the NHPC for the study. The protesters claim that the big dam would affect residents in at least 27 villages in the district and those living in the downstream areas. "The big dam will destroy our farmlands, culture and ethnic identity. We demand the government to roll-back the plan and go for small hydro projects to meet the electricity needs," Paron said.

China threat

Defending the Siang project, Chief Minister Pema Khandu recently said the project is required to tackle the possible threats from the 60,000MW power project being constructed by China in the upper reaches of Yarlung Tsangpo, which is called the Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra in Assam. Khandu had said the Chinese government, which is not a signatory to the International Water Conventions, intends to divert the water from the multiple water reservoirs to be created under the project to dry regions of Tibet and elsewhere in the country. The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, Khandu had said in December, has been proposed by the Centre to maintain natural flow of water in the Siang river throughout the year and flood modulation in case of water release by China.

Big dams:

The BJP government in Arunachal in November 2023 signed MoUs with central PSUs for implementation of at least 13 hydro big power projects (barring the Siang project). Similar MOUs were signed with private companies in the past but they could not move ahead with the projects mainly due to strong protests by locals. The government says the 13 projects would generate 13,000MW power and invite investments worth Rs. 1.4 lakh crores, thereby boosting the industrially backward state's economy.