Siang Dam Project Faces Intensifying Protests in Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh, 25 October 2026: The proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) is facing growing opposition from Indigenous Adi communities over fears of displacement, environmental destruction and loss of ancestral lands.
On 23-24 October, a 12-hour bandh was observed across the Siang region. Clashes near Geku reportedly left four women hospitalised after police used tear gas. Violence in Pasighat also saw an NHPC office and vehicles set on fire.
Protesters are demanding a halt to project-related surveys, the release of
detained activists and protection of their ancestral territories. Reports suggest that 27 villages could be affected. While the government considers the project strategically important amid China's hydropower plans upstream in Tibet, Indigenous communities fear irreversible damage to the Siang River's ecosystem, traditional livelihoods and cultural heritage.
The future of the Siang must prioritise Indigenous rights, ecological security and meaningful community consent over unchecked development.
>>2608
NE tribes will always be animalistic and oppose any development in their region and then cry over their youth leaving their home to sell momos in mainland india
