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ITANAGAR: The Adi Bane Kebang-United (ABK-U), the apex organisation representing the Adi community in Arunachal Pradesh, on Tuesday urged the State Government to scrap the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), citing concerns over possible displacement, loss of agricultural land and impacts on ancestral heritage, culture and the ecology of the Siang Valley.
Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club, ABK-U president Thomas Borang said the government should not invoke "national interest" to justify a project that, according to the organisation, could cause hardship to people in affected areas.
A consultative meeting of the Adi community at Geku in Upper Siang on September 16 adopted a four-point resolution seeking scrapping of the SUMP proposal, cancellation of agreements related to preparation of its pre-feasibility report, withdrawal of excess security forces from Siang and Upper Siang districts and reinstatement of village heads allegedly suspended for opposing the project.
The organisation also questioned the government's assessment of local support for activities related to the pre-feasibility report. Borang alleged that some people were persuaded to sign MoUs by offering benefits for activities such as poultry farming and fruit gardens.
The SUMP, proposed with a capacity of around 11,000 MW, is being pursued for hydropower generation and water management, along with strategic water security concerns linked to the Siang river. The government has maintained that the project is of national importance and that local communities must be taken on board.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu, after a consultative meeting on Monday, said the government was open to discussions and urged people with concerns to approach the authorities for clarification. He said the project was ultimately a national project, but stressed that local people were the owners of their land and needed to be taken on board.
Khandu also said the government would conduct more awareness programmes on the project's technical aspects, significance and possible implications. He appealed to people in the Siang and Upper Siang basins to support the project while assuring that their concerns would be addressed.
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