OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has assured residents of Siang and Upper Siang districts that no decision on the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) will be taken without extensive public consultations and the consent of affected people.
In a message to the Adi community, Khandu said concerns over land, homes, livelihoods, the Siang river and cultural heritage would remain central to the government's considerations. He clarified that the current exercise involved only preparing a pre-feasibility report (PFR) to examine the project's feasibility, possible implications and alternatives, and did not amount to approval for dam construction.
He said the commitment to public consultation was in line with the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Khandu cited China's reported dam construction on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, around 40 km from the Indian border, as a reason for examining the project's feasibility. He said nearly 65 per cent of the Siang's water originated in China and that scientific assessment was needed to examine risks from sudden upstream releases and dry-season water scarcity.
The proposed project has faced opposition from local communities over fears of displacement, submergence of ancestral land, livelihood losses and ecological damage. Recent protests and shutdowns in the region were accompanied by incidents of violence, including the burning of an NHPC office and a police station in East Siang district.
Khandu urged people to engage in dialogue and said the PFR would help assess the facts and alternatives, reiterating that it did not mean the project would necessarily be constructed.
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