ITANAGAR — The Arunachal Pradesh government has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the pondage of the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project — India's largest hydroelectric project on the Subansiri River — into a world-class mountain and river tourism destination.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking central support for the initiative, and has also sought technical collaboration from the Ministries of Tourism, Power, Jal Shakti, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
The proposed tourism ecosystem is designed to draw on the unique natural and cultural assets of one of India's most biodiverse river corridors.
The plan integrates eco and nature-based experiences, adventure tourism and water sports, cultural and heritage tourism, inland fisheries and livelihood generation, and luxury river cruises — a multi-layered offering designed to attract both domestic and international visitors.
The initiative draws inspiration from globally recognised destinations including Phewa Lake in Nepal, Kaeng Krachan in Thailand, Lake Como and the Dolomite lake circuit in Italy, and Milford Sound in New Zealand.
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Khandu has been explicit that local and tribal communities will not be peripheral to this project — they will be its primary stakeholders, beneficiaries, and cultural custodians.
In its steady state, the initiative is expected to generate over 2,500 jobs, with a particular focus on local youth. The government is targeting more than 1.5 lakh tourists annually in the medium term, with the project seen as a significant driver of sustainable livelihoods and tourism-led economic growth for the state.
The Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project is slated for full commissioning by December this year, with four units already operational. The pondage it creates is being viewed as a unique and largely untapped opportunity for high-value tourism infrastructure.
On March 28, Khandu and officials undertook a high-speed river journey of approximately 45 km along the Subansiri — from the project site at Dollungmukh to the Kamle-Subansiri confluence — to assess the tourism potential of the corridor first-hand.
In the first phase, the government will engage leading design and planning agencies to prepare a detailed project report (DPR), developed in consultation with local communities and covering financial estimates and implementation frameworks.