Arunachal: 'Ghost Villages' Emerge Amid Hydropower Project

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government's drive to speed up hydropower projects has resulted in stern charges of unauthorized construction in Athunli 680 Mega Watt (MW) Hydroelectricity Project-affected areas.

It is reported that several concrete and semi-concrete houses are being constructed in Dibang Valley district, suspecting 'ghost villages' for claiming illegal compensation.

The Athunli HEP covering seven villages namely Athunli, Malinye, Apanli, Sunli, Gunli, New Echanli, and Chiya was sanctioned through a memorandum of agreement with Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) in August 2023. Yet, as per the local sources, there are merely 40 families with around 240 residents enlisted in these villages.

On 4th February 2025, a notice was given by Deputy Commissioner Pagli Sora declaring the recent constructions illegal and that they would not be compensated. This came after a preliminary notification of land acquisition made on 4th October 2024 under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013.

Nadim Lombo, the chairman of the Athunli Project Affected Peoples Committee (APAPC), argued that the district administration didn't properly inform villagers concerning the initial notification. He also argued that building structures is a way to claim compensation for lost property, claiming that it is not corruption but a rightful reaction to the circumstance.

In spite of efforts by the district administration to go for a baseline and property survey, the APAPC boycotted the same on grounds related to environmental clearances. The current situation indicates doubts regarding the sanctity of the land acquisition process and prospects of future trouble in the region.

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