Arunachal govt urges public to shun fake news on Siang project

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government has urged the public to avoid spreading unverified rumours, misleading claims and fake news about the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). A public advisory issued by the state Information and Public Relations department on Saturday asked people to rely on official government notifications, press releases and authorised channels for accurate information about the project.

The advisory said the project aimed to strengthen national water and energy security, manage seasonal floods in the Siang-Brahmaputra basin and promote long-term socio-economic development. It clarified that ongoing activities were limited to technical and environmental surveys for preparing a Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) to assess the project's viability.

Emphasising the protection of local interests, the department said the welfare, rights, land security and cultural heritage of local communities and project-affected families remained central to the government's evaluation.

The advisory also cautioned people against forwarding unverified social media posts, videos and messages that could cause unnecessary panic and misunderstanding. In a separate clarification regarding the anti-SUMP bandh, the department dismissed claims of a fatality as false and said all four women who had been hospitalised had received treatment and been discharged.

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