Siang dam row: Assam's AJP backs anti-dam movement, flags downstream risk

The Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a regional party in Assam, has declared its support for the movement against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh, saying the 11,200-MW project carries risks for downstream Assam as well.

AJP secretary (organisation) Chittaranjan Basumatary told reporters at the Jonai Press Club near Ruksin on Sunday that the party would raise the issue with the Centre and the Arunachal Pradesh government, The Arunachal Times reported. His remarks came after several organisations from both states held solidarity rallies against the project in Itanagar and Guwahati.

'Threat would not stop at the border'

Basumatary said downstream communities in Arunachal's Siang valley and in Assam must be heard before such a large hydropower project goes ahead.

"The consequences of a major dam-related disaster in the Siang basin would not remain confined to Arunachal Pradesh. Several downstream districts of Assam could also face serious threats to human lives, livelihoods and the fragile riverine ecosystem," he was quoted as saying.

A native of Jonai in Dhemaji district, Basumatary was earlier with the All Assam Students' Union and led protests against the big dam on the Subansiri river. He said people downstream are still uneasy about the Lower Subansiri project at Gerukamukh, which, he said, was built despite strong opposition from Assam-based groups.

Criticism of BJP governments

The AJP leader accused the BJP of changing its position on mega dams after coming to power, claiming the party's leaders had opposed large dams in Arunachal before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He also accused Chief Minister Pema Khandu's government of using security forces to put down protests and alleged that the deployment of paramilitary forces had raised tensions in the area.

He described the Adi community's movement as a struggle to protect ancestral land, livelihoods, cultural identity and the Siang river, not just opposition to a power project. There was no immediate response from the state government to his remarks.

Shutdown today

The statement comes as the SUMP Affected Area Youth Association (SAAYA) has called a shutdown on Monday, November 2, in Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts to protest the arrests of people opposing the project. Chief Minister Khandu has said no decision on building the dam will be taken before the pre-feasibility report is ready, and has repeatedly offered talks with the protesters.