Siang project: No dam decision before pre-feasibility report, says Khandu

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said the state is not yet deciding whether to build the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), and that the only work it is seeking cooperation for now is the project's pre-feasibility report (PFR).

"Right now, we aren't even talking about building the dam. Right now, only the PFR needs to happen," Khandu told reporters, according to The News Mill and Asianet Newsable on Saturday.

Talks offer to Adi bodies

Khandu said he was inviting the youth wing of the Adi Bane Kebang (ABK) and the Adi Students' Union (AdiSU) for discussions, after both groups recently addressed the media on the project. He said he wanted to reach out to all associations and units in the Siang area to give more clarity.

A decision on whether to go ahead would come only after the PFR establishes feasibility, he said. Even then, the government would have to consult residents as the law requires. "This project won't move forward without talking to the public," Khandu said.

The Chief Minister also said residents of Siang and Upper Siang districts were being given misinformation about the project, and that he would keep visiting the region until the PFR process is finished.

His remarks follow Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein's statement on Friday that the government is open to dialogue on the project.

Why the project is contested

The 11,200 MW SUMP is being pursued by the Centre through NHPC as a storage project on the Siang, combining hydropower, water management and strategic goals. India sees it partly as a buffer against China's large dam plans upstream on the Yarlung Tsangpo, as the river is known in Tibet.

Sections of the indigenous Adi community oppose it. They fear submergence of villages, displacement, the loss of ancestral land and livelihoods, and damage to the river ecosystem. The site lies in a seismically active zone, which has also raised safety questions.

A tense October

Protests turned violent in late September and again on October 23, when an NHPC office and a police station in Pasighat were set on fire and vehicles and properties linked to political leaders were damaged. Security has since been stepped up.

Opponents have demanded genuine consultations and a halt to survey work until their concerns are addressed. The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum has proposed a peace committee to open communication between the government and the protesting groups.

Whether AdiSU and the ABK youth wing accept Khandu's invitation will be the next test of the government's outreach.