Located 26 km from the headquarters of Upper Siang district Yingkiong, the village of Komkar, is just near one of the proposed sites for the 12,500 MW Siang mega dam. A 60-year-old villager from the area shared his fears: “We will become completely landless if the dam is constructed, as all our subsistence land will be submerged.”
When asked whether his identity could be revealed, the villager hesitated, clearly concerned about dire consequences for speaking out against the proposed dam, but did not elaborate on the reasons behind his fears.
Ever since the government of Arunachal Pradesh risked the proposal for the construction of Siang Mega Dam and signed the MoU, the locals—to save the myth and mythological history related to mother Siang, flora and fauna to save environment, to avoid any natural catastrophe, to preserved the identity of Adi’s connected to Siang river in aspect agricultural and forest products etc—have been resisting the issue of Siang Dam and committed to die for the cause of saving the mother Siang from any unnatural interference.
As such, the move against the proposed Siang mega Dam was raised in 2013 by the Siang Indigenous Farmer’s Forum. Several memorandums were submitted to both central and state governments by the then SIFF president Tasik Pangkam.
In continuation to the move, the group is currently led by Gegong Jijong.
The SIFF staunchly opposes the dam, arguing that it threatens their traditional way of life. Jijong has stated, “Our ancestral lands cannot be quantified in modern currency, which is a shallow, dehumanizing, and unacceptable attempt to undermine the spirit of the Adi people.”
“The SIFF’s position remains clear: No dam. The forum has even set up camps in various areas of the proposed project site to rally local opposition.” Jijong added.
According to Dunggo Libang, the general secretary of SIFF, the proposed Siang Dam was originally intended to generate 10,000 MW of power, but the capacity has now been increased to 12,500 MW. Libang argues, that the government is unsure about the actual electricity output of the dam. He claims the state government has not provided the public with a clear picture of the project’s scope or the areas that will be affected”.
On the other hand, the Adi Bane Kebang (ABK), the apex body of the Adi community, has expressed its support for conducting the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) on the proposed sites of the Dam. ABK president Tarun Libang, has stated that the government is not proposing the immediate construction of the dam but rather conducting the PFR to determine whether the sites are suitable for the dam. He said, to allow PFR.
The ABK has also stated that it will stand by the affected people if the dam is built and compensation is not adequately provided.
Arunachal Pradesh Hydro Power Advisor Ninong Ering told EastMojo that it stands clear that the proposed 12,500 MW Siang Dam is not merely a hydropower project but is a multipurpose project which will serve several aspects of development to counter China’s stands to attempt to divert the Siang River in its territory. He commented that Adis must think of their future.
Moreover, the dam would help regulate water levels and prevent floods. He even claimed that the local population welcomes the project and that only organizations like the SIFF oppose it. So, PFR has to be done in proposed sites to avoid any repented.
However, residents of the affected villages have opposed the proposed Siang Dam. A 78-year-old villager from Komkar voiced his concerns, stating that the dam would submerge much of the land the community relies on for their livelihoods.
Similarly, a 30-year-old man from Gete village claimed that no awareness campaign or public survey had been conducted about the dam. He argued that while national security concerns are valid, the government should have engaged directly with the local people before proceeding with the PFR.
The villages most at risk of being submerged include Yingkiong (the district headquarters of Upper Siang), along with Simong, Gete, Ugang, Moing, Ramsing, Komkar, Geku, and others. In the Siang district, villages such as Pangkang, Sitang, Riga, Parong Riu etc. will be affected.
The NITI Aayog proposed the 10,000 MW hydroelectric project on the Siang River in 2017, which was later increased to 12,500 MW. Local communities along the river, however, have rejected any perceived benefits from the dam, maintaining that the project would destroy their land, culture, and way of life.
SIFF and other local groups have argued that they were not consulted about the project and that any efforts to conduct surveys, such as the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFR) are being carried out without the necessary consent or participation of the affected communities.
Reports suggest that last year, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) tried to survey Parong village without informing the residents.
The NHPC has proposed three sites for the dam: one between Parong and Deging villages, another at Ugeng, near Riga village, and a third between Ditte-Dime and Geku. These sites are all located within a 60 km radius of Yingkiong, with Ugeng being approximately 28 km from Yingkiong.
The Upper Siang Multipurpose Project, proposed by the NHPC, involves the construction of a 300-meter-high dam on the Siang River. The dam will have a gross storage capacity of
13-14 billion cubic meters (BCM), and a live storage capacity of 9.2 BCM. The project aims to manage flood control, regulate river flow, and generate between 11,500 MW and 12,000 MW of power annually.
The state government’s support for the project is framed around national security concerns, particularly given the size and scale of China’s Metog Dam project. The government argues that building the Siang Dam would enable India to manage water resources and ensure flood control, positioning the dam as a strategic necessity.
However, critics argue that the dam’s environmental and social consequences will devastate the local population. Tongam Rina, a journalist from Arunachal Pradesh, said, there is still time for the government to recall this project because we do not need such a huge dam.
More than anything, the environmental devastation will be irreparable and irrevocable, with long-term implications. She argues that the government is pushing the project forward without meaningful consultation and is prioritizing national security over the rights of local people.
Bhanu Tatak, SIFF’s legal advisor, points out that more than 100,000 people will be directly affected by the project. He calls on the government to drop the project, citing the lack of adequate documentation and the potential ecological risks.
As per 40 Geku- Mariyang Local MLA, the Siang Dam is the only purpose to build in the interest of national security and to save from being diverted away by China. The building of the Dam over Siang is only meant to protect the identity of Adis because of river Siang and PFR should be allowed to assess the compensation of properties because of the proposed dam if built finally, he added.
A 50-year-old villager from Komkar, an affected area, expressed his fears about losing his ancestral lands, saying, “I possess a plot of 10 lands in my village and I don’t want to lose it. The government and NHPC never communicated with us directly. They only speak with the village headmen and panchayat members. They never inquire with us, whether we have objections over it or not. Moreover, they have not given us a clear picture about compensation or the dam’s potential benefits.”
Despite repeated attempts, efforts to contact other local MLAs of the Siang and Upper Siang districts have been unsuccessful.
This story has been published as part of the AIPP-EastMojo Fellowship 2024
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