Pasighat: The East Siang Downstream Dam Affected Peoples’ Forum (ESDDAPF) has resolved to urge the Arunachal Pradesh government to protect the lives, lands, and properties of downstream residents in East Siang District from potential impacts of the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
Concerned about the Arunachal Pradesh government’s declaration to build a mega reservoir dam in Upper Siang District, representatives from 24 villages surrounding Pasighat Township, along with intellectuals, retired personnel, NGOs, and dam experts, convened a public meeting on October 8, 2024, in Gidi Notko, Pasighat, to form the ESDDAPF, informed Jobomchang Mengu.
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In their second meeting held on Saturday, the forum unanimously elected Oni Tamuk as President and Jobomchang Mengu as General Secretary.
The ESDDAPF has now grown into a people’s movement encompassing all 72 villages of East Siang District, seeking protection from the potential adverse effects of the dam in Upper Siang.
Today’s meeting focused on strengthening the ESDDAPF’s organizational structure and was attended by central and block executive members, youth, and student organizations, according to ESDDAPF officials.
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“The forum aims to secure government acknowledgment of East Siang District as a direct impact zone of the SUMP,” said ESDDAPF President Oni Tamuk.
“We will strive to protect East Siang District from potential economic, social, and environmental damage resulting from the SUMP’s construction. The ESDDAPF will soon engage with the government to present its demands and memorandums,” he said.
“ESDDAPF currently has 50 core committee members and decentralized branches in all 72 villages of East Siang District,” said ESDDAPF General Secretary Jobomchang Mengu.
“The organization is receiving technical input from various national agencies specializing in the study of dam impacts on downstream areas,” Mengu said.
The NHPC Ltd has proposed three dam sites in Upper Siang and Siang districts: between Parong and Deging villages, at Ugeng near Riga village, and between Ditte-Dime and Geku.
Several local organizations, led by the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF), are opposing the project, citing concerns about displacement of indigenous people and environmental damage.
However, the Arunachal government promotes the projects as crucial for regional infrastructure development and economic growth, emphasizing their importance in countering potential future destruction from Chinese mega dams being constructed in the upper reaches of the Siang River in Tibet.