Itanagar: A consortium of 114 scientists, researchers, and practitioners has issued a strong appeal for the immediate suspension of all construction, surveys, and pre-clearance activities related to the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh.
The collective warned on Monday that the ambitious 11,000 MW hydropower project, slated to be India’s largest dam, poses significant ecological, cultural, and socio-political risks to the region.
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The Siang River, the primary tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows into Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet. For years, residents of the Siang basin, particularly members of the indigenous Adi tribe, have vehemently opposed the project, fearing its devastating impact on their ancestral lands and traditional way of life.
In a statement, the collective highlighted that the ongoing community resistance reflects a profound understanding of the multifaceted dangers associated with the project.
They emphasized the sacred status of the Siang River, revered as ‘Ane’ or Mother Siang, which is central to the Adi tribe’s cultural identity and livelihoods.
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“Hydropower construction involving tunnelling, road blasting, and reservoir formation would disrupt the relationship the Adi people have with Ane Siang,” the statement asserted.
The group also pointed out that historical instances of displacement due to such projects rarely adequately compensate for non-monetary values like land-based identity, ecological knowledge, and customary rights.
The Siang Valley’s communities rely on over 250 species of wild plants and animals for sustenance, medicine, and cultural practices. Furthermore, the region is home to a highly sophisticated system of terraced wet rice cultivation practiced by the Adi community.
The proposed dam, the collective warned, would submerge many of these terraces and disrupt vital irrigation systems, leading to an irreversible loss of both farmland and invaluable traditional knowledge.
Adding to the concerns, the project site falls within Seismic Zone V, the highest risk category for earthquakes according to the Bureau of Indian Standards.
The scientists underscored that “building large dams in such zones increases risks of earthquake-triggered landslides, dam failure, and reservoir-triggered seismicity.”
They also noted the intensified frequency of glacial lake outburst floods, cloudbursts, and slope failures in the region due to climate change.
The Siang River’s origin in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China also lends it strategic significance.
The collective expressed concerns over upstream hydropower and water diversion projects by China on the Yarlung Tsangpo, which have already raised issues regarding sediment flow, seasonal discharge, and water availability.
While large infrastructure projects like the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project are often framed as strategic countermeasures, the collective argued that they “disproportionately burden the local communities in Arunachal Pradesh” and undermine trust in governance by being imposed without broad-based consent.
The statement further contended that the project contravenes key legal frameworks, including the 2006 Forest Rights Act, the 2002 Biological Diversity Act, and several international environmental and Indigenous rights agreements.
The collective urged both the central government and the Arunachal Pradesh government to ensure the full recognition of community forest and resource rights under the Forest Rights Act.