Massive dam sparks fresh unrest in Arunachal's Siang Valley amidst Central police force deployment

By A Representative 

In a dramatic escalation of long-standing opposition to mega hydro projects in Northeast India, the Siang Indigenous Farmer’s Forum (SIFF) has begun qn indefinite dharna and peaceful protest at the Beging Dam Survey Site. The protest comes in response to the recent deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in several parts of the Siang Valley, including Beging, Geku, Jengging, and district headquarters Pasighat, Boleng, and Yingkiong.

According to a press release issued by SIFF, the CAPF presence is aimed at facilitating survey operations for the proposed 11,500 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP)—a controversial dam project that has faced decades of local resistance. Officials from the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC), backed by CAPF security, have reportedly begun conducting a Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR), with drilling machinery already installed at the Beging site.

The SUMP project, if constructed, would be one of India’s largest hydroelectric ventures. However, it has also been one of the most hotly contested. Local tribal communities, led by SIFF and other grassroots coalitions, have consistently argued that the project would devastate the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, submerge traditional lands, and threaten indigenous cultural identity.

“We never consented to this survey,” said SIFF in its statement. “This forceful intrusion is a blatant violation of our Fundamental Rights under the Indian Constitution. It is an arbitrary abuse of power that has violated our sentiments, our lands, and our rights.”

The forum urged immediate intervention from government authorities and civil society organizations, calling the deployment of paramilitary forces a disproportionate and coercive tactic.

The 11,500 MW capacity could significantly boost India's hydropower output. Yet, critics point out that the cumulative impact of over 160 planned hydroelectric projects in the Arunachal Himalayas would permanently alter river systems, displace thousands, and exacerbate ecological vulnerabilities. Environmentalists have previously raised alarms over potential impacts on the Siang River, the main stem of the Brahmaputra, which sustains millions of lives downstream in Assam and Bangladesh.

The CAPF deployment echoes a familiar pattern seen in other parts of India where dissenting communities have been bypassed or suppressed in the name of development. Activists fear this could mark a return to the kind of militarized development model criticized in other resource-rich but politically sensitive regions like Bastar and Northeast India.

Legal scholars note that under India’s Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 and Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996, no project in Scheduled Areas can proceed without the free, prior and informed consent of Gram Sabhas. “If these democratic safeguards are ignored, it sets a dangerous precedent,” said a Delhi-based environmental lawyer.

The dharna which began on May 23, 2025, has drawn not just local residents but also solidarity groups from other northeastern states and national civil society networks. Organizers have emphasized that the protest will remain peaceful but firm in demanding the immediate withdrawal of CAPF forces and halting of all survey activities.