NHPC holds talks with key members of indigenous tribes of Arunachal

NHPC met with Arunachal tribes to discuss the Siang upper project, India's largest dam, amid local protests over displacement and water security concerns.

The state-backed National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd (NHPC) last week held a key meeting with indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh to convince them about the need for a proposed Siang upper multipurpose project, planned to be the country’s biggest, amid local protests and resistance over fears of displacement and impact on livelihoods, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

NHPC holds talks with key members of indigenous tribes of Arunachal

The Siang upper project, envisaged to have 14 billion cubic metres of storage capacity and generate 11,200 MW of electricity, is meant to act as a buffer against a mega dam being built by China in Tibet, which will be the world’s biggest, when completed.

India fears the Chinese dam could cut water flows in the Siang and Brahmaputra, which sustains millions of people downstream in the northeastern states and Bangladesh.

In the meeting held on Saturday in Pasighat, a town in the northeastern state’s East Siang district, NHPC officials made a detailed presentation and explained the “strategic importance” of the Siang upper project to organisations representing the local Adi population, urging them not to hinder pre-feasibility studies for the dam.

“The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. Officials explained why the dam is necessary from a strategic point of view and for long-term water security,” the official said. Leaders from the Adi Baane Kebang, a local community organisation, and the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum participated in the talks.

Both the organisations are at the forefront of the Adi tribe’s resistance against a dam over the Siang river, which is considered a “mother” and a source of livelihood for the predominantly paddy-growing hill tribe. “We continue to demand a halt to all activities related to preliminary feasibility report of Siang upper multipurpose project until proper consultation is held and consent is given by all 31 affected villages,” said Jirbo Jamoh, a leader of the Adi Students’ Union.

“The NHPC assured all stakeholders and villagers that they would be consulted at every step. They would be involved in all processes, from environmental-impact assessment to rehabilitation in a transparent manner,” the official said.

In July, Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over a ceremony marking the start of construction of a $167-billion dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, according to reports in China’s state-run media. It is set to overtake the Three Gorges dam as the world’s largest.

The Chinese dam is located around a “great bend” on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, which is known in India as the Brahmaputra, a lifeline for Assam. The Siang, which flows through Arunachal Pradesh, is the Brahmaputra’s main tributary that connects it to the Yarlung Tsangpo.

The giant Chinese dam, projected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually, three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, would allow the neighbour to divert up to 40 BCM of water and trigger water crises downstream during drier seasons, according to an official document prepared by the Central Water Commission.

The Siang Upper project, envisaged both as a storage dam and a power generator, would help cushion such an eventuality by releasing water during drier months, especially in Arunachal and Assam, should China alter flows, according to the official.

India has broader plans to tap into the state’s hydroelectric potential. In August, the Union cabinet had approved ₹8146.21 crore for a 700 MW hydroelectric project, Tato-II, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi Yomi district.

Arunachal Pradesh’s cabinet , in May approved five mega hydropower projects in Shi Yomi, which borders China, towards the middle northern part of the state. The five projects – Heo, Hirong, Naying, Tato I, and Tato II – would have a total capacity of 2,626 MW of electricity.

The state government has tasked a panel with modifying the State Hydro Power Policy, 2008, as well as the Local Area Development Fund Guidelines, 2022 to ramp up hydropower projects. About 49% of India’s hydropower potential is said to be in Arunachal Pradesh.