‘No hydropower project if people don’t want it. But…’: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu
Local residents have been demanding that the government halt the pre-feasibility survey related to Siang Upper multipurpose hydropower project
GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said on Thursday that the 12,500 Siang Upper multipurpose hydropower project (SUMP) in the state, which is facing resistance from residents, would be shelved if people don’t want it.

The chief minister made the statement during a visit to Boleng in Siang district, stressing that the project was not just about generating hydropower but a multipurpose project of national importance.
“If you don’t want a dam, if you don’t want a hydropower project, there won’t be. Chapter closed,” said Khandu. “But the case at hand is not about a hydropower project. It is about a multipurpose project, a project of national importance and envisioned by the Government of India and the Niti Aayog,” he said.
Local residents and activists have been demanding that the government halt the pre-feasibility survey and related activities until proper consent is obtained from stakeholders and affected individuals, claiming that the dam construction over the Siang River threatens their existence.
Attending a ‘Thanksgiving’ programme of local legislator and panchayati raj minister Ojing Tasing on his electoral victory, Khandu said ‘misinformation’ was being circulated to mislead innocent villagers against a project, which was not even in its pre-initial stage.
Khandu said people who were ‘instigating’ the protests are themselves confused about whether the project is 12,500 megawatt (MW), 11,000 MW or ‘10,000 MW capacity.
“Being the chief minister I am not aware, not even NHPC is aware of the exact wattage of power the project will generate. How do you know the capacity of the project when the survey and investigation process has not even begun?” he asked.
Khandu said the project was not only about generating hydropower. “Hydropower generation is a by-product of the multipurpose project by default. The real objective of the project is to save Ane Siang and the Adi society that is connected with the river since time immemorial,” he said.
He said that China has already approved the construction of a project that would generate a massive power of about 60,000 MW on the river – known as Yarlung Tsangpo in the Tibet region just before it enters India through Tuting in Upper Siang.
He revealed that the Chinese government, which is not a signatory to the International Water Conventions, intends to divert the water from the multiple water reservoirs to be created under the project to dry regions of Tibet and elsewhere in the country.
“In such a scenario it is inevitable that the volume of water in the Siang river will drastically get reduced so much so that during winters you will be able to cross the mighty Siang on foot. Would you like such a situation? I certainly won’t,” Khandu said.
The other reason for the Siang multipurpose project, he said, was that in case China released water from their dams all of a sudden, a trail of unimaginable destruction would sweep through the Siang belt, Assam and Bangladesh.
“Yes we are optimistic that with the progress being made through bilateral talks with China, relations will improve but we cannot remain complacent and be prepared for the unseen,” Khandu said.
The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, he said, has been proposed by the central government to maintain the natural flow of water in the river all year round and ensure flood modulation in case of water release by China.
Reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh has about 50% of the country’s hydropower potential, Khandu said the 12,500 MW that would be generated from projects for which MoUs have been signed with PSUs will generate about ₹10,000 crores annually for the state exchequer.
“Please be informed that the 12,500 MW I am mentioning does not include the Siang project. We do not know yet the amount of power that this project will generate if at all executed,” he added.
The chief minister also told the gathering that rumours that the government would forcibly execute the project by using armed police forces were not true, saying, “We are a democratic country. We do not believe in forcing projects on our own people. We believe in taking into confidence the last man in the queue.”
He welcomed ‘questions’ and admitted that ‘confusions’ are bound to rise but urged the people to come forward and clear their confusions.
“Only after survey and investigation, we will know where the dam will come up and what height it would be and how much will be the submergence area. Then will come the ‘public hearing’ stage, where everyone will be consulted. There are several stages with prudent rules and guidelines before the start of a project. We haven’t yet started and all hue and cry has begun,” he pointed.
The chief minister urged the committee constituted under the chairmanship of former minister and senior leader of the Adi community, Tamio Taga, to reach out to everyone, especially the villagers, and disperse all doubts and confusions.
“Take your time. Clear your doubts. We are not in any hurry,” he added.
Residents of Siang have been holding protests against the project, citing socio-environmental concerns such as displacement, loss of ancestral lands, and threat to biodiversity. They also demanded immediate withdrawal of the security forces deployed to aid surveyors and suspension of the project.
The hydropower project by NHPC (formerly National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) involves construction on the Siang River at three proposed sites-Dite Dime, Parong and Uggeng.
“We are against the move to militarise the area by deploying central armed police force personnel. The project will be detrimental to the people and the ecology of the region,” said Bhanu Tatak, legal adviser of Siang Indigenous Farmer’s Forum, one of the groups opposing the project.