In Arunachal’s Siang, a dam divides a community: ‘We will lose land, history’

Okam Tayom, one of the oldest residents of Geku village in Arunachal Pradesh, cannot say exactly how old he is. But he remembers the 1962 Sino-Indian War, when Chinese troops marched into what was then the North-East Frontier Agency.

“I went with my father and other villagers to drive them away. All we had were traditional weapons: bows, arrows and daos,” he recalled.

Seated on the verandah of his chang ghar, a stilt house built entirely from forest materials, Okam seems to belong to another era. His concerns, however, are firmly rooted in the present. The proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) threatens to submerge his village, along with its farmland and ancestral homes. “We have protected this land for generations. How can I let that happen? We will lose our livelihoods. We will lose our history.”

Why the dam is controversial

Opposition to the project is not new. The UPA government declared it a national project in 2008, but it has made little headway against sustained resistance from the Adi community, Arunachal Pradesh’s second-largest tribe. The immediate flashpoint is a pre-feasibility survey by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

The government maintains that the exercise is preliminary and does not mean the dam has been approved. Three sites have been identified — Parong and Dite Dime in Siang district, and Ugeng/Komkar in Upper Siang district.

For villagers, however, the distinction offers little reassurance. They fear that survey and drilling work on their ancestral land will bring the project closer to reality.  Residents have blocked roads, stopped NHPC personnel and machinery, and demanded the withdrawal of security forces. The confrontation escalated in October, with the arrest of activists and clashes with security personnel.

On October 23, after a bandh across three districts, violence broke out in Pasighat. An NHPC office and a police station were set ablaze, vehicles torched, and politicians’ residences vandalised. The administration imposed prohibitory orders and deployed additional security forces. For the Adi community, the stakes extend beyond individual villages. “We have depended on Siang River since the beginning of time. If this project goes ahead, at least 27 Adi villages will be submerged,” said Diji Tamuk, president of Adi Bane Kebang United, the community’s apex organisation in Arunachal Pradesh.

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Life in the shadow of the dam

“It is not just Upper Siang that will be affected. The entire state will feel the impact. If the Siang River is disturbed, we believe everything will be destroyed,” said Maina Pangkam, a grocery shop owner on the road to Geku, a village in the Upper Siang district.

Geku, nestled along the Siang, appears far removed from the unrest. But in recent months, the village has been at the centre of protests against the preliminary surveys and the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

Authorities arrested four people under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA). Adum Tayom, one of those detained, said, “We were kept in a cell with convicted murderers. Why are we being subjected to this, just because we want to protect our land?” He was subsequently released from preventive custody.

The government’s case

The BJP-led state government defends the project on strategic grounds, citing China’s massive dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and the potential risks of sudden water releases downstream. CM Pema Khandu has said no decision has been taken on constructing the dam and that public consultation and local consent will be necessary. However, BJP MP Tapir Gao’s assertion that the dam “will be built” has deepened distrust.

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Speaking to The Indian Express, Upper Siang Deputy Commissioner Ashok Tajo said the project’s primary objective was to address China’s activities across the border. “We need to counter the Chinese dam, which is 50 km upstream from here… as a security measure, this dam is very important right now.”

He acknowledged that the project had struck an emotional chord. “…Naturally, there will be protests. There have also been shortcomings in the dissemination of information,” he said.