Guwahati: Environmental activists and civil society representatives from Uttarakhand and Northeast India have accused the central government of creating a climate of fear over China’s dam on the Brahmaputra River to justify its own large-scale hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, activists urged the government to hold a dialogue with China to better understand the river’s hydrology before moving forward with the project.
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The proposed Siang Upper Multi-Purpose Project (SUMP) would involve building a 300-meter-high dam on the Siang River. This dam would submerge 27 villages and affect approximately 150,000 members of the Adi tribe.
The activists alleged that both the central and state governments are suppressing public dissent against the project’s Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) and have deployed thousands of paramilitary forces to assist the National Hydropower Corporation (NHPC Ltd) in its study.
“The Union and state governments are militarizing the entire region to prevent people from organizing protests,” said Bhanu Tarak, a lawyer and activist from Arunachal Pradesh.
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Tarak, who claims the state government has filed ten cases against her for organizing protests, advised the government to consult with China for accurate project information.
Another lawyer and protest leader, Ebo Mili, echoed these concerns. “The government is resorting to violent means to silence our protests,” he said, adding that state police have illegally detained him three times.
In December, 351 environmentalists, journalists, scientists, and civil society organizations sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to direct the government to withdraw security forces from the area.
The Siang region is a global biodiversity hotspot, particularly within the Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve. This area is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including many species found nowhere else. The Adi tribe regards the river as sacred, referring to it as ‘Ane,’ or ‘mother’ in their native language.