Arunachal: Students' body seeks Khandu's intervention over Siang power project

Itanagar, Aug 26 (PTI) The Adi Students' Union (AdiSU) has sought Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu's intervention for the removal of paramilitary forces deployed in Siang and Upper Siang districts for a pre-feasibility report (PFR) for a major hydropower project.

In a memorandum submitted to the chief minister on Monday, AdiSU said the deployment of paramilitary personnel for PFR for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) has been undertaken without proper consultation with the project-affected villagers, and it has caused panic and unrest.

The students' body alleged that there has been illegal encroachment on government school premises in Boleng, Pangin, Kaying and Pessing, and opposed the suspension of several gaon burahs (GBs) and head gaon burahs (HGBs).

The organisation demanded the withdrawal of paramilitary forces, eviction of encroachers from school land, revocation of suspension orders against GBs and HGBs, and suspension of PFR activities until residents of the 31 affected villages were consulted.

It threatened to launch a democratic agitation within 15 days if the issues remained unresolved.

The SUMP, with a proposed capacity of 11,000 MW, is a run-of-the-river project on the Siang River. It was originally conceived by the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) in 2009. The project is envisioned not just as a power generator but also as a critical tool for irrigation and flood moderation.

The reservoir, if built to full scale, would be among the largest in the country, with a storage capacity of nearly 9 billion cubic metres.

Community support for the project has been steadily growing, with a fresh wave of village-level MoUs reflecting confidence in the project's potential to protect lives, livelihoods and the future of the region, officials claimed. PTI UPL UPL ACD