OUR CORRESPONDENT
Itanagar: Several anti-dam groups staged a protest rally in Dite Dime in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang district on Saturday. The groups were protesting against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a massive hydropower project spearheaded by the power giant, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
Holding placards and banners, hundreds of protestors shouted anti-government and anti-NHPC slogans. The government and the NHPC is facing stiff opposition from local communities over the proposed dam.
On Friday, residents of Parong village in the district lodged a complaint against NHPC and the state government for issuing a notice for conducting a survey on the sites of the proposed dam. Writing to Siang Superintendent of Police, the residents under the aegis of Parong Baane Kebang claimed that the carrying out of survey was ‘in violation of the sentiments and against the consent of the affected public by the proposed dam’.
It also claimed that it was a contempt of the court vide order no 06/09/2022 of the POL 10/2014 passed by the High Court.
In the letter, the villagers while demanding FIR against NHPC and the executing agencies for forcefully conducting the survey against their constitutional and legal rights, citing the official minutes of the meetings with Upper Siang and Siang deputy commissioners with affected gram sabha members, gaon buras, Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum and the general public claimed that they had unanimously rejected the survey or PFR of the proposed project.
In anticipation of law and order, and other problems, Siang deputy commissioner P N Thungon issued an official order warning local leaders and government officials of stern action. In a widely circulated order, the DC instructed head gaon buras, gaon buras and panchayat leaders and government servants to refrain from participating in any meetings that are anti-government and anti-development in nature. Thungon said he issued the order after getting inputs from social media platforms, and in anticipation of a law and order problem. He said he has deputed officials to keep him updated on the issue but nothing has been shared by the officials. “I was informed that the anti-dam groups were staging a peaceful dharna. If it’s a peaceful dharna, I would have allowed and even provided security,” Thungon said. He, however, maintained that government employees, gaon buras and panchayat leaders participating in such an event will be strongly dealt with.
The DC said he will terminate gaon buras and remove panchayat leaders participating in the dharna. The SUMP project will generate 12,500 MW of electricity and is seen by the government and the NHPC as a significant step towards enhancing the region’s infrastructure and economy. However, for the local Adi communities, the project is a threat to their land, environment and way of life.
Several local leaders and residents have consistently voiced their opposition to the project, citing concerns over displacement, environmental degradation, and the violation of their rights. The current standoff in Siang is likely to escalate as both sides are unwilling to give up.
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