Thousands villagers protest against dam project in Upper Siang

0
160
Thousands villagers protest against dam project in Upper Siang

Itanagar: Hundreds of villagers on Saturday staged a protest in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh against the proposed 12,500 megawatt hydropower project in the frontier state.

Over 600 people joined the demonstration held in the district’s Geku village in opposition of the preliminary survey carried out for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.

The protestors raised slogans against state Chief Minister Pema Khandu and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

However, the protest was peaceful with no untoward incident being reported.

A total of three sites in the state’s Upper Siang and Siang districts have been proposed by NHPC for the project.

The NHPC is carrying out surveys at the proposed sites – one at Ugeng, another between Parong and Deging, and the third between Ditte-Dime and Geku.

The Adi community, represented by the SIFF, voiced concerns over the potential environmental and cultural impacts of the SUMP. “If the dam is constructed, the wet rice fields and several villages will be submerged, depriving us of our indigenous rights,” said Donggo Libang, general secretary of SIFF, during the demonstration.
Protesters, however, remain firm in their opposition, warning that the project could lead to mass displacement similar to the Chakma-Hajong refugee crisis.

Leave a reply

Secured By miniOrange
Visitors: 4342