Arunachal Siang Dam Protests Turn Violent, NHPC Office, Police Station Set Ablaze After 12-Hour Bandh

Itanagar: Protests against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh escalated into violence on Friday, with protesters allegedly setting fire to a National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) office and a police station in Pasighat, and vandalising the residences of political leaders. The unrest followed a 12-hour bandh called by organisations opposing the proposed hydropower project.

Several police personnel were injured after protesters allegedly pelted security forces with stones, officials said. The violence came amid mounting opposition from indigenous Adi community groups, who have demanded an immediate halt to survey work, the withdrawal of central security forces from the region and the release of detained activists.

According to The Tribune, the arson and vandalism took place around 11 pm on Friday, after the bandh had ended. The residences of Arunachal Pradesh BJP president Kaling Moyong and Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering were among the properties reportedly targeted. The office of the Adi Bane Kebang, the apex body of the Adi community, was also ransacked.

The East Siang district administration subsequently imposed restrictions on public gatherings and processions in Pasighat, Mebo and Ruksin to prevent further violence, The New Indian Express reported.

Police Use Tear Gas As Protesters Clash With Security Forces

The 12-hour bandh on October 23 was observed across Siang, Upper Siang and parts of East Siang districts following calls by groups opposing the proposed project. The organisations included Adi Bane Kebang United, the SUMP Affected Area Youth Association, the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum Youth Wing and the Adi Galo Welfare Society.

According to India Today, at least four women were injured during clashes at Dite-Dime near Geku in Siang district, where police fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters.

The demonstrators were demanding the release of detained activists, the reinstatement of suspended gaon buras (village headmen), the withdrawal of security personnel deployed in the region and a halt to pre-feasibility activities for the project.

The situation escalated later in Pasighat, where protesters allegedly targeted public infrastructure, police vehicles and the residences of political leaders. Police said several personnel were injured in stone-pelting during the unrest.

The violence marked a further escalation in the standoff between the authorities and local groups, which have opposed even the preliminary survey work required to assess the feasibility of the proposed dam.

Why Indigenous Adi Communities Oppose The Siang Dam

The proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is planned on the Siang River, part of the Brahmaputra river system, in Arunachal Pradesh. With a proposed capacity of around 11,200 MW, the project is among the major hydropower proposals in the region.

The state and central governments have promoted the project for its potential to generate electricity and as a strategic measure amid concerns over China's upstream dam-building plans on the Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows into India as the Siang and subsequently forms part of the Brahmaputra system.

However, sections of the indigenous Adi community have strongly opposed the project, citing fears over displacement, loss of ancestral land, damage to agricultural livelihoods and the erosion of cultural traditions linked to the river.

According to reports by The Indian Express and Mongabay India, resistance has extended to the pre-feasibility report (PFR) surveys, which residents fear could pave the way for the eventual construction of the dam.

The region's seismic vulnerability has also raised concerns about the environmental and safety implications of a large dam in the eastern Himalayas. Community groups have further questioned whether affected residents have been adequately consulted before survey activities began.

Arrests, Security Deployment Fuel Opposition

Opposition to the project intensified in September and October after police and central security personnel were deployed to facilitate preliminary survey work in villages in the Siang region.

Residents and activists have objected to the presence of security forces, with some describing the deployment as an attempt to impose the survey process on unwilling communities.

Organisations leading the protests have also demanded the release of detained activists and the withdrawal of cases against demonstrators. Some activists have reportedly faced preventive detention and action under state laws.

According to Mongabay India, residents have repeatedly blocked efforts to conduct the PFR study, arguing that their opposition is not limited to the survey itself but extends to the proposed dam.

The October 23 bandh was organised against this backdrop of growing distrust between local communities and the authorities over the project's future.

Pema Khandu Invites Protesters For Talks, Says Project At Survey Stage

Amid the escalating unrest, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has condemned the violence and invited community organisations and other stakeholders for discussions on the project.

Khandu has maintained that the project remains at the pre-feasibility report stage and said the government is willing to discuss its potential benefits, possible adverse impacts and the concerns raised by local communities. He has also urged residents to seek clarification directly from the government and resolve differences through dialogue.