Arunachal Pradesh: Scientists, researchers call for suspending Siang Valley dam construction

A collective of 114 scientists, researchers and practitioners on Monday called for suspending all construction, surveys and pre-clearance activities related to the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh, citing its ecological, cultural, and socio-political risks.

The Siang river flows into Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet, and is the main tributary of the Brahmaputra. The river is the site of the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, touted to be India’s largest dam.

Residents of the region have been opposing the project for several years. Members of the Adi tribe, who live in the Siang basin, claim that the project poses a threat to their lands and their way of life.

In a statement on Monday, the collective said that the resistance to the project by the communities in the region reflected “a grounded understanding of the ecological, cultural, and socio-political risks” that it entailed.

The statement noted that the Siang river, also known as ‘Ane’ or Mother Siang, was sacred and central to the cultural identity and livelihoods of the Adi tribe.

“Hydropower construction involving tunnelling, road blasting, and reservoir formation would disrupt the relationship the Adi people have with Ane Siang,” it said.

The collective said that in the past, displacement often led to long-term socio-economic disruption, and compensation mechanisms rarely...

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