Arunachal anti-dam fury spreads, NHPC office vandalised as violence erupts again

Two days after violent protests against the proposed Siang dam project in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh’s anti-dam movement gathered fresh momentum on Monday (October 26), as a bandh in Upper Subansiri district turned violent, with protesters setting a vehicle on fire, damaging a police vehicle and vandalising an NHPC-rented office.

The violence occurred during a 12-hour bandh called by the All Tagin Students’ Union (ATSU), other student organisations and land-affected forums, which are demanding the permanent withdrawal of the proposed 1,605-MW Subansiri Upper Hydroelectric Project (SUHEP), popularly known as the Menga Dam.

Unrest disrupts life, hearing cancelled

The shutdown, which began at 5 am, disrupted normal life, affecting markets, commercial establishments and public transport. Protesters blocked roads, burnt tyres and damaged vehicles. A police vehicle was reportedly attacked and overturned, while electronic equipment, computer peripherals and surveying instruments at an NHPC-related office in Daporijo were damaged or burnt.

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Police constable Hibu Lasha, a driver attached to Daporijo Police Station, sustained injuries. The extent of the damage and the circumstances surrounding individual incidents had not been independently established at the time of writing.

The unrest also led to the cancellation of a public hearing scheduled in connection with the proposed project, dealing another setback to the consultation process amid sustained opposition from sections of the local community.

The bandh was organised by the ATSU in coordination with the Daporijo Students’ Union, SINALITASU, Taliha Students’ Union, Dumporijo Students’ Union, land-affected forums and other community groups.

The organisations are demanding the permanent withdrawal of the project, an explanation from the district administration over alleged police action at the residence of ATSU president Tadak Pakba on October 24, and resolution of demands raised during an earlier indefinite bandh.

Fears of displacement fuel opposition

The protesters alleged that police searched Pakba’s residence late on October 24 and attempted to detain him. The organisations have sought an explanation from the administration over the incident.

“We will not allow our ancestral lands to be submerged for corporate profits. The police high-handedness will only strengthen our resolves,” Pakba said.

The proposed project, being pursued by NHPC Limited, is planned near Menga, about 20 km from Daporijo in Upper Subansiri district. The run-of-the-river project envisages a 237-metre-high dam, measured from the deepest foundation level, for power generation and flood moderation.

The opposition centres on fears of displacement, environmental damage, loss of ancestral land and threats to indigenous livelihoods. Residents of Taliha have also opposed the land acquisition process, with protesters closing the Tajina Bridge and restricting the movement of vehicles and officials.

A project-related social impact assessment estimates the affected area at 2,733 hectares, including a reservoir surface area of 2,417.5 hectares to be submerged at 472 metres. Based on the 2011 Census, it records 5,131 people across 972 households in the submergence area. Villages listed as affected or submerged include Redding, Horo, Lablemoring, Upper Ngaba and Lower Ngaba in the Taliha and Gusar circles.

Forest loss raises biodiversity concerns

The Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee recommended environmental clearance but flagged the need to divert 2,733 hectares of forest land and fell about 1,35,733 trees. It warned that the loss could affect forest structure, habitat continuity, biodiversity, wildlife movement and ecosystem services, and called for a site-specific, time-bound ecosystem restoration and biodiversity management plan.

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Compensatory afforestation has been proposed over about 5,466 hectares of degraded forest land spread across 14 districts of Madhya Pradesh.

At a public hearing in Daporijo on March 24, NHPC general manager Ratan Sagar said the project would generate employment, strengthen market and supply linkages, support corporate social responsibility initiatives and contribute to state revenue. Officials had said a majority of stakeholders, including affected families, supported the project at the hearing.

The latest unrest comes amid a widening anti-dam movement in Arunachal Pradesh. On October 24, a 12-hour bandh in Pasighat against the proposed 11,000-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) was also marked by violence and arson.

In connection with the October 23 incidents in Pasighat, the East Siang district superintendent of police said eight cases had been registered. Police had arrested 26 people, including five juveniles, and detained six others for questioning. The investigation was continuing.

The Centre deployed two companies of the Rapid Action Force to Pasighat following the violence.

CM Khandu calls for dialogue, calm

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has appealed for calm and dialogue in the wake of the anti-dam agitation. Referring to SUMP, he said the government was open to discussions with organisations, associations and other stakeholders. He also stressed that the preliminary feasibility report was the immediate requirement and that no final decision on construction should precede the prescribed technical and legal processes.

“Until and unless we are satisfied, this project cannot go ahead,” Khandu said, adding that affected people would have an opportunity to raise their concerns.

The Siang project has a separate strategic dimension, with the Centre arguing that the proposed dam could help store water and maintain flow into the Brahmaputra amid concerns over China’s proposed upstream dam in Tibet. This is the government’s stated rationale for SUMP and does not establish any foreign involvement in the protests.

Student organisations opposing the Menga Dam have warned of further agitation if their demands are not addressed. Monday’s violence has added to the pressure on the Pema Khandu government to resolve the dispute over the project, land acquisition and the alleged police action against the ATSU president.

Scientists warn of ecological damage

In 2025, a group of 114 scientists, researchers and practitioners called for an immediate halt to all construction, surveys and pre-clearance activities related to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). They argued that opposition from local communities reflected concerns over the project’s ecological, cultural and socio-political impact.

The group warned that the project could threaten the Adi community’s traditional terraced wet-rice cultivation, disrupt irrigation, destroy farmland and erode traditional ecological knowledge. They also flagged the risks associated with the project’s location in a high-seismic zone. Citing the experience of projects such as Lower Subansiri, they argued that monetary compensation could not make up for losses of cultural identity and traditional livelihoods.

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Independent writer Neha Desai, based in Arunachal Pradesh, has described the renewed anti-dam movement as a struggle extending beyond environmental concerns. She has highlighted the conflict over land rights, indigenous institutions, perceptions of risk and the right to decide the future of the state’s rivers. She has also noted that Adi communities have mobilised their traditional governance systems and customary decision-making mechanisms in response to the proposed project.

Human rights lawyer and long-time anti-dam activist Ebo Mili has questioned the use of the perceived threat from China to justify the Siang project. He has advocated a water-sharing treaty between India and China as an alternative to large-scale dam construction, arguing that a substantial portion of the Siang’s water originates from glacial sources within Indian territory. Mili and other activists have faced detentions and restrictions while campaigning against the project.