Over 100 civil society organisations (CSOs) and environmental groups have appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to withdraw paramilitary forces deployed to facilitate a pre-feasibility survey for the proposed 11,000 MW Upper Siang Hydropower Project in Arunachal Pradesh. The groups argue that the project, located on the Siang River in the Upper Siang district, poses significant risks to the region’s biodiversity and the livelihoods of the indigenous Adi community. Protesters have raised concerns about displacement, environmental damage, and increased disaster vulnerability in the Himalayan region.
In their letter, the CSOs cited India’s commitments under international conventions, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which guarantees communities the right to consent on activities impacting their lands and resources. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has assured that the project will not proceed without local support. However, the recent deployment of Central Armed Police Forces has intensified peaceful protests in the valley.
The letter also highlighted past hydropower-related disasters, including the 2013 Uttarakhand floods and the 2023 glacial lake outburst in Sikkim, underscoring the risks of large-scale dam construction in the seismically sensitive Himalayan region.
