Arunachal’s 11,200-MW Hydropower Project Faces Growing Opposition Amid China Concerns

Arunachal’s Mega Siang Dam Faces Renewed Protests as China’s Hydropower Expansion Raises Security Concerns

The proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh is facing renewed opposition from indigenous communities, with fresh arrests and demonstrations intensifying the standoff over the controversial hydropower initiative. While the Centre and the state government view the project as strategically significant amid China’s expanding dam infrastructure upstream, members of the Adi community fear displacement, loss of ancestral land and threats to their traditional way of life.

The latest round of protests erupted after four demonstrators were detained on October 14 under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014. Residents took to the streets in Geku in Upper Siang district, demanding their release. The Youth Wing of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) also called for a boycott of government consultations on the proposed project.

The developments follow the deployment of security personnel to the Ugeng-Komkar area of the Siang valley in September to facilitate surveys and drilling for the project’s pre-feasibility report. Instead of easing tensions, the security presence and subsequent detentions have heightened anxiety among local residents.

The confrontation has been building for weeks. During Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s visit in late September, protesters attacked a local MLA’s residence and set a police vehicle on fire. Further clashes broke out on October 4 amid allegations of arson by demonstrators and excessive force by security personnel.

Amid the escalating tensions, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on October 8 appealed for dialogue with senior members of the Adi community, stressing that discussions were necessary to resolve the dispute and move forward.

Political debate over the Siang project

The controversy has exposed changing political positions on large hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh. In August 2010, anti-dam campaigner Ojing Tasing, then chairman of the Siang Peoples’ Forum, met the UPA government’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in New Delhi and demanded that hydropower projects in the Siang basin be scrapped.

The subsequent consultations highlighted disagreements over whether the projects were necessary for India’s strategic interests. Some activists cautioned against turning Arunachal Pradesh into a battleground for the country’s competition with China.

In 2012, former BJP MP Tarun Vijay also questioned suggestions that China could be encouraging anti-dam protests. He argued that allegations of foreign interference should prompt the government to engage more seriously with local communities.

Narendra Modi, campaigning in Pasighat in February 2014 before becoming Prime Minister, had also acknowledged local opposition to large dams and spoken about developing smaller hydropower projects while protecting the environment.

The current state government has adopted a different position. Chief Minister Pema Khandu, a key supporter of the Siang Upper project, said on September 21 that he had instructed the Chief Secretary to act against government employees opposing it.

Another notable political shift involves Ojing Tasing, who has since become Arunachal Pradesh’s Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister. Once a prominent opponent of the project, Tasing now argues that India needs its own dam infrastructure to guard against potential risks from China’s upstream activities.

“If we don’t construct our dam, what will be the impact on us if China uses its dam as a water bomb on India?” he has argued.

• Attempts to contact Tasing regarding his changed position were unsuccessful.
• China’s 60,000-MW project sharpens India’s concerns

The strategic argument surrounding the Siang project centres on China’s plans to harness the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet. The river enters India as the Siang before flowing through Assam as the Brahmaputra.

India’s plans to develop the hydropower potential of the Siang and Subansiri rivers date back to 1982. In 2002, India and China established a mechanism for sharing hydrological data during the flood season. However, China’s subsequent plans to expand hydropower generation upstream increasingly influenced India’s approach to the river basin.

In 2003, India launched a nationwide programme to develop 50,000 MW of hydropower, with around 27,000 MW proposed for Arunachal Pradesh. By 2011, the government was highlighting the strategic importance of harnessing the Brahmaputra’s waters as China developed projects upstream.

In 2017, NITI Aayog proposed combining the planned Siang Upper Stage-I and Stage-II projects into a single large storage facility. The proposal later evolved into the 11,200-MW project now at the centre of the protests.

China’s plans gained further momentum in December 2024, when Beijing approved a 60,000-MW hydropower project on the lower Yarlung Tsangpo. The project envisages five cascade hydropower stations along a stretch where the river descends nearly 2,000 metres over approximately 50 kilometres near the Indian border.

The scale of the proposed Chinese project has intensified concerns in India about potential changes in downstream water flows and the possibility of sudden releases. Supporters of the Siang dam argue that a major storage facility could strengthen India’s ability to manage water-related risks while meeting energy requirements.

However, experts have questioned whether constructing another large dam is the most appropriate response. Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, has argued that India should seek detailed information about China’s projects and push for joint impact assessments instead of proceeding without adequately addressing the concerns of its own citizens.

Adi community fears loss of land and heritage

For the Adi community, the Siang River is more than a potential source of electricity or a strategic resource. It is closely tied to ancestral land, traditional livelihoods, spiritual beliefs and collective identity.

Community affairs are traditionally addressed through a kebang, a council led by village elders. The Bogum Bokang Kebang, a larger council bringing together Adi clans to discuss issues of wider significance, convened at Geku in August 2025 after a gap of 25 years. The gathering opposed the proposed dam and the associated pre-feasibility studies.

According to SIFF, the proposed reservoir could submerge 27 villages, affect dozens more and displace between 1 lakh and 1.5 lakh indigenous people.

The anticipated impact extends beyond the loss of homes. Paddy fields, fertile agricultural land, jhum cultivation areas, orchards and other sources of livelihood could also be affected. For many Adis, the land and river carry deep cultural and spiritual significance, linked to Abo Tani, regarded as their primordial ancestor, and Ane Siang, a maternal figure central to their identity.

A veteran energy researcher familiar with the community has said that fears of losing traditional ways of life and the right to self-determination are central to the opposition, alongside environmental and seismic concerns.

A former member of the Adi Students’ Union has raised broader questions about the project, including who bears the cost of national security, who decides what development should mean and whether a river can be harnessed on such a scale without fundamentally changing the lives of the people who depend on it.

Siang project: A timeline of key developments

1982: The Brahmaputra Board proposes a dam on the Siang.

1990s: Proposals emerge for upper, middle and lower Siang dams.

2008: The 9,500-MW Siang Upper project is declared a National Project.

2009: NHPC divides the project into two stages of 6,000 MW and 3,750 MW to reduce submergence.

2017: NITI Aayog proposes consolidating the two stages into a single 10,000-MW project.

2025: The state government pushes for memorandums of understanding with local communities as opposition continues.

2026: Protests intensify as security personnel are deployed to facilitate pre-feasibility surveys.

The dispute over the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project highlights the growing tension between India’s strategic and energy ambitions and the concerns of indigenous communities. While the government sees the proposed dam as a potential safeguard against risks arising from China’s upstream projects, residents continue to seek meaningful consultation, protection of their ancestral lands and a greater say in decisions that could transform their future.