Inside 11,200 MW Siang Dam row: Why India’s strategy against China’s water threat sparks protests in Arunachal
New Delhi: The proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh has become the centre of a growing dispute between the government and sections of the indigenous Adi community. While the Centre sees the dam as important for India’s water and energy security, local residents fear it could threaten their homes, farmland and cultural heritage.
The opposition intensified on October 23 when a bandh across Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts was followed by incidents of violence in Pasighat. According to police officials cited by PTI, a mob set fire to an NHPC office and a police station and vandalised the homes of three political leaders.
The Centre has since deployed additional Rapid Action Force personnel in the state. The unrest has brought renewed attention to a project that has both strategic significance for India and serious concerns for communities living along the Siang River.
What is Siang dam project?
The project is being developed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and is planned to generate around 11,200 MW of electricity. The proposed dam would be built on the Siang River, which flows from Tibet into Arunachal Pradesh before joining other rivers to form the Brahmaputra.
The project is also linked to India’s concerns about China’s planned hydropower development on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. China began construction of its massive project in July 2025 with a proposed capacity of around 60,000 MW.
India sees the Siang project as a possible way to store water, manage sudden changes in river flow and strengthen electricity generation. However, the extent to which it could protect downstream areas from changes caused by China’s upstream activities remains a matter of assessment.
Why are local communities opposing it?
Several groups, including the Adi Bane Kebang, Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum and SUMP-Affected Youth Association, have opposed the project. They fear the reservoir could submerge ancestral land, disrupt farming and other livelihoods, and damage the river ecosystem.
There are also concerns about building such a large structure in a seismically active Himalayan region. Protesters argue that allowing survey work to proceed could pave the way for construction before their concerns are properly addressed.
The Adi Bane Kebang has demanded that the project be scrapped and its Pre-Feasibility Report rejected. Protesters have also called for wider consultations through traditional community institutions.
Has dam received final approval?
No final construction approval is indicated in the information currently available. The ongoing pre-feasibility exercise is intended to examine whether the project is technically and geologically viable.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said the government would not move beyond the feasibility stage if experts found the project unsuitable. Any proposal would still require further assessments, statutory clearances and consultations with affected communities.
The dispute therefore centres on two competing concerns: India’s strategic and energy interests and the Adi community’s demand to protect its land, livelihoods and way of life.