Arunachal Pradesh State Cabinet approves panel for survey of Siang mega dam

GUWAHATI

Amid protests, the Arunachal Pradesh State Cabinet on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) adopted a resolution approving the constitution of an Empowered High-Level Committee “to guide and coordinate” the pre-feasibility report survey and associated activities for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project or SUMP.

Villagers along the Siang River belt are resisting the pre-feasibility report for the project, which will generate an estimated 11,000 megawatts (MW) or more of hydroelectricity. Two of the project’s three designated sites are in Siang district, and one is in Upper Siang district.

The State Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, noted that the Union government had declared SUMP to be a national project in 2008, underlining its strategic significance for the country. It also noted that the project could strengthen water and energy security, help mitigate floods in the Siang-Brahmaputra basin, generate employment, and support long-term socio-economic development of the Siang region.

“The resolution reflects the State government’s continuing commitment to ensuring that the survey is carried out in a transparent, peaceful, and people-centric manner,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said.

The Cabinet underlined concerns raised by some sections of the people in Siang and Upper Siang districts “regarding misinformation and disinformation” being spread by certain vested interests. It resolved that conducting the pre-feasibility report peacefully depended on sustained, meaningful engagement with the residents of these two districts.

“The voices, welfare, and aspirations of the likely project-affected families and local communities have always been, and will always remain, central to the process,” the State Cabinet said.

Meanwhile, local authorities organised a series of interactive school exhibitions on the SUMP, involving 640 students across four schools in Siang district. “The exhibitions formed part of a targeted educational outreach initiative to foster awareness about river management, sustainable hydropower, and the SUMP among students in Rumgong, Kaying and Pessing villages that may be affected by the project,” an official statement said.

The Centre and State governments have defended the SUMP, insisting it was needed to counter the 60,000 MW project China is constructing on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.

The Yarlung Tsangpo flows into Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang, which meets two other rivers — Dibang and Lohit — to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.