Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: The Adi Bane Kebang-United, the leading body for the Adi community, wants the Arunachal Pradesh government to scrap the proposed 11,000-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. The group fears mass displacement, destruction of ancestral lands, and permanent damage to local heritage. They formally requested a halt to all planning activities in a memorandum sent to Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday.
ABK-U president Thomas Borang announced the opposition at a Tuesday press conference in Itanagar. The group rejects the state government using national interest as a shield for the project. Borang claimed officials used bribes like fruit gardens and poultry farms to trick locals into signing agreements. He stated: "Ultimately, it is a national project, but the public is the owner. It is the land's owner. It is very important to take them on board."
This push follows a September 16 meeting in Geku where the community voted to stop the project. Beyond the cancellation of the dam, the group demands the government withdraw Central Armed Police Forces and local police from Siang and Upper Siang. They also want the state to reinstate village heads suspended for protesting the development.
The project threatens major sites. Yingkiong and Geku face potential submergence. The community warned that the mega-dam poses severe seismic and ecological risks to the Himalayan region. Despite the friction, Khandu insists the project serves national needs. The Chief Minister promised to hold more awareness programs and said the government remains open to further discussions with locals.
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