Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has frozen progress on the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. He confirmed that neither the state nor the central government has moved forward with building the dam. Public consent is now mandatory for any future action.
Khandu addressed the Adi community to quell mounting anxiety. The government is currently only drafting a Pre-Feasibility Report to analyze project viability and environmental impact. Officials aim to examine alternatives for the river region. "Let me be clear. We are not talking about dam construction at this stage," the Chief Minister said.
The project, designated a National Project by the Union Cabinet on February 7, 2008, sits among 16 similar developments nationwide. Tensions rose following reports of China launching dam work on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Medog County on July 19, 2025. This site sits just 40 kilometers from the Indian border. About 65 percent of the Aane Siang water comes from China, leaving local areas prone to sudden floods or winter droughts.
Khandu claims the feasibility study acts as a risk assessment tool. The data could help manage ecological flows in the Siang River and the Brahmaputra. Any future move must adhere to the 2013 Land Acquisition Act and the 1986 Environment Protection Act. The Chief Minister dismissed rumors of forced land displacement as misinformation. He promised a clear roadmap and discouraged violent protests, noting that blockades and attacks hurt local residents. He praised groups working to keep the peace and urged community members to join the dialogue. "Let us find the truth together and decide together, for Aane Siang, for our land and for our future generations," he said.
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