Itanagar, March 27: The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) and the Indigenous Rights Advocacy Dibang (IRAD) have stated that they will initiate protests if the 10,000 MW hydropower project on the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh is not scrapped.
The farmers’ organizations accused the State Government of entering into an agreement with the National Hydropower Power Corporation (NHPC) for the mega-dam without consulting the local people.
SIFF president, Tasik Pangkam, highlighted that the Adi community in the Siang River area would never agree to the mega project as it would put their existence at risk and render them landless.
He cited the example of the Chakma and Hajong people who were displaced by the Kaptai Hydroelectric Project in present-day Bangladesh in the 1960s and were forced to take refuge in India.
“Apart from submerging villages downstream and displacing the tribal people in Arunachal Pradesh, the 10,000 MW project will affect neighbouring Assam irreversibly. We have been fighting against mega dams for 13 years and will not give up easily,” Pangkam stated.
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