Protests surrounding the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project escalated sharply on Wednesday in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district, marked by violent confrontations between demonstrators and security forces, road blockades, extensive property damage, and the vandalisation of local MLA Alo Libang's residence. The unrest erupted in Yingkiong precisely as Chief Minister Pema Khandu was visiting the district, disrupting the movement of several ministers and administrative officials across the area.
Roads Blockaded and Ministerial Movement Restricted
Agitators threw transit systems across the district into disarray by setting up blockades along vital stretches, including the Yingkiong-Komkar-Geku road and adjoining transit corridors leading toward Dite Dime. At the Grand Siang Hotel, massive crowds gathered to halt high-level government functionaries from proceeding to an official engagement. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Cabinet ministers Ojing Tasing and Nyato Dukam, along with Chief Minister's adviser Ninong Ering, were prevented from attending Khandu's scheduled consultation with administrative officials and community representatives.
Vehicle Set Ablaze as Clashes Erupt Near Market Area
Demonstrators held placards featuring slogans such as "No PFR, No Survey" and "Go Back CM", openly questioning why administrative leadership opted for structured official briefings rather than engaging in direct, grassroots dialogue with the indigenous populations facing potential displacement. The standoff took a critical turn when security personnel intercepted a large rally marching from the general ground toward the lower market. The intervention prompted immediate physical clashes between protesters and police forces. Near the Dite Dime bridge, a police vehicle was torched, while multiple other government vehicles stationed across various points were attacked and damaged.
Rising Tensions Following Recent Detentions at Geku
The outbreak of violence marks an intensifying friction between local inhabitants and administrative security infrastructure in the valley. Just two days prior, on September 28, clashes had broken out between villagers and Central Armed Police Forces personnel at Geku, an encounter that ended in the brief administrative detention of four individuals. Demonstrators continue to push for an immediate cessation of all ongoing Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) activities and field survey operations along the Siang River, alongside demanding the prompt withdrawal of armed security deployments stationed in territories potentially impacted by the project.
Government Assessment and Downstream Concerns Raised in Assam
Defending the initiative, the state administration maintains that the 11,000 MW installation is conceived to stimulate regional socio-economic growth, unlock employment and self-employment avenues for local youth, and consolidate critical energy and water security. During his administrative engagements, Khandu drew attention to the divergent water management problems confronting the territory, including sudden downstream surges resulting from upstream river flows and severe water depletion during dry spells, underlining the necessity of balanced hydrological planning. He reiterated that PFR operations represent purely preliminary technical assessments rather than formal construction clearance, promising that the project will not proceed if proven unviable or against the broader public mandate. Concurrently, regional concerns have expanded downstream into neighboring Assam, where senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia formally appealed for President Droupadi Murmu's intervention, seeking an exhaustive appraisal of how the massive reservoir could influence Assam's downstream ecological stability, floodplain safety, and local communities.
