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NHRC Demands Answers Over Siang Dam Protests in Arunachal

The commission has ordered a detailed reply from senior state officials including the chief secretary and the police chief after security forces were deployed to address community resistance to the dam’s threat to local livelihoods.

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NHRC cited a media report of May 23 on a protest by 400 people led by human rights activist and convenor of the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum against the dam construction in Beging village. (FILE PHOTO)

Overview

  • On June 2, the National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognizance of media reports and issued notices to Arunachal Pradesh’s chief secretary and police chief, setting a two-week deadline for a detailed report.
  • Protests erupted on May 23 after the state signed an MoU for a preliminary feasibility study of the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, drawing around 400 villagers to a rally in Beging village.
  • Locals oppose the dam over fears it will displace communities, disrupt fisheries and harm the district’s fragile ecology.
  • Central armed forces have been deployed across Siang district to contain unrest and secure areas identified for initial surveys.
  • The Arunachal Pradesh government defends the project as a strategic countermeasure to China’s proposed 60,000 MW Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower plans.