“People are afraid,” says Gupu (name changed), a 29-year-old member of the Adi tribe living in the Siang Valley.
Residents of East Siang, Siang and Upper Siang districts have been opposing the proposed 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project for several days. They fear that villages could be submerged by the project’s reservoir and that their deep-rooted relationship with the river could be disrupted.
On Friday, anger during a 12-hour shutdown called to oppose the proposed dam escalated into violence.
The shutdown was called by the Siang Dam Affected Area Youth Association, the youth wing of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, the Adi Galo Welfare Society and Gen Z youths.
Police alleged that protesters vandalised property and damaged government assets after obtaining permission to hold a peaceful demonstration. Protesters allegedly set fire to an office of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) in Pasighat. Police vehicles parked at the Pasighat police station were also set ablaze.
Authorities further alleged that some members of the crowd vandalised the homes of Arunachal Pradesh BJP president Kaling Moyong, Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering and Mariyang-Geku MLA Oni Panyang.
Several people, including security personnel, were injured in clashes between police and protesters.
Organisations opposing the Siang River dam are now demanding the release of anti-dam activists and the withdrawal of security forces deployed in the Siang Valley for the project’s pre-feasibility study.
Mingkaing, a resident of Geku village in Upper Siang district, said the proposed project could severely affect the livelihoods of local communities.
“We are farmers. We cultivate crops and practise horticulture. If this multipurpose dam is built, it will have a major impact on us and cause significant losses. Our land will be submerged. Where will we live?” he asked.
An activist associated with Adi Bane Kebang-United, an organisation opposing the proposed project, said the reservoir could submerge riverside villages and fertile paddy fields.
This, the activist warned, could threaten the traditional livelihoods and food security of indigenous communities.
“If something goes wrong with the dam on the river, 35 villages could be submerged and more than 150,000 people could be displaced,” the activist said.
Residents are also concerned about the construction of such a large dam in a region considered highly vulnerable to environmental hazards and earthquakes.
Speaking at a press conference in Pasighat on Sunday, Inspector General of Police (Central Range) Hibu Tamang said police were taking action against those responsible for the violence.
“At least 15 people have been arrested. More arrests may follow,” he said.
According to Tamang, police have registered six cases relating to violence, arson and alleged attacks on police personnel and Central Armed Police Forces personnel.
He said a detailed investigation was underway to identify those allegedly responsible for instigating young protesters and establish their roles in the violence. Appropriate legal action would follow, he added.
Miding Mod, the public relations officer of East Siang district, told BBC News Hindi that some local residents had sought permission from the district administration to stage a peaceful sit-in against the proposed hydropower project.
The protesters had been permitted to demonstrate until 2 pm, he said. However, they remained at the site until the evening and blocked the national highway. After a long queue of vehicles formed on the highway, a magistrate ordered the crowd to disperse, Mod said.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu addressed the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project and the violence during the protests at a press conference on Saturday.
“ The right to peaceful protest is an important part of democracy. But the mob caused considerable property damage. The police station and the NHPC office were vandalised, and the homes of several elected representatives were also vandalised,” Khandu said.
Instead of resorting to violence, he urged protesters to raise questions and engage with the government.
“Rather than resorting to violence, ask us questions and talk to us,” he said.
The controversy surrounding the proposed project is unfolding against the backdrop of China’s plans to build what is expected to be the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet.
China is working on a plan for a massive 60,000-megawatt dam. The project has raised concerns in India and Bangladesh because of its potential implications for downstream communities and the environment.
The Arunachal Pradesh government says the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project would help control floods and counter the effects of the Chinese dam.
Khandu has maintained that a pre-feasibility report provides an initial assessment of a dam project’s technical viability and potential impacts. It does not constitute approval to begin construction, he has said.
If the project is found to be feasible, a social impact assessment and a detailed project report would be prepared to examine it more thoroughly.
Khandu has previously expressed concern about China’s mega dam project. In December 2024, he said the purpose of the Siang project was not limited to electricity generation. It was also proposed to maintain the river’s natural flow and reduce flood risks in the event of sudden water releases from China.
Scientists and environmental experts have also raised concerns about the proposed project.
In 2025, 114 scientists, researchers and experts called for construction, survey and approval-related activities associated with the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project to be suspended. They argued that the region is highly seismically sensitive and faces growing risks from climate change-related events, including glacial lake outburst floods, cloudbursts and landslides.
In November 2025, an analysis by Manipal University researcher and MP-IDSA’s Srotaswini Hazarika also highlighted potential environmental and climate risks associated with the project.
The analysis described the Siang region as highly vulnerable to earthquakes and susceptible to the effects of climate change, retreating glaciers and increasing risks of glacial lake outburst floods. It also warned that sudden floods and other events in the Himalayas could cause abrupt increases in water flow and sediment loads, creating additional challenges for a large reservoir.
China began construction of its planned mega dam in July 2025, when Chinese officials laid the foundation stone for what was described as the world’s largest hydropower project in the Tibetan region.
According to local media reports, Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over the ceremony marking the start of the project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River.
The river originates on the Tibetan Plateau and flows into India and Bangladesh. The project has faced criticism over concerns that it could have serious consequences for millions of people living downstream in India and Bangladesh, as well as for local Tibetan communities and the environment.
China, however, has said the project would prioritise ecological balance and promote local prosperity.
Several experts and Indian officials have expressed concerns that the dam could give China greater control over the flow of the Yarlung Tsangpo, including the ability to regulate or divert its waters. The river flows from Tibet through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam before entering Bangladesh, where it is known as the Jamuna. In India, it is known as the Siang and the Brahmaputra along different stretches.
A 2020 report by Australia-based think tank the Lowy Institute said, “Control over these rivers flowing through the Tibetan Plateau gives China significant leverage over India’s economy.”
In January 2025, a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs said India had conveyed its concerns to China about the effects of mega dams. New Delhi urged Beijing to ensure that the interests of downstream countries were not harmed and that transparency and consultation were maintained in such matters.
India subsequently began working on its own plan for a hydropower dam on the Siang River, with the stated objectives of protecting against sudden water releases from China’s proposed dam and reducing flood risks.
The violent protests and subsequent arrests have brought the conflict between the proposed project’s strategic objectives and the concerns of indigenous communities into sharper focus. While the state government presents the project as a measure to manage flood risks and address potential upstream developments in China, residents fear the loss of villages, agricultural land and traditional livelihoods in a region already exposed to seismic and climate-related hazards.
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