Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, on a two-day visit to Siang and Upper Siang districts on March 20, underscored the strategic and ecological importance of the proposed Upper Siang Multipurpose Project.
Speaking to residents, he said that the project was the need of the hour considering China’s gigantic hydroelectric dam project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River.
Mein voiced grave concern regarding China’s massive $137 billion hydroelectric project, anticipated to produce 60,000 MW of electricity. He cautioned that a mega dam of such a magnitude had the potential to significantly cut the Siang River’s water flow, threatening aquatic life and impacting millions of lives in Assam and Bangladesh whose livelihoods and agriculture are supported by the Brahmaputra River.
He went on to warn that if tensions between India and China intensified, an abrupt flushing of water from the Chinese dam could unleash killing floods in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Such a catastrophe would cause heavy loss of human life and property, necessitating that India possesses its regulatory mechanism.
In response to these threats, Mein explained that the Government of India has come up with the Upper Siang Multipurpose Project, a dam that has the potential to produce 11,000 MW of electricity. He explained that aside from power generation, the main goals of the project are flood control and environmental security.
The dam would hold rainwater from Indian land during lean periods so that the Siang River does not dry up. Also, it would control the flow of water in the event of China’s sudden dam discharges from causing destructive floods downstream.
Mein called on the educated and influential sections of society to create awareness about the project’s advantage. He invited critics to air their views, promising that the government would not go ahead without the people’s agreement.
He also assured that the impacted communities would be given thorough rehabilitation in the form of modern villages with supporting infrastructure, double-lane roads along the Siang River, hospitals, schools, and just compensation.
To allay fears, Mein declared that a special committee has been constituted to address issues and ensure transparency in the project’s planning. He asked people to look at the long-term socio-economic advantages the project would bring to the state and the region.
The Deputy CM said this while speaking at a public meeting at Adi-Pasi Village and an interactive session with villagers at Simong Village in Upper Siang District. The visit also comprised the inauguration of the Mirem Batum Lingkang War Memorial, further affirming the government’s focus on both development and historic preservation in the area.
