Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has reached out directly to the people protesting against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). In an open letter addressed to "my beloved Adi brothers" on Monday, November 2, he said no decision has been taken on building the 11,200 MW project and promised that every concern would be handled through dialogue. The letter came as several groups held demonstrations during a 36-hour bandh in Upper Siang district.
What Is the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project?
The SUMP is a proposed hydropower and water storage project on the Siang River, which is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and becomes the Brahmaputra after it flows into Assam. With a planned capacity of 11,200 MW, it would be one of the biggest hydropower projects in India. The Union Cabinet declared it a National Project on February 7, 2008, making it one of only 16 such projects in the country.
Right now, the project is at the stage of a pre-feasibility report (PFR), which is an early study of whether it can be built and how. The state government says this is only a first step and not a decision to build.
What Pema Khandu Said in His Letter
The Chief Minister's message was aimed at calming fears in the Adi community. "Your concerns will be addressed through open dialogue, transparency and meaningful public consultation," he wrote. He made it clear that "no decision has been made regarding construction of the Siang UMP" by either the Centre or the state, and that the government was not discussing dam construction at this stage.
Khandu admitted that conflicting versions of information had created fear and uncertainty among people. He said the state would move forward only with full regard for local aspirations and interests.
In a separate statement, he rejected claims that residents would be forcibly displaced. He said some people were spreading word that the decision had already been taken and that land would be acquired without consent. "None of this is true," he said. He also warned against violence, saying, "Violence can never be the answer," and that "no one is above the law."
The China Factor
Khandu explained why the state wants the project studied at all. He pointed out that China began building a massive dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Medog County, about 40 km from the Indian border, on July 19, 2025, without consulting India. Around 65% of the water in the Siang comes from across the border, he said, which leaves the valley exposed to sudden surges and to water shortages in dry winters.
India cannot control what happens upstream, he argued, but it can prepare on its own side. That is why, in his view, the SUMP "could be one of the options" to be explored scientifically and technically, to keep the ecological flow of the Siang and Brahmaputra steady.
Why Locals Are Protesting
Opposition comes mainly from sections of the indigenous Adi community. Their fears include the submergence of ancestral villages, displacement, loss of farmland and forests, and damage to a traditional way of life. Some have also raised questions about dam safety in a region prone to earthquakes.
The protests have turned violent at times. In late September and again on October 23, protesters set fire to an NHPC office and a police station in Pasighat, and vehicles and properties linked to political leaders were damaged. Security has since been tightened. On October 25, Khandu met legislators and community representatives separately to discuss the PFR, environmental concerns and national security.
The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee has demanded that the project be scrapped. It said no project should come "at the cost of indigenous communities' ancestral land, identity, culture and livelihood" and that the prior consent of affected people is essential.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Project | Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) |
| Capacity | 11,200 MW |
| River | Siang (Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, Brahmaputra in Assam) |
| Status | Pre-feasibility report stage; no decision on construction |
| National Project since | February 7, 2008 |
| Protest area | Upper Siang district, 36-hour bandh on November 2 |
| China's dam | Medog County, about 40 km from border, work began July 19, 2025 |
| Share of Siang flow from China | About 65% |
What It Means for People in the Northeast
The Siang debate touches two big concerns at once: the rights of indigenous communities over their land, and India's water security as China builds upstream. For families in Upper Siang, the question is whether they will lose homes and farms. For people downstream in Assam, the issue is how to guard against floods and dry-season shortages if upstream flows change.
The way this is handled will also shape India's wider clean energy plans, since large hydropower projects in the Northeast are part of the country's push to add non-fossil power capacity.
What Happens Next
The state government has promised public consultations before any decision, and Khandu has appealed to the Adi community to hold open discussions on the project. Whether protest groups accept the offer of talks will decide if tensions ease in the coming weeks. For now, the project stays on paper, with the pre-feasibility study as the only active step.
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