Urgent Appeal: Civil Societies Plead with President to Cease Troop Deployment at Siang Dam Site

Over 100 civil society and environmental groups have urged President Droupadi Murmu to withdraw paramilitary forces deployed in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang Valley, where a pre-feasibility survey for an 11,000-megawatt hydropower dam is underway. The Upper Siang Hydropower Project, seen as a strategic counter to China’s 60,000 MW dam on the Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, is facing opposition from the local Adi tribe due to fears of displacement and environmental damage.

Arunachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Pema Khandu assured that the project would not move forward without local consent, yet the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces prompted peaceful protests in the region. The opposition groups noted that India, as a signatory to international conventions, is committed to safeguarding indigenous rights and biodiversity, emphasizing that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples supports their stance against the project.

Environmental concerns highlighted by the groups include increased disaster risks associated with hydropower dams in the already vulnerable Himalayan region. Past events, such as the 2013 Uttarakhand floods and the 2021 Chamoli avalanche, demonstrate the potential hazards, including the destruction of infrastructure and loss of lives. The groups claim recent scientific studies, including a NASA projection, underscore the growing threat of landslides due to such projects.

The civil society organizations argue the need for India to reassess its hydropower strategies, citing reduced river discharge and recurring delays in mega projects like the Subansiri Lower Hydropower Project as indicators of financial inefficacies and risks. They warn that these developments place additional burden on the public funds and call for responsible decision-making in light of the rapidly changing climatic conditions in the region.

Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/arunachal-pradesh/story/arunachal-civil-society-organisations-urge-president-to-withdraw-troops-from-siang-dam-site-1141226-2024-12-20?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2024-12-20 22:51:00