Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu on Tuesday identified hydropower as one of the state’s biggest opportunities for large-scale investment, saying projects with a combined capacity of around 19,000 MW were at various stages of development.Speaking at an official function in Pasighat, Khandu said Arunachal would continue to receive 12% of the power generated from its hydropower projects as free power. He added that the Centre had agreed to facilitate a 26% equity share for the state in such projects.With the state’s equity contribution estimated at around ₹15,000 crore, the Centre had agreed to support the investment, Khandu said.The 2,000-MW Lower Subansiri project is expected to be fully commissioned next year, he said, adding that it would generate both free power and equity-related returns for the state.On the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), Khandu said the immediate requirement was to conduct the Preliminary Feasibility Report (PFR), and that no final decision on construction could be taken before the prescribed technical and legal processes were completed.He said SUMP should not be viewed merely as a hydropower project, arguing that its primary purpose was to create a mechanism to address potential water-related risks and regulate water flows.After the PFR, the govt would undertake the required studies and public consultations, including the Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment, in accordance with the law, he said.Khandu said technical experts would have to address concerns raised by the public, while people in the affected areas would be given an opportunity to participate in the process.“Until and unless we are satisfied, this project cannot go ahead,” Khandu said, stressing the need for informed public participation and cautioning against misinformation.He said the state govt would keep its offices open for delegations and discussions, and invited representatives to make presentations and seek clarifications. The govt would also work to disseminate information about the project in the Adi language through social media, he said.Khandu described SUMP as a national project with strategic implications, pointing to Arunachal’s location along India’s international borders.He referred to possible risks linked to water diversion and sudden releases from upstream areas, while also highlighting the need for long-term measures to address recurring floods in the Siang belt. These issues would have to be examined by technical experts during the feasibility and subsequent assessment processes, he said.The chief minister reiterated that the immediate issue was the PFR, not an irreversible decision to construct the dam. He urged people to allow the technical process to establish the facts and then participate in the statutory consultations and decision-making process.
