Guwahati: Dibang Valley on Monday expressed solidarity with Siang Valley, with residents of both regions voicing concerns over the environmental and social impact of the 2,880 MW Dibang Multipurpose Project under construction as well as the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).Led by the Dibang Adi Students Union (DASU), a solidarity rally was held in Roing, where participants raised the slogan “NHPC Go Back”. The rally highlighted growing indigenous resistance over land rights, ecological protection and the future of coming generations.National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC Limited) is the executing agency for both projects.The rally covered around 2 km in Roing, the headquarters of Lower Dibang Valley district. It was held amid growing opposition to the SUMP, even before the project’s pre-feasibility study could begin. It also brought into focus concerns over the under-construction Dibang Multipurpose Project, a mega dam.Following the rally, DASU submitted an 11-point memorandum to chief minister Pema Khandu through the Lower Dibang Valley deputy commissioner, seeking urgent intervention to address the situation in Siang Valley.The student body demanded the immediate release of people arrested or detained in connection with the SUMP issue, the withdrawal of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel deployed in Siang Valley, and the withdrawal of FIRs and other cases registered against protesters in accordance with the law.It also sought special consideration for arrested students and minors, urging the authorities to review their detention and take legal steps for their release wherever permissible.“We are particularly concerned that students have their upcoming examinations, and their continued detention may seriously disrupt their education, academic preparation and future,” the memorandum said.“The prevailing situation in the Siang Valley has raised serious concerns among indigenous communities, particularly regarding the protection of ancestral land, customary rights, cultural identity, public sentiment and the future of coming generations,” DASU president Milik Apum and general secretary James Modi said in the memorandum.Political leader from the Siang region Tamat Gamoh, who joined the rally, expressed opposition to the Dibang dam. “The Adi society groomed on their ancestral land where they cultivated and lived. We want to protect that land and do not want a mega dam. We are not begging,” he said.DASU president Apum also raised concerns over the lack of progress on a proposed guide bund along Dibang river. The structure is intended to stabilise the riverbanks and protect more than 22 downstream villages.“People in around 22 villages along Dibang are worried as no instruction is known regarding the guide bandh yet,” Apum said.Arunachal Pradesh deputy chief minister Chowna Mein had earlier described the Dibang Multipurpose Project as being of immense strategic and developmental importance to the state, saying it would boost power generation capacity and contribute to overall socio-economic growth.
