Itanagar: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said no decision on the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project would be imposed on Arunachal Pradesh’s people.Speaking at Arunachal Pradesh University in Pasighat, East Siang district, Rijiju addressed concerns over the contested Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) for the project and stressed the need for public consensus.He said India was a democracy and that decisions would be taken according to the people’s wishes. The remarks came amid concerns over possible displacement, cultural loss and ecological changes in the Siang basin.The proposed 11,000-MW project on Siang river is to be executed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). It is planned with more than 9 billion cubic metres of storage for power generation, flood control and regulation of river flows downstream in Assam and Bangladesh. The project is also viewed as a countermeasure to dam-building on Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.The project has faced opposition from indigenous communities, particularly members of the Adi and Galo tribes. Local forums and village elders have raised concerns over the submergence of ancestral land, environmental changes and possible displacement. Protests in several villages in recent months have also called for transparent consultations and detailed environmental assessments before ground surveys.Rijiju said residents were primary stakeholders in the project. Officials involved in the dialogue said outreach would focus on compensation, rehabilitation and protection of indigenous heritage.Early survey memoranda of understanding have reportedly been signed with some village bodies, while wider consultations are expected to continue.
