3 hrs ago
Arunachal Minister Says Siang Project Must Balance Security and Local Welfare
Arunachal Pradesh is considering a very large dam and water project on the Siang River.
Minister Ojing Tasing says it could help protect India’s water and national security.
He also says the people who live nearby must be protected and consulted.
Some local residents oppose the project and want surveys and other early work to stop.
They worry that people could be displaced and that nature and their traditional way of life could be harmed.
They are also concerned about building a huge project in an earthquake-prone area.
The state says it will first study whether the project can work.
If it is feasible, more studies of its effects on people and the environment would follow.
Minister Ojing Tasing called the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project important for India’s water and national security.
Tasing said national interests and the welfare of affected communities must advance together through trust and consultation.
Local opponents have demanded an immediate halt to pre-feasibility activities and surveys, and the withdrawal of security forces from potentially affected areas.
Residents have raised concerns about displacement, ecological damage, threats to traditional ways of life and seismic risks.
The state says the project will not proceed based on a proposal alone; feasibility and, if warranted, further social and environmental assessments are required.
- Who
- Arunachal Pradesh Minister Ojing Tasing, the state government and local opponents of the project.
- What
- Debate over the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, including calls to stop pre-feasibility work and surveys.
- Where
- The Siang River region of Arunachal Pradesh, India.
- When
- Wednesday, October 7; the report does not specify a year.
- Why
- The government cites water and national security, including infrastructure development upstream in China; opponents cite potential displacement, ecological damage, effects on traditional life and seismic risks.
Project proponents and state government
Local opponents
Project’s purpose and value
Project proponents and state government
Tasing says the project is important for India’s water and national security. The state says it could support economic and social growth, jobs and energy security.
Local opponents
Local opponents have objected to the project and want pre-feasibility activities and surveys stopped.
Effects on communities and the environment
Project proponents and state government
Tasing says local rights, interests and well-being must be protected, and describes trust and consultation as central to the approach.
Local opponents
Residents fear displacement, ecological damage, disruption to traditional ways of life and risks from construction in a seismically active region.
Whether the project should proceed
Project proponents and state government
The state says it will not proceed if the pre-feasibility study finds the project technically unviable; further studies would follow if it is feasible.
Local opponents
Opponents are seeking an immediate stop to current project-related pre-feasibility work and surveys.
Key facts
- Project
- Siang Upper Multipurpose Project
- Proposed capacity
- 11,200 MW
- River
- The Siang, called the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and later the Brahmaputra
- Minister quoted
- Ojing Tasing, Arunachal Pradesh Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister
- Local opposition
- Opponents demand a halt to pre-feasibility activities and survey work, and withdrawal of security forces from potentially affected areas.
- State position
- The project will not proceed merely on the basis of a proposal; technical and statutory assessments must be completed.
- Next steps if feasible
- Further assessments, including social and environmental impact studies, would be undertaken.
Quotes
Ojing Tasing
Arunachal Pradesh Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister representing Pangin.
“The project is of immense significance for India’s water and national security. At a time when China is undertaking massive infrastructure development upstream, India must remain prepared to safeguard its strategic interests and ensure that our water resources can never become an instrument of pressure against our nation.”
theprint.in
“National interest and people’s welfare must move forward together. As we secure the nation’s future, it is equally our solemn responsibility to protect the rights, interests and well-being of every citizen and community affected by the project.”
theprint.in
Sources
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