‘No dam without protection’: Downstream committee ramps up Dibang dam protest

Sadiya, Aug 23: Opposition to the 2,880 MW Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley intensified on Saturday, as the Dibang Multipurpose Hydro Project Downstream Affected Area Committee (DMHPDAAC) raised strong objections in Sadiya.

The committee warned that the massive dam could pose serious risks to downstream areas in both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Convening a press conference, the Committee highlighted that areas such as Assam’s Sadiya and Dibang valley face direct threats of flooding, land erosion, and biodiversity loss.

The group alleged that both the central and state governments have ignored these concerns, treating the people of the affected areas as “third-class citizens”.

“Our demand is clear—no dam construction without flood protection, accountability, and genuine safeguards for the people who will suffer the consequences,” the Committee stated.

The Committee alleged that directives from the Roing Deputy Commissioner’s office attempted to curb their protests, forcing them to shift their press conference to Assam.

“Today we are treated like refugees. To safeguard our existence and assert our democratic rights, we are compelled to hold press conferences outside Arunachal,” members said.

They demanded the construction of a concrete embankment wall downstream as a flood mitigation measure in the project.

“Our rice fields, grasslands, and forests are threatened every monsoon. An embankment wall must be built, and independent climate change assessment agencies should evaluate the impact of upstream dams,” a member stressed.

The Committee further alleged that Rs 171 crore meant for downstream flood protection had been diverted to other districts such as Tawang instead of being used for the valley.

Accusing the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) of misleading local communities with false promises, DMHPDAAC leaders declared, “We are exhausted with NHPC’s fake assurances. Now we are prepared to face any situation against NHPC.”

They also noted that NHPC had already paid Rs 215 crore in compensation to the Arunachal Pradesh government, but claimed that the money has not reached the affected people of the Dibang Valley.

The Committee underlined the absence of flood control infrastructure, citing the example of the Ranganadi dam where no guide bunds were built downstream.

“If safety measures were ignored in Ranganadi, what guarantee is there that proper protections will be built for Dibang?” members asked.

NEEPCO has built a 68-metre concrete gravity dam on the Ranganadi River near Yazali in Arunachal Pradesh, around 65 km downstream.

The agitation against the proposed project has been ongoing for some time. On August 11, the committee set August 24 as the deadline for downstream protection work to begin, warning that any further delay could spark a massive region-wide democratic movement.

The stakes are high. The Rs 31,875-crore project, being executed by NHPC Limited near Munli village, will feature a 278-metre Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) dam—the tallest of its kind in India and, by some measures, the highest in the world.