98 households in Riew village back 11,000 MW Siang hydropower project
Riew is the second-largest village in the Siang belt, and the consenting households represent nearly 62% of its population.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Friday in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein.
Itanagar, July 25: In a significant boost to hydropower development in Arunachal Pradesh, 98 households from Riew village in Siang district have agreed to the pre-feasibility report (PFR) of the 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Friday in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, cabinet minister Ojing Tasing, Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta, Siang Deputy Commissioner P.N. Thungon, and local villagers.
Riew is the second-largest village in the Siang belt, and the consenting households represent nearly 62% of its population. Officials described the development as a major shift in public sentiment towards the mega-dam project, which had previously faced strong opposition.
Earlier this month, over 300 households from Riga—the largest village in the area and a former hub of resistance—also gave their consent to the project’s PFR, signaling growing community support for the initiative.
Welcoming the move, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the power portfolio, called it a significant milestone in the government’s transformative hydropower drive — a journey, he said, built on “dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect.”
"Being a democratic country with a people-friendly government, we believe in taking the people's confidence and making them equal partners in development. Through awareness, technical education and trust-building, we've brought communities onboard," he said.
The deputy chief minister further said the SUMP reflects the government's broader commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.
"From roads to hydropower, every project today echoes the vision of a #ViksitBharat. This MoU reaffirms that inclusive development is possible when the government and the people move forward together, not in opposition, but in understanding," he said.
The growing support for SUMP comes at a time when China has begun construction of a major dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, known downstream as the Brahmaputra, triggering fresh concerns in India and Bangladesh.
While Beijing has defended the project and attempted to allay fears, experts in India have warned of possible long-term implications for water security, water flow regulation, and ecological sustainability.
PTI