Strong protests have erupted in the Indian border state of Arunachal Pradesh against a proposed “multi-purpose project” envisioned as the country’s response to China’s plan to construct the world’s largest dam in Tibet on the same river.

India plans to build the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) on the Siang River. The hydropower project will have an installed capacity of 11,000 megawatts. A reservoir capable of storing 9 billion cubic meters of water is expected to regulate the flow of the river to ensure a constant flow even during dry seasons. It is also envisaged as a buffer in case of excess and sudden water releases from dams in China; the idea is that SUMP would prevent flooding in the downstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India, and also Bangladesh.

However, locals are opposed to the project. On December 15, thousands of people peacefully protested in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang and Upper Siang districts. The immediate cause of the protest was the government’s decision to deploy central and state armed police forces ahead of a pre-feasibility survey for the project.

The protests have intensified as a section of the local population believes that the feasibility survey is being conducted

© The Diplomat