Arunachal Siang Dam Protest: Why 27 Villages Fear Losing Home

Why is Arunachal Pradesh protesting the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), and why is mainstream media barely covering it?

Adi families along the Siang riverbank are protesting NHPC's proposed mega-dam, which is currently at the pre-feasibility survey stage. While the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF) estimates that 27 villages could be fully submerged, residents say the fight is about protecting their ancestral land, livelihood, and identity.

TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS:
0:00 Arunachal Siang Dam Protest: The Ground Reality
0:13 Why Adi Families Fear Losing Home (27 Villages Estimate)
0:34 What Happened to 65-Year-Old Yalek Tair?
0:46 Oct 23 Dite Dime Tear Gas & The Fight for Ancestral Land

SOURCES & GROUND REPORTING REFERENCES:
- Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF) press statements on Oct 4 Uggeng, Riga, and Pangkang clashes and community submergence estimates.
- Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Pangin Order (GR Case 45/2026, dated Oct 5, 2026) directing an independent inquiry into the alleged custodial assault of 65-year-old Yalek Tair, alongside medical examination records and district administration statements.
- Regional reporting from Northeast Now, India Today NE, Echo of Arunachal, The Times of India, Down To Earth, and Mongabay India on the Oct 4 Uggeng and Oct 23 Dite Dime (65 Bridge) incidents.

FACTUAL & VISUAL DISCLAIMER:
- Project Status: The 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) by NHPC is at the pre-feasibility survey stage only; no final construction approval has been granted.
- Displacement Figures: The figure of 27 submerged villages is a community estimate claimed by SIFF, not a government-confirmed displacement figure.
- Casualty & Incident Claims: SIFF's claim that 67 villagers were injured on October 4 (52 in Riga, 15 in Pangkang, plus 7 near Dite Dime bridge) remains independently unverified.
- Custodial Allegations: Allegations regarding 65-year-old Yalek Tair (medical reports noting two fractured right ribs and hemopneumothorax/subcutaneous emphysema) are subject to a magisterial inquiry ordered by JMFC Pangin; the district administration states her injuries were recorded prior to custody.
- Visual Disclosure: The dam visual at 0:07 is an Artist Impression of the proposed design based on NHPC plans and is used strictly for illustrative purposes.

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