AdiSU Urges Pema Khandu to Act on SUMP Project Concerns

Itanagar, Aug 26 (PTI) — The Adi Students' Union (AdiSU) has urged the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, to intervene in the withdrawal of paramilitary forces stationed in Siang and Upper Siang districts for a pre-feasibility report (PFR) concerning a substantial hydropower project.

In a memorandum delivered to the Chief Minister on Monday, AdiSU claimed that the deployment of paramilitary personnel for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) PFR has been conducted without adequate consultation with the villagers affected by the project, resulting in panic and unrest.

The student organization alleged illegal encroachment on government school premises in Boleng, Pangin, Kaying, and Pessing, and opposed the suspension of several gaon burahs (GBs) and head gaon burahs (HGBs).

The union demanded the withdrawal of paramilitary forces, eviction of encroachers from school lands, revocation of suspension orders against GBs and HGBs, and a halt to PFR activities until the 31 affected villages' residents were consulted.

They warned of initiating a democratic agitation within 15 days if these concerns were not addressed.

The SUMP, proposed with a capacity of 11,000 MW, is a run-of-the-river project on the Siang River. Initially proposed by the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) in 2009, the project aims to serve not only as a power generator but also as a crucial instrument for irrigation and flood moderation.

The reservoir, if constructed to its full scale, would rank among the largest in the country, capable of holding nearly 9 billion cubic meters of water.

According to officials, community support for the project has been increasingly positive, with a new wave of village-level Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) reflecting growing confidence in the project's potential to safeguard the region's lives, livelihoods, and future.