India’s answer to China’s mega dam faces resistance in Siang valley
· India · Times of India, India Today, LiveMint
Hydropower developer NHPC’s 10,000-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Dam project, planned at grazing lands in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang valley, faces opposition from local residents who fear displacement and environmental harm. The project was announced amid heightened border tensions with China, which has accelerated upstream dam construction on the Brahmaputra. Local communities and activists argue that the mega-dam threatens traditional livelihoods and could alter the river’s flow, raising concerns about downstream impacts. The Siang, known as the Dihang in its lower reaches, is a major tributary of the Brahmaputra that flows into Bangladesh.
Why it matters
The Siang valley dam threatens to displace communities and disrupt the river’s ecosystem, directly affecting local farmers and fishermen who depend on the Brahmaputra’s flow for irrigation and fishing. If constructed, the project could alter water availability for millions downstream in Assam and Bangladesh, intensifying regional water-sharing tensions.
Read the original report — Times of India
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