Upper Siang Multipurpose Project Delayed Amid Protests Over Environmental and Tribal Concerns
PWOnlyIAS
June 10, 2025
The 11.2 GW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is currently delayed due to local protests.
About Upper Siang
Initially proposed as two separate projects, it was consolidated into one larger project in 2017, to be built by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), featuring a 300-metre high dam.
The project is exempt from environmental clearance requirements under the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act of 2023.
About Siang river
The Siang, originating near Mount Kailash in Tibet (where it is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo), flows over 1,000 km eastward, entering Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang/dihang.
It joins the Dibang and Lohit rivers in Assam to become the Brahmaputra in Assam.
Strategic Importance
Aims to counter China’s hydroelectric infrastructure, especially the proposed 60,000 MW “super dam” in Medog County, Tibet.
The Chinese dam:
Has ~3x the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam.
It is designed to divert water to northern China, raising concerns about water flow disruption, flash floods, and water scarcity downstream.
India’s project is seen as a strategic hydrological and geopolitical countermeasure.
Environmental and Social Concerns
Anti-dam organizations express concerns about the project’s environmental and social impact.
Threat to delicate ecosystems, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity in Arunachal Pradesh.
Displacement of communities: The project could submerge over 300 villages of the Adi Tribe.
In 2022, the Gauhati High Court cancelled all 44 dams proposed on the Siang river.
Despite the cancellation, there are still plans to build dams on the Siang river.
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format Integration of PYQ within the booklet Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
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Comprehensive coverage with a concise format Integration of PYQ within the booklet Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
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