Skip to content Skip to navigation

ESDDAPF Urges Government to Address Concerns Over Proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project

ESDDAPF Urges Government to Address Concerns Over Proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project

PASIGHAT, Dec 21: The East Siang Downstream Dam Affected Peoples’ Forum (ESDDAPF) has called on the government to safeguard the lives, lands, and properties of downstream communities in East Siang District, which they fear may be adversely affected by the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). The forum expressed these concerns during a press conference at the Pasighat Press Club in Siang Guest House today.

The SUMP, a super mega reservoir dam proposed for Upper Siang District, has raised alarm among local communities. Representatives from 24 villages surrounding Pasighat, along with intellectuals, retired personnel, NGOs, and experts, convened on October 8, 2024, at Gidi Notko, Pasighat, to discuss the potential downstream impacts. This meeting led to the formation of the ESDDAPF, according to General Secretary Jobomchang Mengu.

In a second meeting held today, the forum elected Oni Tamuk as President and Jobomchang Mengu as General Secretary, solidifying their organizational leadership. ESDDAPF now represents 72 villages across East Siang District, unified in their efforts to address the potential risks posed by the dam.

“The objective of the forum is to ensure East Siang District is recognized as a direct impact zone of SUMP. ESDDAPF will work tirelessly to protect the district from potential economic, social, and environmental devastation,” said Oni Tamuk, ESDDAPF President. He added that the forum plans to engage with the government soon to present their demands and concerns.

Currently, ESDDAPF comprises 50 core committee members and decentralized branches across the district’s 72 villages. The organization benefits from technical insights provided by national agencies specializing in downstream dam impact studies, Mengu noted.

The National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) has identified three potential sites for the dam in Upper Siang and Siang districts: between Parong and Deging villages, near Riga village at Ugeng, and between Ditte-Dime and Geku.

Despite the government’s assertion that the project will boost regional infrastructure and economy while addressing national security concerns related to Chinese mega dams upstream in the Tibet Autonomous Region, opposition remains strong. Local groups, including the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF), argue that the dam could displace indigenous communities and severely harm the environment.

The ESDDAPF emphasized the need for public consultation and government acknowledgment of their district as a high-impact zone to ensure the safety and well-being of its people.

Author info

Maksam Tayeng's picture

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

File Photo: Rini Kakati with Saeed Jaffery at Brent Indian Association, Wembley, London

Assamese NRI dies in Guwahati

31 Dec 2020 - 11:56pm | AT News
Guwahati: Noted social worker, organizer and London-based Assamese NRI Rini Kakati died in Guwahati leaving a spell of gloom in the state.  She was 70 to be survived by her son who...

Guwahati book fair begins

5 Nov 2013 - 8:03pm | AT News
Guwahati Book Fair gets underway on Tuesday.           Assam governor JB Patnaik open the 10 days book festival at the main venue in Chandmari.      ...

Sonowal lays foundation stone of Kokrajhar Medical College

6 Jan 2019 - 5:37pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone for construction of Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital(KMCH) at Beswargaon near Debargaon in Kokrajhar on Sunday in the presence of...

Historic surrender ceremony in Guwahati

25 Jan 2012 - 3:55am | editor
Over 1800 militants from nine outfits bade farewell to arms before Union home minister P Chidambaram and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at a function in Guwahati on Tuesday. Gogoi and Chidambaram greeted...

Other Contents by Author

BOLENG, Aug 16: The inaugural "Short Stature Men's Volleyball Championship," featuring a unique net height of 7 feet 2 inches compared to the international standard of 7 feet 11 inches, concluded on August 15, 2023. The event took place at the Boleng general ground in the Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh and was exclusively designed for players standing between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 7 inches. The North Eastern Sports & Cultural Organization (NESCO) orchestrated this historic tournament, marking a significant milestone in height-specific sports competitions. In attendance at the final match of the tournament as the Chief Guest was Ojing Tasing, MLA of the 35th Pangin-Boleng...
PASIGHAT:  Two Ayeng village residents have accused the Pasighat Forest Division's Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of disregarding established guidelines and ignoring forest and forest land protection in connection with the relocation of two stone crusher units. Kangkim Lego and Nogor Megu expressed their dissatisfaction with the DFO's reversal of an earlier order to shift the units, citing violations of guidelines, in a letter to the DFO. After receiving a NOC from the Gaon Burah of Ayeng, the DFO allegedly reversed the order. The two residents have threatened to sue the DFO for failing to follow range officer guidelines and recommendations, as well as for alleged negligence...
M/s Siang Biotech, a well-known supplier of agricultural machinery and biopesticides, joined forces with Aries Agro Ltd. of Mumbai, Barrix Agro Sciences Pvt. Ltd. of Bangalore, and Jain Irrigation Technology of Maharashtra to participate in the Kishan Mela event. The two-day fair featured exhibits of modern agricultural tools and other items, and was visited by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on its final day. The theme of the Kisan Mela was 'Innovations in Potato Farming to Empower Tribal Farmers in the North Eastern Region of India', and it was organized by the College of Agriculture in collaboration with the College of Horticulture and Forestry in Pasighat and the...
PASIGHAT: The hard and intensive vigilance over nabbing of dreaded hunters from quite long time by field patrolling squads of Borguli Wildlife Range under D. Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary has finally paid off on Friday evening when 3 habitual hunters were nabbed from southernmost part of Borguli range (Kanyakumari area) on last Friday.. The three arrested are Makyon Modi, 46, Harish Saroh, 32 and Sunil Pait, 40 from Namsing village under Mebo Sub-Division. As per Naning Perme, Range Officer, Borguli Wildlife Range, the hunters were on their hunting mission inside the sanctuary but a special team of field staff camped at some distance upstream along the bank of river Siang saw the...
PASIGHAT: In a bid to crack down on the drug menace in the district, the Pasighat Police on Sunday last arrested three drug peddlers from Mebo with the help of information developed by Women Against Social Evils (WASE). A case has been registered against all three vide Pasighat PS case No. 57/21 U/s 21(b) read with 77 JJ Act and 25 Arms Act, informed Pasighat Police sources.  A huge quantity of contraband items suspected to be Brown Sugar and Heroine were seized from the peddlers who are drug addicts too. A cash amount of Rs 1,54,420/- was also seized from the possession of peddlers which was accumulated through sale of drugs. As per police sources, one of the arrested persons...
PASIGHAT: The village youths of Borguli village under Mebo Sub-Division led by Siyar Sirum (name of a same age group youths) along with three other age groups conducted a daylong cleanliness drive in the village today covering around 3 KM stretches of  roadside clearance, picking plastic  and other wastes while putting bamboo made dustbins in front of shops and community hall.   The clean drive was conducted with the motto ‘let’s keep Borguli clean, green and healthy’. The daylong cleanliness drive was started from Govt. Higher Secondary School, Borguli (Old Borguli) and continued till the end of New Borguli which covers an area of around 3 KM stretches. Besides...
A stepped up felling of trees in  the reserved forest areas in Arunachal Pradesh seems to posed a huge threat to the ecological health of the north eastern state forcing the authorities to ensure tight vigil to deal with the situation.  A circle of timber mafias has been remaining active in the jungles who keep felling many trees utilizing modern techniques and machineries on every passing day.  The massive tree felling goes unchecked in Pasighat reserved forest where hundreds of high demand trees, Hollock (Terminaliamyriocarpa) have already been felled from Loki area.  Talking to Assam Times, Tadang Taga, ADCF who looks ater the  Central Mobile Squad under...