Roads across the Yingkiong–Komkar–Geku stretch and towards Dite Dime in Upper Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, came to a standstill on Thursday. Residents physically blocked these routes to halt the momentum behind the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). The project, with a planned capacity exceeding 10,000 MW, has triggered sharp friction between the state government and the communities slated for displacement.
The timing was not accidental. Chief Minister Pema Khandu was in Yingkiong that day, a visit that had earlier been framed as an opportunity to engage with project-affected areas. Yet, villagers on the ground described the programme as a closed-door affair, attended primarily by government officials and select representatives. They openly questioned why an open public meeting was not arranged for those whose land and livelihoods stand to be submerged.
Local residents told reporters that the government has been quietly pushing forward with pre-feasibility studies despite sustained local opposition. “We are not against development, but we will not be erased without a conversation,” one villager said. The demand is simple and non-negotiable: direct consultation with affected communities before any further steps on the SUMP are taken. The issue of land acquisition, ecological impact, and livelihood restoration remains unresolved on paper and in the field.
Security in the area has tightened significantly, with armed personnel deployed at several points as authorities prepare for the next phase of the study. The protest marks a clear escalation in local resistance against what activists describe as a top-down approach to one of the country’s most ambitious hydropower ventures. The state government has not yet issued a formal response to the road blockades or the demand for a public forum.
The next critical moment will come when the government decides whether to pause the pre-feasibility process and open a genuine dialogue with the Upper Siang communities. Until then, the roads will likely remain closed, and the standoff will deepen.