Villagers in Upper Siang district shattered calm on Wednesday by vandalizing the residence of MLA Alo Libang, blocking the Yingkiong–Komkar–Geku corridor, and setting a police vehicle on fire near the Dite Dime bridge.
The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, a proposed dam on the Siang River that becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam, is in its pre‑feasibility phase, but villagers fear it will flood villages and disrupt livelihoods. Deputy Commissioner Ashok Tajo told PTI that the project’s surveys have already begun and that the community’s concerns are growing louder.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu had scheduled an interaction with local leaders in Yingkiong, but after the unrest he left the district by helicopter. Khandu, who has repeatedly said the dam would not proceed if it proved unviable, is now facing mounting pressure from both grassroots activism and political rivals.
Police have opened a formal investigation into the attacks, and the state is reviewing security deployment for the dam’s survey teams. The state government also announced a temporary pause on new survey work until the public’s concerns are addressed.