Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 2 Dec: Human rights and anti-dam activist Ebo Mili on Monday accused the BJP-led Arunachal Pradesh government of being “a mouthpiece of the dam developers” as chief minister Pema Khandu defends the proposed Siang upper multipurpose project.
Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here, Mili expressed concern that, despite strong opposition, the state government is going ahead with construction of dams on rivers in the state, posing a serious threat to the ecology and the residents.
Last Friday, Khandu had claimed that there was”unanimous” support from the legislators of Siang and Upper Siang districts and announced that the state government has resolved to expedite the construction of the 10,000 mw dam, citing environment and strategic significance.
However, the locals in Siang district, led by the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum have been spearheading the anti-dam movement in Siang since the 1980s as it threatens displacement and submergence of their ancestral land.
Referring to the rampant construction of dams in the state, Mili said that the dams will only strengthen outside companies that are here for only business purposes.
“Our land and rivers are being sold, but we are not getting actual compensation. What kind of development are we talking about? This development is for outsiders, not for the Arunachali people. The government is a mouthpiece of the dam developers. The government is saying that if the dam is built, the dam developer will build schools, roads and will provide the electricity. If the dam developer is building these, why have these people become ministers? For what reasons has he become the CM?” Mili said.
Last Saturday, Khandu had said that damming the Siang river, known as Yarlung Tsangpo in its upper reaches in China, poses significant threats, including flashfloods and water scarcity. These risks could have devastating consequences for the downstream areas in the Siang region and beyond, he had said.
“To address these challenges, the Siang upper multipurpose project has been conceived. The project will not only store water to mitigate shortages but also serve as a safeguard against sudden flashfloods caused by upstream water releases. If we do not act now, we risk being at the mercy of external forces that could harm our people and our lands,” the chief minister had said.
However, Mili pointed out that, despite decades of opposition, the earlier dam projects caused loss of land, forests and rivers, but the families affected by the project were not compensated adequately.
“We protested for the last 20 years against the government building the Dibang multipurpose dam. During that time, people faced harassment and police cases. After all the struggle, they accepted the dam. But what was the end result – people only got 40% compensation. It is injustice. Our elected representatives and government officials hardly bothered or cared about public interest. The residents affected by the Dibang multipurpose dam project hardly got compensation. The affected people lost their homes and came to the streets,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Tadar Niglar refused to speak when asked about the state government being referred to as a mouthpiece of the dam developers.
