India Increases Security in Arunachal Pradesh Following Violent Anti-Dam Protests

India has deployed hundreds of extra security personnel to the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh following violent protests against a proposed mega-dam. The unrest erupted after demonstrations against the planned 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project turned violent in the Siang Valley, leading to dozens of arrests, tear gas use, stone-throwing, and the burning of a police station and a National Hydroelectric Power Corporation office. Authorities reinforced the area with Central Reserve Police Force units and the Rapid Action Force to maintain public order as opposition spread to other parts of the state and the neighbouring Upper Subansiri district.

The proposed project has drawn sustained opposition from the indigenous Adi community. Gegong Jijong of the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum stated that 27 villages could face complete submersion, with 40 to 50 others affected. Opponents fear the reservoir will submerge ancestral lands, displace residents, and threaten livelihoods, while authorities push the project to counter China's planned hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet. Future developments will depend on whether authorities and community representatives can resolve the dispute.