Adi community protests Siang dam, warns of submergence of 27 villages

The Adi community of Yingkom village in Upper Siang district is rallying against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, saying the dam will affect at least 40 villages and submerge 27 of them, destroying land and livelihoods. Protesters have set up a check‑post on the unpaved road that leads to the Siang river near Parong, where freshly painted yellow barricades and concertina wires mark the State police presence. Central security forces guard the post to respond to unrest and to stop anyone without clearance from reaching the river. Parong is one of three sites the State government has earmarked for a pre‑feasibility report that could launch work on the project. The feasibility study is being prepared by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, the agency behind the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. The community’s objection centres on the fear that flooding will wipe out homes, farms and cultural sites across the affected villages. State officials have not yet offered an alternative location or compensation details, and the standoff continues as both sides hold firm. ## Context The dispute reflects a broader pattern in the Northeast where large hydro‑electric schemes clash with indigenous groups that depend on river valleys for agriculture and cultural identity.