Siang project not just for generating power but mitigating flood risks posed by China: Arunachal CM

FILE PHOTO- Pema Khandu (PTI)

• ITANAGAR — Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), estimated to cost INR 1.13 lakh crore, was being planned by the Centre not just for generating electricity but to maintain the natural flow of the river all year round and mitigate risks of flooding if China released excess water.
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• Khandu's remarks came in the wake of China approving the construction of the world's largest dam, at a cost of USD 137 billion, on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to the Indian border. The dam is to be built at a huge gorge in the Himalayan reaches where the Brahmaputra river makes a huge U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh and then to Bangladesh.
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• "The SUMP, with an estimated installed capacity of 11,000 mw, is not just about generating power, but also about maintaining the natural flow of the Siang river and mitigating potential flood risks from water releases by China," Khandu told PTI in an interview.
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• Describing SUMP as a project of national importance, he said hydropower generation is only the secondary goal of it.
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• "The real objective of the project is to save the Siang river and the communities that have depended on it for generations," he said.
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• The survey for preparing the pre-feasibility report of the projects is yet to be done amid stiff opposition from locals who are concerned about displacement, loss of livelihoods, and environmental impact of the mega dam.
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• Warning of severe consequences if China's project moves ahead "without safeguards", Khandu said the neighbouring country's plans to divert water from the Brahmaputra into its arid regions could drastically reduce the flow of the Siang river during winters.
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• "In such a scenario, the volume of water could decrease so much that one might be able to cross the mighty river on foot," he claimed.
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• "The proposed Siang project would create a reservoir capable of storing 9 billion cubic meters of water. This would ensure the river maintains a consistent flow, even during dry seasons. Additionally, the reservoir would act as a buffer in case of sudden water releases from upstream Chinese dams, potentially averting catastrophic flooding in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh," he said.