Arunachal Pradesh State Cabinet approves panel for survey of Siang mega dam

Amid protests, the Arunachal Pradesh State Cabinet on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) adopted a resolution approving the constitution of an Empowered High-Level Committee “to guide and coordinate” the pre-feasibility report survey and associated activities for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project or SUMP.

Villagers along the Siang River belt are resisting the pre-feasibility report for the project, which will generate an estimated 11,000 megawatts (MW) or more of hydroelectricity. Two of the project’s three designated sites are in Siang district, and one is in Upper Siang district.

The State Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, noted that the Union government had declared SUMP to be a national project in 2008, underlining its strategic significance for the country. It also noted that the project could strengthen water and energy security, help mitigate floods in the Siang-Brahmaputra basin, generate employment, and support long-term socio-economic development of the Siang region.