World · India Bureau
Communities Issue Ultimatum Over Dibang River's Third Major Dam
An alliance of affected communities in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam has issued a 10-day deadline demanding their concerns be addressed regarding the proposed 2,880-megawatt Dibang Multipurpose Project. The ultimatum marks escalating resistance to the mega infrastructure initiative.
LSN India ·
A coalition of local communities spanning Arunachal Pradesh and Assam has mobilized against the Dibang Multipurpose Project, setting a firm 10-day timeframe for authorities to respond to their grievances. The 2,880-megawatt hydroelectric scheme represents the third major dam planned for the Dibang River, a tributary system critical to the region's ecology and livelihoods.
The alliance comprises residents from areas that would face direct impacts from the project's construction and operations, including potential displacement, environmental degradation, and alterations to traditional resource access. Community representatives have indicated that the deadline will precipitate further action if their demands remain unaddressed, signaling intensifying opposition to the initiative.
The Dibang Multipurpose Project is among several large-scale hydroelectric developments proposed across northeastern India, a region rich in water resources but sensitive to ecological and social concerns. Previous mega dam projects in the region have faced sustained resistance from local populations and environmental advocates citing inadequate rehabilitation provisions and underestimated downstream impacts.
The ultimatum underscores growing discord between developmental ambitions and ground-level concerns regarding infrastructure projects in the northeastern states. State and central government authorities have yet to issue formal responses to the communities' deadline or specific demands as of the latest reports.