PASIGHAT, OCT 6:
Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday reiterated that the immediate requirement for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) is to conduct the Preliminary Feasibility Report (PFR), and that no final decision on construction would be taken before completing the prescribed technical, legal and statutory processes.
Speaking at an official function here, Khandu said SUMP should not presently be viewed merely as a hydropower project, but also in the context of creating a mechanism to address potential water-related risks and provide a controlled system for managing water flows.
He said the PFR would be followed by necessary studies and statutory consultations, including Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as required under law. Technical experts, he said, would have to examine issues relating to the project, while people from affected areas would have the opportunity to raise their concerns and seek clarifications.
“Until and unless we are satisfied, this project cannot go ahead,” Khandu said, stressing the need for informed public participation rather than misinformation.
The Chief Minister said the State Government would keep its offices open for delegations and discussions on SUMP and invited representatives to make presentations and seek clarifications. Efforts would also be made to disseminate information on the project in the Adi language through social media.
Maintaining that SUMP is a national project with strategic implications, Khandu said Arunachal Pradesh’s location along international borders made the State strategically important for the country. He referred to potential risks associated with water diversion and sudden water releases from upstream areas, besides the need for long-term measures to address recurring floods in the Siang belt.
On hydropower development, Khandu described the sector as one of the State’s biggest opportunities for large-scale investment, saying around 19,000 MW of projects are currently at various stages of development.
He said Arunachal Pradesh would continue to receive 12 per cent free power, while the Government of India had agreed to facilitate a 26 per cent equity share for the State in hydropower projects. The State’s equity contribution for the 19,000 MW projects could be around Rs 15,000 crore, he said, adding that the Centre had agreed to support the State in making the investment.
Khandu said the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri project is expected to be fully commissioned next year, bringing both free-power and equity-related returns to the State.
He said the State Budget had increased from around Rs 12,500 crore in 2015 to about Rs 40,000 crore now, and expressed confidence that expanding investment and strengthening State-owned resources would further boost the State’s economy.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the immediate issue before the State was the PFR, not an irreversible decision to construct the dam, and appealed to people to allow the technical process to establish the facts before participating in subsequent statutory consultations and decision-making.
