Correspondent

PASIGHAT, 25 Sep: Villagers of Geku and adjoining areas in Upper Siang district are continuing their protest against the deployment of security forces in their area to carry out pre-feasibility report (PFR) survey for the proposed 11,000 mw Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) against their will.

They continue to block entry roads, hindering the movement of machinery to the proposed PFR sites.

Amid ongoing protests, the Adi Bané Kébang - United (ABK-U) on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Siang and Upper Siang deputy commissioners, demanding an immediate halt to PFR activities.

Through the memorandum, the ABK-U placed before the district administrations the resolutions adopted at a consultative meeting held recently in Geku, where the majority of villagers of Geku, Komkar, and other affected areas opposed the project.

Citing the villagers' opinion, the ABK-U demanded that the authority scrap the mega hydro project, stating that the local people are not supporting it.

The organisation stated that a mega dam project of such magnitude is unsafe in the region, which falls under a high seismic zone. If implemented, it would destroy river-based civilisation of the Adi belt and collapse aquatic ecosystems downstream, the organisation stated.

Meanwhile, leaders of anti-dam organisations, such as the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum Youth Wing and the SUMP Affected Area Youth Forum (SAAYA), on Thursday met Mising organisation leaders in Jonai in Assam's Dhemaji district and sought their active support in the ongoing movement.

Their discussion focused on the concern over the project, which may adversely affect the environment, livelihoods, and socio-cultural lives of the communities living downstream in Assam.