Rescind Siang Dam & Revoke FIR on Ebo Mili - Arunachal Pradesh
- 26th May 2025 :: Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur -

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Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur,
Affected Citizens of Teesta, Sikkim
Borok Peoples’ Human Rights Organization, Tripura

The Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur, Affected Citizens of Teesta, Sikkim, Borok Peoples’ Human Rights Organization, Tripura extends our solidarity to the Adi people of Arunachal Pradesh in their ongoing struggle to protect their ancestral land and to stop the survey for Pre-Feasibility report (PFR) for the 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh. Further, express our condemnation with the FIR filed against Mr. Ebo Mili, Lawyer and human rights defender on 26 May 2025 for supporting the affected communities.

It is highly unfortunate that the Government of India pursue the survey for SUMP without the free, prior, and informed consent of the Adi people of Arunachal Pradesh. The Government of Arunachal Pradesh’s notification on December 6, 2024 to deploy Central Armed Police Forces in Siang District to facilitate the Pre-Feasibility Study of the Siang Dam and subsequent deployment violates indigenous peoples’ rights. The deployment of security forces and militarization of dam site in May 2025 despite the opposition and call for dialogue by the affected Adi people undermines all semblance of democracy.

The Adi tribe are worried of potential impacts of the SUMP on their land, ecology, forest, livelihood, culture, identity, involuntary displacement, increased disasters, and influx of non-Indigenous populations, downstream impacts and survival threats to their future. The Adi people are further concerned with militarization of their land and potential repressive measures and other human rights violations.

The proposed SUMP would have severe social, environmental, and cultural consequences for the Adi peoples and their land. In addition to the local impacts, the dam would cause significant downstream effects, such as widespread flooding in Assam. The disaster risk posed by the dam is further heightened by the region’s high seismicity and the worsening effects of climate change, including rapid glacier melting, deforestation, landslides, floods in the Himalayan region.

Indeed, climate change induced glacial lake outburst in October 2023 and earthquake of 2011 led to breach of 1200 MW Teesta III dam and damage of multiple dams in Sikkim, leading to questions of rationality and feasibility of dam building.

The Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur, Affected Citizens of Teesta, Sikkim, Borok Peoples’ Human Rights Organization, Tripura urges the Government of India to hold meaningful dialogue with the affected Adi people, take their free, prior and informed consent and to drop FIR and charges against Mr. Ebo Mili, Lawyer and environmentalist.

The Government should review and rescind the survey works for the 11000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project and stop militarization to facilitate dam survey construction. Define sustainable development alternatives that best serves the interest and rights of the indigenous peoples of Arunachal Pradesh.

Secretary,
Centre for Research and Advocacy, Imphal Manipur,

Secretary,
Affected Citizens of Teesta, Dzongu, Sikkim

Convenor,
Borok Peoples’ Human Rights Organization, Agartala, Tripura