28/08/2026
s Proposed Subansiri Upper Hydroelectric Project at Menga
Daporijo, Arunachal Pradesh: Strong opposition is growing among the indigenous Tagin community and local student organisations in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district against the proposed 1,605–2,000 MW Subansiri Upper Hydroelectric Project at Menga, being pursued by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
The All Tagin Students’ Union (ATSU) and All Upper Subansiri District Students’ Union (AUSDSU), along with affected villagers, have raised serious concerns over the proposed mega dam, claiming that the project could affect ancestral lands, villages, sacred sites and fragile local ecosystems.
Community representatives have also expressed concerns over the steep and erosion-prone terrain along the Subansiri River, as well as the region’s seismic vulnerability. Protesters argue that such environmental and geological risks require thorough assessment before any further progress on the project.
COMMUNITY CONSENT AT THE CENTRE OF PROTEST
Local organisations say the project should not proceed without meaningful consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of affected indigenous communities. They are also demanding that constitutional and legal safeguards protecting indigenous land and community rights be fully respected.
The opposition has intensified through district-wide bandhs and rallies in Daporijo, with protesters demanding the unconditional scrapping of the proposed project.
Affected villagers, including residents of Timba, have reportedly refused to allow land surveys or provide land for proposed project-related activities. They are urging the state government, public representatives and concerned authorities to withdraw the project permanently.
The movement has now emerged as a major local campaign centred on ancestral land, environmental protection, indigenous rights and community consent.
TM7 will continue to track developments from Upper Subansiri.
TM7 BREAKING NEWS — VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
