HT Correspondent
ITANAGAR, Aug 24: Community support for the ambitious Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) is gathering momentum, with more villages in Arunachal Pradesh pledging their confidence in the initiative.
According to an official statement, a fresh round of village-level MoUs has signaled growing trust in the project’s potential to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and the region’s long-term future.
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The latest endorsement has come from Begging village in Siang district, where over 85 percent of households expressed support for the preparation of the Project Feasibility Report (PFR).
This follows similar declarations from Riga and Riew villages, underscoring what officials described as a “rising sense of ownership” among communities in the Siang belt.
The statement noted that these endorsements are the result of sustained consultative efforts by the State Government to raise awareness about the project and counter misinformation being circulated by certain groups.
Residents of Begging said they had been reassured by the government’s commitment to fair recognition and resettlement safeguards.
“We stand in support of this project because it carries the promise of a better future for our children and generations to come. We love our land as we love our families. It holds our identity, our memories, and our heritage, and that is why it matters deeply that the government has engaged in proactive dialogue, listening to our concerns and assuring that families who part with land will be given the strongest possible support. With fair recognition, resettlement safeguards, and priority to our communities to be detailed in the long-awaited PFR, we feel confident that our contributions will be valued. Together, we can protect our culture while also embracing new opportunities, walking shoulder to shoulder with our government towards a brighter tomorrow,” a local from Begging was quoted as saying.
Deputy chief minister Chowna Mein, along with other state leaders, has reiterated that project-affected families will receive adequate compensation and that the resettlement and rehabilitation process would be carried out transparently.
He further emphasized that the multipurpose project would open up opportunities for employment, self-reliance, and overall regional development.
“The growing support from our villages shows that people see SUMP as a project for their security and prosperity,” a senior State Government officer stated on condition of anonymity, “Coupled with the steps taken by our national leadership to highlight water concerns, this community confidence is a powerful signal that Arunachal is united in shaping its water security.”
The official statement also highlighted the alignment between local community support and the broader national discourse on water security.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently raised India’s concerns on transboundary river issues during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
His intervention was aimed at ensuring that both local aspirations and national strategic interests are safeguarded in the wake of reports of construction activity on China’s dam project on the upper reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows into Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang.
During the discussions, Jaishankar stressed the importance of transparency, information-sharing, and regional cooperation to protect riparian communities in Arunachal.
He underlined that any upstream construction activity carries implications for the lives and livelihoods of people in the Siang region, and called for openness to ensure that India’s riverine interests are not compromised.
Officials noted that this convergence between national diplomacy and community-level confidence-building reflects a unified approach to water and resource security.
“With local communities coming forward in large numbers, and the Centre raising concerns at the highest diplomatic levels, Arunachal Pradesh is demonstrating how local aspirations and national priorities can go hand in hand,” the official statement added.
As village after village pledges support for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, the Arunachal Government believes that the project is steadily transforming from a developmental proposal into a people-backed movement aimed at securing the region’s future.
