Anti-Dam Activist Katon Moyong Rejects Arunachal Govt's Offer of Talks on Siang Project

Prominent anti-dam activist Katon Moyong, popularly known as 'Abor Man', has rejected the Arunachal Pradesh government's invitation for talks over the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), asserting that the time for negotiations has passed.

Moyong, an engineer-turned-activist who was recently detained by Delhi Police for protesting against the project in the national capital, dismissed the government's argument that the dam was necessary for national security, alleging that it was an attempt to overcome public resistance.

"The time for discussion on the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project has passed," he told a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club on Thursday, reiterating the Adi community's opposition to the proposed project.

He warned that the community would not accept the construction of a dam on the Siang River, although smaller rivers could be considered for such projects.

The SUMP, to be executed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), envisages the construction of a large dam across the Siang River. The project has faced strong opposition from indigenous communities over fears of displacement, submergence of ancestral lands and forests, and damage to their cultural and ecological heritage.

Moyong alleged that the government's push for the project was politically motivated ahead of the 2029 Assembly elections. He also accused successive governments of changing the project's justification over the years.

Protesters have demanded an immediate halt to ongoing Pre-Feasibility Report activities and survey work, besides the withdrawal of security personnel deployed in areas likely to be affected by the proposed dam.