Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has said the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project will primarily focus on storing, regulating and managing water in the Siang basin. He said the project’s power-generation capacity should not be compared directly with China’s proposed 60,000 MW Medog project, as the two projects have different stated purposes.

Mein, who also holds the power and hydropower portfolios, said the Medog project was primarily designed for hydropower generation, with an estimated head of about 2,000 metres and storage capacity of 5.5 bn cubic metres. In contrast, the Siang project is proposed to have a dam about 280-300 metres high and live storage of approximately 9.2 bn cubic metres, alongside power generation.

He said the proposed storage could help regulate downstream discharge in the event of sudden releases or extreme flows upstream, reducing flood risks in the Siang basin and downstream areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Mein said water storage and regulation were central to the project, while electricity generation was a secondary function.

The project has faced opposition from residents of the Siang region. Protesters have demanded an immediate halt to pre-feasibility report activities and survey work on the Siang River, as well as the withdrawal of security forces deployed in areas that could be affected by the project.

The government has maintained that the project, with a stated capacity of 11,000 MW, would support economic and social development, create employment and self-employment opportunities, and strengthen water and energy security. The project is proposed to be executed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), but Mein said no final decision on construction had been taken.

He said the pre-feasibility report was only an initial assessment of technical feasibility and safety. Several further studies, consultations and statutory clearances would be required before the project could receive a final approval.