AJYCP Sounds Alarm Over Arunachal’s Dibang Hydel Project

A new hydropower project being constructed in Arunachal Pradesh — touted as the tallest dam in India and one of the highest in the world — has sparked serious concerns in Upper Assam, with the influential Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) warning of catastrophic consequences for downstream districts.

The mega project, located at Achu Pani in Arunachal’s Lower Dibang Valley district, involves the construction of a dam towering approximately 945 feet (288 metres) above ground, aimed at generating 3,000 MW of electricity. But while the Government of India projects this as a milestone in its clean energy ambitions, local communities and civil society organisations in Assam see it as a looming disaster.

AJYCP has launched a scathing critique of the project, alleging that it is being executed in a clandestine and undemocratic manner, without any public hearing or consent from people living in the downstream floodplains of Assam — particularly in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Majuli districts.

At a time when recurrent flash floods have already ravaged the region — often triggered by sudden water releases from upstream dams — the AJYCP likened the Dibang dam to a “ticking water bomb”. They have warned that if the dam collapses or is mismanaged, the resulting deluge could wipe out entire towns and villages within minutes, putting millions of lives at risk.

"This dam is a direct threat to the people of Upper Assam. Its location in a fragile mountainous terrain with soft and unstable soil makes it extremely vulnerable. Unlike the Subansiri River, the Dibang river’s banks are even more susceptible to landslides and erosion. A disaster here would be swift and irreversible," AJYCP leaders said in a press statement.

The organisation also accused the central government of ignoring the lived experiences of Assam’s riverine communities, who have repeatedly borne the brunt of dam-induced flooding over the years. From washed-away farmland and crumbling homes to lost livelihoods and forced displacement, the human cost of upstream dam management has been devastating — yet, say activists, New Delhi continues to push such mega projects with no accountability and little transparency.

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