ITANAGAR, Oct 6: Arunachal Pradesh could secure equity worth around Rs 15,000 crore from nearly 19,000 MW of hydropower projects currently at various stages of development, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Tuesday.

Speaking at an official function in Pasighat, Khandu said the state would continue to receive 12 per cent free power from hydropower projects, while the Government of India had agreed to facilitate a 26 per cent equity share for Arunachal Pradesh.

He said the government’s support for the state’s equity contribution would provide a major opportunity to strengthen Arunachal’s economy and expand its own resources.

Khandu said the 2,000-MW Subansiri Lower Project was expected to be fully commissioned next year, bringing free power as well as equity-related returns to the state.

He recalled that Arunachal’s State Budget had increased from around Rs 12,500 crore in 2015 to about Rs 40,000 crore now, and said expanding investment and state-owned resources would further strengthen the state’s economy.

Referring to the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), Khandu reiterated that the immediate requirement was to undertake the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR), and that no final decision on the project’s construction could be taken before completion of the prescribed technical and legal processes.

He said SUMP should not at this stage be viewed merely as a hydropower project, but also in the context of creating a mechanism to manage potential water-related risks and regulate water flows.

Khandu said detailed studies and statutory processes, including Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), would follow if the project progresses beyond the PFR. Technical experts, he said, would have to examine concerns raised by stakeholders, while people in affected areas would have opportunities to participate in consultations.

“Until and unless we are satisfied, this project cannot go ahead,” Khandu said, stressing the need for informed public participation.

He said the Government would keep its offices open for delegations and discussions on SUMP and invited representatives to meet the government, make presentations and seek clarifications. Efforts would also be made to disseminate information about the project in the Adi language through social media, he said.

Khandu described SUMP as a project of national and strategic importance, pointing to Arunachal’s location along India’s international borders. He said concerns relating to possible water diversion and sudden releases from upstream areas, as well as recurring floods in the Siang basin, would have to be examined by technical experts during the feasibility and subsequent assessment processes.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the immediate issue before the State was the PFR and not an irreversible decision to construct the dam. He called upon people to allow the technical exercise to establish the facts and thereafter participate in the statutory consultations and decision-making processes. (Source: EoA)