The Arunachal Pradesh government and villagers of Pangkang (Kumku) in Siang district, has inked an MoU to initiate the preliminary feasibility report (PFR) for the ambitious Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) at Boleng in the district.

The MoU includes a special development package of Rs 5 crore to be implemented over three years.

The proposed project, if deemed feasible, promises transformative socio-economic benefits for the local community while serving as a strategic countermeasure to China’s aggressive hydropower infrastructure development on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the upstream section of the Siang River in Tibet, an official statement said.

Designed not only to generate clean energy, but also to enhance environmental resilience and safeguard downstream river flows, the 11,000 MW project is considered a critical component of India’s water security and national interest in the Northeast, it added.

According to the statement, a newly formed village development committee (VDC), consisting of likely project-affected families, will oversee infrastructure upgrades, healthcare services and livelihood programmes, ensuring inclusive and equitable growth for the community.