📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Dasfour2022
National
Arunachal Pradesh observes bandh to protest Siang dam project and CAPF deployment
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 03 Nov 2026, 11:32 AM
👁 24
A statewide bandh was called in Arunachal Pradesh demanding a halt to the Siang dam project and opposing the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces.
A bandh was observed across Arunachal Pradesh as activists and local groups rallied against the proposed Siang dam project. The shutdown was intended to pressure the state and central governments to reconsider the hydro‑electric scheme, which critics say could displace communities and affect the region's ecology.
Protesters also voiced strong opposition to the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the area, arguing that a heavy security presence would exacerbate tensions rather than ensure safety. Several villages reported that police and CAPF personnel were stationed at key junctions to pre‑empt any unrest.
The bandh led to the closure of schools, markets and transport services in many districts. Traders and commuters were urged to stay home, and traffic on major highways was significantly reduced. Local authorities appealed for calm while monitoring the situation closely.
Political leaders and civil‑society representatives who called for the bandh emphasized that the protest is a demand for a transparent environmental assessment and for the withdrawal of security forces until the concerns of the local population are addressed.
Protesters also voiced strong opposition to the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the area, arguing that a heavy security presence would exacerbate tensions rather than ensure safety. Several villages reported that police and CAPF personnel were stationed at key junctions to pre‑empt any unrest.
The bandh led to the closure of schools, markets and transport services in many districts. Traders and commuters were urged to stay home, and traffic on major highways was significantly reduced. Local authorities appealed for calm while monitoring the situation closely.
Political leaders and civil‑society representatives who called for the bandh emphasized that the protest is a demand for a transparent environmental assessment and for the withdrawal of security forces until the concerns of the local population are addressed.