Why in news
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu highlighted the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in the context of China's approval to build the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, close to the Indian border.
The SUMP, costing ₹1.13 lakh crore, is being planned to address both the power generation and potential flood risks associated with water releases by China.
Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP)
The Upper Siang project is a proposed 11,000 MW hydropower project on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Siang, originating near Mount Kailash in Tibet (Tsangpo), flows over 1,000 km eastward, enters Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang, and later becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam.
Jointly undertaken by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), featuring a 300-metre high dam.
This project is envisioned as a strategic countermeasure to China's proposed 60,000 MW super dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) in Tibet's Medog County.
The area is primarily inhabited by the Adi Tribe, an indigenous community with a strong connection to the Siang River.
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