Over pending compensation argument between the power developer and the landowners, the community landowners have lockdown the Dibang multipurpose project (DMP) site of the NHPC Limited.

As a symbol of protest, around 100 people, comprising Project Affected Families (PAF), clan members and community landowners last Sunday walked to the DMP sites in Pathar Camp, Panjabi Camp and Munli Camp in Lower Dibang Valley district and closed all the sites down.

Until NHPC pays the land compensation, the labourers and staff members working at the site were asked to vacate by the PAF.

Banners and posters reading ‘People first, project next’, ‘This is not Faridabad, respect the land’ and ‘This is Arunachal, respect the tribes’ were processed around the sealed sites.

The PAFs informed, “We are tired of the games played by the NHPC and frustrated at the negligent attitude of the GoAP. Earlier, in their letter to the land management secretary, the CM and the NHPC GM, the clan people and the community landowners had asked the NHPC to cease all kinds of project works until the vexed issue of land compensation is resolved”.

“I don’t want to see these people anymore. My life has become very difficult,” said Tisa Linggi, a resident near the proposed dam axis site.

It has been three years since the land compensation award was made on 15.12.2017, said Kotosi Menda, one of the members. A democratic movement is being planned by the local people with the help of the local students’ union in Dibang and Lower Dibang Valley districts from 15 December onward, “but it is likely to be postponed due to the upcoming panchayat election.”