Upper Subansiri shuts down as anti-dam protesters torch vehicle in Daporijo

Normal life ground to a halt across Upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday as a 12-hour shutdown enforced by student unions sparked civil unrest, The Sentinel Assam reported. The protest is aimed at demanding the permanent withdrawal of the proposed 1,605-megawatt Subansiri Upper Hydroelectric Project (SUHEP), being developed by state-run NHPC.

Protesters blocked major roads, burnt tyres and set a vehicle on fire in Daporijo, the district headquarters, while shops shut and public transport stayed off the roads, according to The Sentinel Assam. Pratidin Time reported confrontations between bandh supporters and police personnel during the shutdown.

The shutdown, called by the All Tagin Students’ Union (ATSU) and the All Upper Subansiri District Students’ Union (AUSDSU), began at 5am, the Hub Network reported. Tensions rose after an alleged late-night police raid at the residence of the ATSU president, and protesting bodies rejected the district administration’s offers of peace talks and forced the cancellation of a crucial NHPC public hearing, The Sentinel Assam reported.

“Our motherland is not for sale, and we will do anything to safeguard it,” an ATSU leadership representative told The Sentinel Assam, saying the project poses an existential threat to the environment, local livelihoods and indigenous tribal rights. Security forces remain heavily deployed across the district, the outlet reported.

The shutdown is separate from the unrest over the proposed 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper dam in East Siang district, where protests turned violent on Friday night.

Sources

• The Sentinel Assam, “Tensions Flare in Arunachal Pradesh as Anti-Dam Protests Turn Violent, Shutting Down Upper Subansiri”, 26 Oct 2026 — https://www.sentinelassam.com/north-east-india-news/assam-news/tensions-flare-in-arunachal-pradesh-as-anti-dam-protests-turn-violent-shutting-down-upper-subansiri
• Hub Network, “Heavy security deployed in Arunachal as tensions rise over NHPC Menga dam; RAF airlifted to Pasighat”, 26 Oct 2026 — https://hubnetwork.in/heavy-security-deployed-in-arunachal-as-tensions-rise-over-nhpc-menga-dam-raf-airlifted-to-pasighat/
• Pratidin Time, “Arunachal Pradesh: 12-Hour Shutdown Over Subansiri Dam, Protesters Clash With Police”, 26 Oct 2026 — https://www.pratidintime.com/north-east/arunachal-pradesh-12-hour-shutdown-over-subansiri-dam-protesters-clash-with-police-12751690