Fresh violence at Menga Dam protests in Arunachal Pradesh

Violence broke out during a 12-hour strike against the Menga Dam in India’s Arunachal Pradesh state. Residents fear displacement and the loss of ancestral land.

General News

Mirat Haber

27/10/2026 12:07

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Fresh violence broke out during protests in Daporijo against the proposed Menga Dam in India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. According to DW’s report dated October 27, 2026, a 12-hour general strike called by student organizations disrupted daily life. Opponents want authorities to scrap the dam project permanently; residents’ concerns include displacement and the loss of ancestral land.

Key developments

The Upper Subansiri hydroelectric project, also known as the Menga Dam, has a planned capacity of 1,605 megawatts.
According to the Arunachal Times, at least one police vehicle was damaged and one police officer was injured in the violence in Daporijo.
In Taliha village, residents opposing the dam and a land assessment blocked passage across a bridge; those demonstrations were reported to be largely peaceful.
The unrest in Pasighat on October 23 occurred during protests against a separate project, the 11,000-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.

Residents fear losing land and being displaced

At the heart of the anti-dam protests are local concerns about mass displacement, the loss of ancestral land, ecological damage and earthquake risks. These are concerns raised by opponents of the projects, not reported outcomes. The 12-hour strike in Daporijo directly affected daily life.

In Taliha, opposition extends beyond the Menga Dam to the associated land assessment. According to DW, citing the Arunachal Times, villagers blocked a bridge to restrict movement. The largely peaceful nature of the demonstrations there shows that protests across the state have not all taken the same form.

Protesters are asking authorities not merely to pause work but to scrap the power project permanently. Objections over land and demands for the project’s complete cancellation are central to the protests in Daporijo and Taliha.

What happened during the strike in Daporijo?

Tensions turned violent during the 12-hour general strike organized by student groups against the Menga Dam. DW, citing the Arunachal Times, reported that at least one police vehicle was damaged and one police officer was injured. Some strike supporters also allegedly damaged an office rented by a hydropower company and set office equipment on fire.

The account of the attack on the office remains an allegation. According to information from the Times of India carried in DW’s report, local police staged a show-of-force march through the streets and appealed for calm. The violence in Daporijo and the largely peaceful demonstrations in Taliha were protests against the same project in different locations.

Reinforcements in Pasighat: Reports differ on troop numbers

Authorities sent security reinforcements to Pasighat in anticipation of further protests. Tensions there rose after demonstrations on October 23 against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which is separate from the Menga Dam. Police had used tear gas against young people protesting the project.

According to reports cited by DW, some demonstrators allegedly set buildings and vehicles on fire, damaged lawmakers’ homes and burned local offices during the unrest. Police detained dozens of demonstrators. These events took place in a different location and concerned a different project from the Menga Dam protests in Daporijo.

Reports differ on the scale of the security deployment. DW’s account, citing NDTV, says additional Central Reserve Police Force units were sent from Assam to the Siang Valley area and that around 34 companies of Central Armed Police Forces were deployed in the region. The Arunachal Times reported around 30 companies, alongside state police and paramilitary forces. These two figures should not be treated as a single definitive total.

Questions about the dam protests

Are the Menga Dam and the Siang project the same?

No. Menga Dam is another name for the 1,605-megawatt Upper Subansiri hydroelectric project. The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which sparked the protests in Pasighat, is a separate 11,000-megawatt project.

What do opponents of the Menga Dam want?

Protesters want authorities to scrap the project permanently. The main concerns raised locally are mass displacement, the loss of ancestral land, ecological damage and earthquake risks.

Source: DW’s India live news coverage dated October 27, 2026.