Marking a key step for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, 110 households from Geku signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday extending support to the project’s Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR).

Chief Minister Pema Khandu welcomed the decision and expressed gratitude to each family. He said the people of Geku had displayed “tremendous courage and vision,” adding that “every citizen who supports a project of national importance is a partner in nation-building.”

While the project is often discussed for its hydropower potential, Khandu underlined its strategic and safety dimensions. “The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is not just about power generation. It is about protecting the Siang and the communities living along its banks from any potential threat arising from unregulated or sudden water discharges by a country to our north,” he said.

The Chief Minister credited several leaders and local stakeholders for facilitating the MoU. He thanked Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein; Ninong Ering, Adviser to the HDyCM and Minister in Charge, Department of Hydropower Development; Oni Panyang, MLA, Mariyang-Geku; along with community leaders, elders and other stakeholders for their role in achieving the milestone.

The massive 11,000 MW hydroelectric mega-dam planned in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is being planned as a strategic intervention on the Siang river, with objectives that include flood moderation, water security, and energy generation. Concerns over upstream infrastructure on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet have repeatedly been cited by state and central officials as a factor driving the project.