Itanagar: Upper Siang district magistrate Ashok Tajo has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, amid apprehensions of law-and-order breaches linked to protests against the pre-feasibility report exercises for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).The order, issued ex parte citing the urgency of the situation, prohibits the assembly of five or more people near key installations in Yingkiong town. The restricted areas include the DC and SP office compound, police station, DC and SP bungalows and the residence of Tuting-Yingkiong MLA Alo Libang.The administration said intelligence inputs indicated that “unscrupulous elements” could exploit mass gatherings to incite violence, arson or damage to public and private property.Processions, rallies, marches and meetings near the designated locations will not be allowed without prior written permission from the competent authority. The order also prohibits the carrying of lethal weapons, including daos, spears and firearms, in the vicinity of the restricted areas.The restrictions came into force immediately and will remain in effect for 30 days, up to November 10, 2026. Violations will invite penal action under Section 223 of the BNSS and other applicable laws, officials said.The proposed 11,200MW SUMP has faced strong local opposition over concerns that it could displace communities, submerge villages and agricultural land, cause extensive ecological damage and threaten the indigenous Adi civilisation in the seismically active region.
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