ITANAGAR, Oct 6: A farmers' body spearheading the stir against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) on Tuesday claimed 67 villagers were injured in the October 4 clashes with the police.
The Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF) made the claim a day after police said eight personnel were injured in the clashes and five people, including two women, were arrested.
The SIFF's claims could not be independently verified, while an official response from the administration or police was awaited.
Violence broke out in Siang district amid people's protests against the pre-feasibility report (PFR) exercise for the proposed 11,000-MW multipurpose project on the Siang River.
SIFF general secretary Likeng Libang, in a statement, said 52 protesters were injured at Riga and 15 at Pangkang during the confrontation.
Of the 67 injured, 31 suffered major injuries while 36 sustained minor injuries, the forum claimed.
SIFF also alleged that eight vehicles belonging to project-affected families were damaged during the clashes. Four vehicles were damaged at Riga and four at Pangkang, it said.
The forum also claimed that seven project-affected people from Riew and Begging villages were injured in another incident near the Siang Bridge at Dite Dime. Five of them were from Riew and two from Begging. Of the seven, one suffered major injuries while six sustained minor injuries, it said. (PTI)