North Lakhimpur, Nov. 13 -- The government should not attempt to push through the proposed 11.2 gigawatt (GW) Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) by force and must respect the concerns of people in both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, said Adi Galo Welfare Society (AGWS) president Geyi Bagra as the organisation's anti-dam solidarity foot march reached Assam's Lakhimpur district on Thursday.

Bagra, who is leading a 400-km march from Geku in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district to Itanagar, urged the government to engage in peaceful dialogue with affected communities and take their concerns over the project's environmental and social implications into account.

The march, which began on November 4, entered North Lakhimpur on Thursday ...