Iho Mitapo is a budding conservationist and adventure travel guide in the remote corner of Northeast India, but hydropower developments could forever change the land he calls home. His tribe, the Idu Mishmi, and the rich biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh face the looming construction of what will be India’s biggest dam. Iho’s community is desperate to preserve local wildlife on their ancestral lands; can their attempt to create a sanctuary make a difference?
Researched, Filmed and Edited for VOA’s 52 Documentry series that provides intimate portraits of every day characters and documents stories from little known and heard of places, empowering viewers to engage with the world in new ways.
Viewers get an intimate view into the everyday life of the Idu tribal community and participate in a community festival called “Reh” that’s lead by local village shamans. These traditions along with their lands risk being lost as rapid hydropower developments, encroach into India’s most remote corners in the central government’s quest to double the country’s hydropower capacity by 2030 at all costs. More than 168 hydropower projects are planned across Northeast Indian states including dozens of mega dams planned in Arunachal Pradesh alone.
Some stills:
Pearly Jacob 