PRISTINE & PRICELESS

Two key hydel power projects in the state have not compensated for their high environmental impact. The environment ministry has sought a report in this regard after the NGT took "suo motu notice"

- Adarsh Kumar

THE Environment Ministry's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has sought a report within three weeks about the compliance status of forest clearances granted for hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh. This move comes after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took "suo motu notice" of an investigative report, detailing how two key hydel power projects in the state were among six massive undertakings initiated across the nation, between 2004 and 2020, where compensation for high environmental impact was sidestepped, ignored or met only on paper.

The NGT sought responses from the Ministry of Environment, the Arunachal Pradesh government and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation on whether the requirements for granting forest clearances to the 3,000-MW Dibang hydroelectric project had been met. The Tribunal directed the Ministry to correct errors in its affidavit before the next hearing on July 14. The Dibang project got preliminary forest clearance in 2015 with the precondition that a national park would be declared to protect the river basin. Despite no compliance, the final forest clearance was issued in 2020.

The second project was the 2,000MW Lower Subansiri hydel project, which got forest clearance in 2004 on the condition that over 900-sqkm in the catchment and submergence areas would be declared a sanctuary. The requirement was later cut to 168 sqkm of sanctuary space and 332 sqkm of conservation reserve. After 17 years, the state has notified only 127 sqkm.