New Delhi: Even as protests in Arunachal Pradesh continue against the 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, a proposed hydroelectric project on the Siyom River — a tributary of the Siyang River — has received key approval from the Union Environment Ministry’s forest advisory committee (FAC).
The latest project, called the 1,000-MW Naying Hydro Electric Project, will be operated by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited and built in Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi Yomi and Siang districts, leading to the diversion of around 470 hectares of ‘unclassed forest’ land and felling of more than one lakh trees.
Unclassed forest is an area recorded as forest but not included in the reserved or protected forest category. Ownership status of such forests varies from state to state.
The Naying Hydro Electric Project’s proposed area also falls within a high conservation value (HCV) zone, meaning the forest land needing diversion comprises very dense forest patches, according to the minutes of the FAC’s meeting, held on October 23.
It was during this meeting that the committee recommended the project for grant stage-I (in-principle) approval for the forest land diversion.
The stage-I clearance stipulates conditions, including compensatory afforestation, which must be fulfilled before stage-II formal diversion approval can be granted.
The development came amid rising tensions related to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), as Indigenous communities in the region claimed that its construction would affect their ancestral lands, river systems, livelihoods, cultural heritage and territorial rights.
Last week, Tagori Mize, spokesperson of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) — the organisation at the forefront of protests against SUMP — said in a statement that more than 3,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed across three districts, namely East Siang, Siang, and Upper Siang.
He added that the communities and individual landowners were never informed or consulted about the proposed dam project.
“Instead, unlawful means are being used to forge majority consent, and the signatures are being obtained by misleading people,” said Mize.
That’s why the latest clearance granted to the Naying Hydro Electric Project could exacerbate the situation in the region.
The project, which involves construction of a concrete gravity dam 138 metres high from the deepest foundation level, will affect more than 400 families and 12 villages.
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) report of the project found: “While commercial fishing is absent, occasional fishing using cast nets, gill nets, and drag nets is carried out by local villagers. Surveys and consultations reveal the presence of 20 fish species in the river and its tributaries.”
“Construction of the dam and creation of a reservoir will change the habitat of fish species and impact their breeding and spawning cycle. This is one of the major impacts and cannot be mitigated completely,” it added.
Moreover, the proposed forest land which needs to be diverted for the project is located at a distance of 9.71 km from the Yorde-Rabe Supse Wildlife Sanctuary, and 19.55 km from the Mouling Wildlife Sanctuary.
The project’s site inspection report said, “Arunachal Pradesh is widely known for its Schedule I & II species that include many highly endangered and endemic species. And this hydropower project will undoubtedly affect the habitats of various wildlife… The increased width of the submerged area will adversely affect the migration of wild animals from one bank to the other.”
During its deliberations, the FAC noted the project’s benefits, observing that the dam is expected to contribute to meeting the North-East region’s power requirements, with surplus electricity available for supply to other states.
