Arunachal hydel project will impact 23.4 lakh trees, but compensatory plantations will happen in MP

AN ENVIRONMENT Ministry expert panel has recommended clearance for construction of NHPC’s 1,720 MW Kamala hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh which entails felling of 23.4 lakh trees. Expressing concern over the proposed felling of trees, the panel has stressed the need for a precise and well-managed action plan for ecosystem restoration. The compensatory afforestation for the project will be carried out in various parts of Madhya Pradesh, as no degraded forest land was available in Arunachal Pradesh, as per submissions made to the panel by Arunachal forest department. The Rs 23,764.01-crore project, which will have a 216 m high dam and a 2,600-hectare reservoir, is planned to harness the water of the Kamla river, a right-bank tributary of Subansiri. The expert appraisal committee (EAC) on river valley and hydroelectric projects has directed NHPC Ltd, the project proponents, to obtain an in-principle forest clearance before they are granted the final environmental clearance, minutes of EAC’s January 28 and January 30 meetings show. It is to be noted that the final environmental clearance is granted by the Environment Ministry after perusal of the recommendations submitted by different sectoral expert panels. The ministry’s forest advisory committee (FAC) will appraise the proposal to divert 3,278 hectares for the project. Tree felling on forest land is permitted only after two-stage forest diversion approvals, and in phases. The Rs 23,764.01 crore project is planned to harness the waters of Kamala River, a right-bank tributary of Subansiri river, which is Brahmaputra’s tributary and will see construction of a 216-m-high concrete gravity dam. The project spans Kamle, Kra Daadi and Kurung Kumey districts of Arunachal Pradesh, and is conceived as a storage project with approved flood moderation. A total of 5,440 families in 126 villages will be affected due to the project, as per the project’s Social Impact Assessment report. “The EAC expressed concern regarding the proposed felling of trees i.e 23,40,213 nos as the project is located in a very dense forest area. The Committee emphasized the need for a precise and well-managed action plan for ecosystem restoration, including adequate mitigation and compensatory measures in consultation with State Forest & Wildlife Department, ecology and wildlife, expert local public, would be necessary for consideration prior to grant of Forest Clearance to the project,” the EAC recorded in the minutes of its two meetings. The Kamala hydroelectric project is one among a cascade of hydroelectric projects planned in the Subansiri river basin. The 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri project at Gerukamukh on the Assam-Arunachal border is on the main stem of the Subansiri river, and is downstream of the Kamala project. Even as the Lower Subansiri project was commissioned in December 2025 after several delays, the mandatory compensatory afforestation on 31.83 sq km is still pending despite six reminders from the Union Environment Ministry, The Indian Express had reported on February 4. ## No mention of wildlife clearance While recommending the environmental clearance, the EAC is silent on whether the project will require statutory wildlife clearance. Prior to the EAC’s January 28 meeting, Assam-based environmentalist Bimal Gogoi had written to it pointing out that based on a 2009 Supreme Court order, any project upstream of the Lower Subansiri is to be considered by the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife. The EAC’s minutes does not make any mention of conditions regarding appraisal for wildlife clearance. Of the 3,278 hectares of forest proposed for diversion, which is of high conservation value, 439 hectares is classified as very dense forest, 1,119 as moderately dense forest. As per data collected from field surveys in all seasons, a total number of 155 plant species, belonging to 69 families, were sighted and recorded in the study area. These species include trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, climbers, and ferns, the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment report stated. The compensatory afforestation in MP is proposed across Khargone, Gwalior, Dhar, Panna districts, among others. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More