Context:
Forest and Climate Change's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) recently granted in-principle forest clearance to the controversial Etalin hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh. The decision comes despite the panel previously raising serious concerns about the project's ecological and wildlife impacts, which led to a rejection in 2022.
About the Etalin Hydropower project:
The 3,097-MW Etalin project, proposed in the biodiverse Dibang Valley, is one of the largest hydropower ventures in India by generation capacity. It requires the diversion of 1,175 hectares of forest land and would involve the felling of over 2.78 lakh trees, sparking years of protest from local communities and environmentalists.
The Etalin project, a run-of-the-river scheme on the Dri and Talo rivers (local names for the Dibang), does not involve major water storage. Nonetheless, experts warn that even such projects can significantly alter fragile mountain river ecosystems.
The project site lies in a region of extraordinary biodiversity, home to:
- Endangered species such as tigers, snow leopards, alpine musk deer, black bears, and Mishmi takin.
- Over 680 bird species.
- Forest lands traditionally governed by the Idu Mishmi tribal community, which hasconsistently opposed the project.
Forest Advisory Committee (FAC):
· The FAC is a statutory body set up under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
· It works under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
· The FAC reviews and decides whether forest land can be used for industrial or infrastructure projects.
· It can either approve or reject a project. If approved, it may set certain conditions for using the land.
FAC Stance on the project:
- In December 2022, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) did not approve the proposed project. It pointed out the need for updated biodiversity studies, since the original proposal was from 2014. The committee also raised concerns about the combined ecological impact of several hydropower projects in the area and noted that a multi-seasonal biodiversity assessment—recommended in 2017—had not been carried out.
- Later, the FAC changed its decision and gave approval. This was based on the responses provided by the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department and the availability of existing biodiversity studies, which the committee found satisfactory.
Debate Around Biodiversity Study
- One of the key documents considered during the approval process was a 2019 biodiversity report by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Earlier, the FAC had questioned the report’s scientific reliability, noting that it was based on a four-month study and did not cover multiple seasons. There were also concerns about errors in species identification, including references to animals not found in India, such as African bats and long-tailed house bats.
- In 2022, 29 Indian conservation scientists published a peer-reviewed paper highlighting what they saw as flaws in the WII report, especially in its methods and species documentation.
Conclusion
The FAC's decision to grant in-principle forest clearance to the Etalin hydel project has raised concerns over the government's commitment to environmental protection and conservation. The project's potential impact on the environment and wildlife is a major concern, and it remains to be seen how the government will address these concerns in the future.
