The Environment Ministry has recommended forest clearance for three crucial hydro projects located in the Siang river basin, Arunachal Pradesh. The projects will collectively denude 200 hectares of biodiversity rich forests. The three projects — Pauk, Heo and Tato-I — are all proposed on Yarjep River, a tributary of Siyom River, and have a generating capacity of 571 MW.
Earlier, the expert appraisal committee for forest clearances had deferred clearance to the project in absence of cumulative impact assessment study (CIAS) carried out of the Siang basin.
According to sources, Central Water Commission had authorised a CIAS study of the Siang basin. It was assigned to RS Environlinks Technologies Private limited. The expert panel, in their latest meeting, passed the projects on the basis of this report. Nearly 44 hydro power projects have been planned in the Siang basin, one of the main tributaries of the Brahmaputra River.
Environmentalists however pointed out that CIAS has not addressed the key issues. They said that no comprehensive seismic study was carried out, which is critical in Arunachal Pradesh that falls in seismic zone V. More importantly, the CIAS delves little into the impact of the projects in downstream Assam.
The study does not underline any participatory process of the locals from the affected regions in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, said Himanshu Thakkar, from South Asia Network for Dams Rivers and People.