Even as protests continue in Arunachal Pradesh against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), another major hydropower project in the Siang basin has moved a step closer to implementation. The Union Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has recommended Stage-I (in-principle) forest clearance for the 1,000-MW Naying Hydro Electric Project, proposed on the Siyom River, a tributary of the Siang.
The project, to be developed by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi Yomi and Siang districts, will require the diversion of nearly 470 hectares of unclassed forest land and the felling of over one lakh trees. Unclassed forests are areas recorded as forest but not designated as either reserved or protected forests, with ownership varying from state to state.
According to the FAC meeting minutes dated October 23, the proposed project area falls within a High Conservation Value (HCV) zone. The land identified for diversion includes very dense forest patches with significant ecological importance. While recommending the project for Stage-I clearance, the committee imposed several conditions, including compensatory afforestation, which must be fulfilled before final Stage-II approval can be granted.
The clearance comes at a time of heightened tensions over the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Indigenous communities have strongly opposed SUMP, arguing that it threatens ancestral lands, river ecosystems, livelihoods, cultural heritage, and traditional rights.
Tagori Mize, spokesperson for the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), recently alleged that more than 3,000 paramilitary personnel had been deployed across East Siang, Siang, and Upper Siang districts. He claimed that local communities and landowners were neither adequately informed nor properly consulted on the proposed projects. Mize further alleged that efforts were being made to secure consent through misleading means.
Against this backdrop, the clearance for the Naying project is expected to intensify concerns among local communities. The proposed project includes the construction of a 138-metre-high concrete gravity dam and is expected to affect more than 400 families across 12 villages.
Environmental concerns have also been raised due to the project’s proximity to ecologically sensitive areas. The proposed diversion site lies about 9.71 kilometres from the Yorde-Rabe Supse Wildlife Sanctuary and around 19.55 kilometres from the Mouling Wildlife Sanctuary.
A site inspection report noted that Arunachal Pradesh is home to numerous endangered and endemic species listed under Schedule I and II of the Wildlife Protection Act. It warned that the hydropower project could significantly impact wildlife habitats and disrupt animal movement across the river, as the expanded submerged area would create barriers to traditional migration routes.
