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2 min readNew DelhiMay 8, 2026 05:40 AM IST
A white-bellied heron in Namdapha Tiger Reserve. (Expres photo by Rohit Naniwadekar)
A THDC India Ltd proposal seeking clearance for diversion of 869.35 hectares of semi-evergreen forest for the 1,200 MW Kalai-II hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh has been placed before the Environment Ministry’s forest advisory committee (FAC) in the habitat of the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron, as per proposal documents submitted to FAC.
However, the proposal to the Centre does not make any mention of the species. The FAC, which grants clearances for use of forest land for non-forest purposes, is slated to appraise the project on May 8.
Planned in Anjaw district bordering China, the Rs 14,176.26 crore run-of-the-river project is proposed on the Lohit river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra and will involve construction of a 128.5 m concrete gravity dam and an underground powerhouse.
Lohit river is a habitat for the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron which has been accorded Scheduled-I status, the highest protection, under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. However, a joint site inspection report, submitted as part of the proposal, and signed by the Namsai Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), stated that “no rare or endangered flora and fauna is present along the proposed forest land diversion area”.
Further, compensatory afforestation for the loss of forest in Arunachal has been proposed in Madhya Pradesh. The state forest department allowed for compensatory afforestation in another state as Arunachal is a “hilly and forested state with forest cover more than two-third of the geographical area”, the department conveyed to THDCIL in February 2025.
The elusive bird’s presence has been recorded both upstream and downstream of the Kalai-II project. The state’s forest department has itself recorded the bird’s presence in the past, and more recently, independent researchers have recorded its presence in the riverine habitat. Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department officials, including the Namsai DFO and Chief Wildlife Warden did not respond to calls seeking comments on the omission of the Heron’s presence.
The project received recommendation for environmental clearance from the Environment Ministry’s expert appraisal committee on river valley and hydroelectric projects in December.
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
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