Introduction
The recent proposal of the Etalin Hydroelectric Project (EHP) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley has sparked a wave of attention from conservationists and former members of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL). Many are pushing for the rejection of approval for this project due to numerous environmental concerns.
The Etalin Hydroelectric Project
The EHP, which is projected to be one of India’s largest hydropower projects in terms of installed capacity, is based on the Dibang River. It aims to be completed in 7 years. The Dibang River is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, flowing through the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The project includes the construction of two dams over the Dir and Tangon tributaries. Its placement is considered significant as it falls under the richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone and situates at the junction of major biogeographic zones like Palaearctic Zone and Indo-Malayan Zone.
Biogeographic Regions
Biogeographic regions are vast distinct units sharing similar ecology, biome representation, community, and species. Initially, six such regions were recognised: Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, Ethiopian/Afrotropic, Oriental/Indo-Malayan, and Australian. However, the incorporation of Oceania and Antarctica has brought the total to eight. The Palearctic Zone includes arctic and temperate Eurasia, while the Indo-Malayan Zone encompasses tropical Asia.
Criticism and Issues
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), acting under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), noted that the project would clear 2.7 lakh trees in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and subtropical rainforests. This, along with other environmental concerns, sparked protests from green groups, leading the MoEFCC to transfer the project to the Union Power Ministry.
Conservationists voiced that the FAC sub-committee overlooked established principles of forest conservation and legal issues while recommending the proposal. They pointed out that the threat of forest fragmentation was ignored, which could result from the poorly planned intrusion of developmental projects into contiguous landscapes, endangering rare species.
Moreover, the inadequacy of the Environment Impact Assessment report on Etalin was called out. Observations such as the threat to 25 globally endangered mammal and bird species in the proposed area were overlooked. Moreover, the suggested mitigation measures, such as establishing butterfly and reptile parks, were viewed as inadequate and insufficient, amplifying the call for the project’s rejection.
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding the EHP underscores the necessity of careful consideration of ecological impacts before launching large-scale development projects. While the generation of hydroelectric power has significant economic benefits, it should not be pursued at the expense of rare biodiversity and valuable ecosystems’ preservation. Therefore, the decision whether to proceed with the EHP should be based on a comprehensive, transparent, and scientifically accurate appraisal of its potential environmental impacts.