Speedy clearance for 3,000-MW Arunachal Pradesh hydro project

NEW DELHI: Environment minister Prakash Javadekar has assured the Arunachal Pradesh government that forest clearance for the 3,000 mw Dibang Hydropower Project in the state will be expedited. Javadekar gave the assurance when Arunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki met him in Delhi on Monday, according to a communique from the CM’s office.

The Forest Advisory Committee has rejected the project proposal on two occasions, most recently at its meeting in April. The statutory panel had rejected the project on the grounds that it would affect 4,577.84 hectares of biodiversity rich forest land and entail felling of 3.24 lakh trees.The panel’s recommendation came despite the Cabinet Committee on Investment directing the environment ministry “to grant the requisite clearance for diversion of forest land expeditiously” for the project. Earlier, the forest panel had rejected the project when it came up for consideration in July last year.