Naying Hydroelectric Project Cleared to Cut Over 1 Lakh Trees in Arunachal

Itanagar: The Union Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee granted in-principle approval for the 1,000-MW Naying hydroelectric project. North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited plans to build the facility on the Siyom river. This project spans across the Shi Yomi and Siang districts. It requires diverting 470 hectares of unclassed forest land. The construction necessitates the felling of more than one lakh trees.

The project site sits inside a high conservation value zone. Dense forest patches will vanish. Officials mandate compensatory afforestation before issuing final Stage-II approval. The dam requires a 138-metre-high concrete gravity structure. It will impact 400 families living in 12 villages.

Environmental reports warn of habitat destruction. The site is 9.71 km from Yorde-Rabe Supse Wildlife Sanctuary and 19.55 km from Mouling National Park. Site inspectors noted that the submerged area width will block wildlife migration routes. The region hosts various endangered species.

This approval arrives during massive local protests against the 11.2 GW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Indigenous groups fear for their ancestral lands and cultural heritage. Tagori Mize, spokesperson for the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, stated that over 3,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed across the valley. Mize claims landowners were never consulted properly. He said, "Instead, unlawful means are being used to forge majority consent, and the signatures are being obtained by misleading people."