In a significant policy reversal, the Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has granted in-principle forest clearance for the 3,097 MW Etalin hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley. The approval permits the diversion of 1,175 hectares of forest land and the removal of approximately 278,000 trees, overturning the committee’s own 2022 objections over ecological risks.
Etalin, one of India’s largest planned run-of-the-river hydro projects, has long been opposed by environmental organisations and the indigenous Idu Mishmi community. The designated forest area shelters endangered fauna such as tigers, snow leopards, black bears and more than 680 bird species. In 2022, the FAC had rejected the proposal, citing insufficient biodiversity data and urging a comprehensive multi-season study—an assessment that was never completed.
Despite these concerns, the FAC relied on earlier surveys, including a Wildlife Institute of India report that conservationists have criticised for inaccuracies, such as citing species absent from the region. Although Etalin does not require a large reservoir, critics warn that its cumulative effects—combined with other hydropower developments planned in the ecologically fragile Dibang basin—could be severe.
Proponents argue the project will bolster clean energy capacity and support regional development. However, the clearance decision reignites debate over balancing India’s growing power needs with the preservation of its most vulnerable ecosystems.
