Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) extends Demwe Lower hydel project clearance till 2037

Key facts

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has extended the environmental clearance (EC) for the 1,750 MW Demwe Lower Project in Arunachal Pradesh until 2037.
• The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on river valley and hydroelectric projects granted the 11-year extension by treating time lost to litigation as a zero period.
• The project is located on the Lohit River across the Anjaw and Lohit districts and involves the construction of a 162.12-metre-tall concrete gravity dam.
• Greenko Demwe Power Limited (GDPL), part of the Greenko Group, is the current developer after the original developer, Athena Demwe Power Ltd, entered insolvency proceedings.
• The project requires the diversion of 1,416 hectares of forest land and will result in the submergence of 1,589.97 hectares.
• The Lohit basin and Kamlang Tiger Reserve, situated upstream of the project, are identified as crucial habitats for the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had previously ordered the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to reconsider the project due to its potential impact on the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam.
• The project is situated upstream of Parshuram Kund, a significant Hindu pilgrimage site located within the Lohit riverine ecosystem.