The Siyom in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh

Guwahati, Jan. 10: The Union ministry of environment and forests will find it difficult to give forest clearance to the 700MW Tato-II hydel project in Arunachal Pradesh, as the cumulative impact assessment study is still not ready.

Sources at the Union ministry said the fact sheet of the Rs 6,912.45-crore project presented to the forest advisory committee stated that the state government had not submitted the impact study.

“There is heavy pressure to clear this project but how can one go ahead without the cumulative impact assessment study? It will be difficult to get an integrated view of the issues in the basin where the project is located, without the study,” a source said.

The cumulative impact assessment study of a river/river basin is an important and effective tool for consideration of hydroelectric power projects proposed in a cascading fashion.

The study comes out with optimum number of projects that could be planned on a river and its basin in an environmentally sustainable manner. It enables to ensure a minimum free flowing stretch of a river, as the total numbers of projects recommended would be known beforehand.

The project was submitted by the Arunachal Pradesh government on September 29, 2010. It is slated for discussion at the forest advisory committee under the Union ministry on January 16 and 17.

Sources said the Arunachal Pradesh forest department while recommending the proposal said, “The threats to the global environment have the potential to open our eyes and make us accept that the protection of environment is an essential feature of sustainable development.”

“It is a known fact that without adequate environmental protection development is undetermined. Therefore, it is required to have a line of control over both these contingencies (development and conservation) whereby the degree of use of natural resources and its exploitation as well as the degree of economic development should be at such rate, which will assure sustenance both to present and future generation in wholesome environment.”

The Tato-II hydel project, executed by Tato Hydro Power Private Limited, is located on the Siyom river near Tato village in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The site inspection report clearly said the project area under Along forest division was large and inhabited by animals like musk deer, clouded leopard, leopard cat, red panda, slow loris, common leopard, pangolin, Assamese macaque and black bear.

The project area does not form part of any national park, sanctuary or biosphere reserve and therefore, there is no violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

About 1,20,890 trees are required to be felled and 313.88 hectares of the forestland will have to make way for the project.