Itanagar, Jan. 18: The Union ministry of forests, environment and climate change's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has put on hold plans to build the 21MW Kamlang hydro-electric project on the Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh because or its proximity to a wildlife sanctuary.

Minutes of the committee's meeting held on December 22, that were released today, said the committee also turned down the interim report of the Lohit River Basin Study, citing incomplete data as the cause.

The ministry had initiated the study while according environment clearance to Demwe Lower and Demwe Upper hydroelectric power projects on the Lohit. Altogether five projects, Gimliang, Raigam, Tiding-I and II, and Kamlang, have been planned on the tributaries of the Lohit.

The Water and Power Consultancy Services, which conducted the study, was, however, unable to provide a detailed report on the river basin.

The minutes of the meeting said the preliminary feasibility reports were only available for the Gimiliang and Raigam projects.

Based on data, the committee said Kamlang wildlife sanctuary is located 1km from the 21MW Kamlang project and that the project should be dropped.

"Kamlang wildlife sanctuary is located 1km from the Kamlang hydro-electric project site. Therefore, it is proposed to be dropped," it read.

The wildlife sanctuary is situated in the south-eastern part of Lohit district and is spread over an area of 783 square km.

The sanctuary is home to tigers, leopards, clouded leopards and snow leopards, apart from the hoolock gibbons.

The committee also noted that hydrological data for the study was incomplete and that "in the absence of such vital details, it may not be possible to examine the report".

It said the study cannot be treated as an interim report to appraise and suggested the incorporation of all the details as was followed in the main Lohit basin study and called for modifications.

During the same meeting, the committee also extended the terms of reference for the 1,000MW Nabha hydro electric project on the Subansiri river near Badok village in Upper Subansiri district.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 7,801 crore and is expected to be completed in five years.

Clearance for the terms of reference ended in July last year and the project proponent had requested a two-year extension to complete ongoing project activities, including environmental impact assessment and environment management plan studies.

The committee extended the validity of the terms of reference till July 2017.