Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

Guwahati, Jan. 30: An expert panel of the Union ministry of environment and forests has recommended an extension of the study area of the Lohit river basin in Arunachal Pradesh upto the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam.

The decision was taken during the 71st meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects held on January 20 and 21.

The Lohit river basin study was initiated at the instance of Union ministry when it gave environment clearance to Demwe Lower and Demwe Upper hydroelectric power projects of Athena Demwe Power Limited. The interim report of the study was discussed by the expert-appraisal committee in its 2010 meeting.

The project had generated a lot of controversy with former environment minister Jairam Ramesh having shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010 opposing granting of forest clearance to the Demwe Lower project as it would have serious downstream impacts till Dibrugarh in Assam.

The Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is located at a distance of about 105km downstream of the dam of Demwe Lower hydel power project.

The study area of the Lohit basin covers the catchment area of the Lohit river (in Indian territory) upto last the hydro project — Demwe Lower hydel project. Therefore, the impact on biodiversity of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park was beyond the study area and, hence, the data on ecological features of the national park was not collected.

Sources said the meeting decided that the impacts of the hydroelectric projects on the aquatic ecology and free-flow stretches of the tributaries of the Lohit basin should be included in the new study.

The ministry will request the Arunachal Pradesh government to provide the data of various hydroelectric projects on tributaries of the Lohit basin. Though the issue was raised by in an earlier meeting in November 2011, it could not be compiled because of various reasons.

The panel has recommended that a siren or hooter would be used for sufficient time at regular intervals, giving adequate time for any person working in the Lohit river to move out prior to start of rising of water level.

The ministry, while giving the green signal to the Lower Demwe project, had stated that no further clearance would be given to any more hydel project on the Lohit without a cumulative study of the impact on aquatic life, adjoining forestland, ecological aspects which has to be done by the state government involving an expert team.