In Arunachal's white-bellied heron habitat, Kalai-II project gets nod, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Union Environment Ministry expert panel has recommended environmental clearance for the 1,200-MW Kalai-II Hydroelectric project on the Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Environmentalists have flagged omissions in the project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) report regarding the presence of the critically-endangered white-bellied heron.
• The EIA report, prepared by WAPCOS Ltd, failed to mention the heron despite the project area being a contiguous habitat with recent records of the bird.
• The project, developed by THDC India Ltd, is planned in Anjaw's Hawai village at an estimated cost of Rs 14,176.26 crore.

Detailed Insights:

• The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) had previously sought a detailed conservation plan for the white-bellied heron in 2020 while extending clearance for the 1,750 MW Lower Demwe project, also on the Lohit River.
• The white-bellied heron is a Schedule-I species under the Wildlife Protection Act and is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, with experts estimating only 40-60 birds left in the wild.
• The heron prefers free-flowing riverine habitats and depends on fish found in river rapids; their population in Arunachal Pradesh is found in Lohit, Anjaw, and Changlang districts, including in Kamlang and Namdapha tiger reserves.
• Threats to the heron include habitat loss, hunting, human disturbances, and the wider impacts of dams, with nesting sites recorded in Walong and Namdapha Tiger Reserve.
• The Kalai-II project involves the construction of a 128.5-m concrete gravity dam and an underground powerhouse on the Lohit River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): A process to evaluate the environmental consequences of a proposed project or policy.
• Critically Endangered Species: A species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
• Schedule-I Species: Species that have the highest protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of India.