The Daily PulseGeneral
Expert panel backs Upper Subansiri hydro project, flags risk to 135,000 trees
Reported by Rituparna Sen (Section Editor) · Indian Express - India ·
Reported by one source so far
Clearance
Expert panel of the Environment Ministry has recommended environmental clearance for the 1,605 MW Upper Subansiri hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh. The recommendation comes with a note on the planned removal of about 135,000 trees.
Impact
The project will divert 2,733 hectares of forest land and affect 1,139 households slated for land acquisition. The panel warned that tree felling could break forest structure, disturb wildlife routes and reduce ecosystem services. It asked NHPC to prepare a site‑specific ecosystem restoration and biodiversity management plan that includes avoiding tree loss, phased restoration, native‑species planting, soil and moisture protection and control of invasive plants.
Project
The dam will be 237 metres high, create a 22.2 sq km reservoir about 50 km long and aim to generate power and moderate floods. Because forest clearance is still pending, the Ministry has proposed compensatory afforestation on 5,466 hectares of degraded land across 144 sites in 14 districts of Madhya Pradesh. The proposal follows a Supreme Court 2009 directive that upstream projects be assessed independently by the wildlife board. The Upper Subansiri project joins several other schemes in the Subansiri basin, including the downstream Subansiri Lower (2,000 MW) and upstream Oju (2,220 MW) projects.
ExplainerWhy this matters
What Happened
The Environment Ministry’s expert panel gave a conditional green light to the Upper Subansiri dam, a 1,605 MW scheme that will flood 22.2 sq km of land and cut about 135,000 trees. The clearance still needs a forest‑clearance order because the project will take over 2,733 hectares of forest.
Why It Matters
The dam promises more electricity and flood control for the region, but losing that many trees can break habitats, limit wildlife movement and weaken ecosystem services like water regulation. The Supreme Court has already said any upstream dam must be judged on its own merits, so this project tests that rule. The compensatory planting in Madhya Pradesh tries to offset the loss, yet the scale of the offset (5,466 hectares of degraded land) highlights the challenge of balancing energy needs with forest conservation.
What Happens Next
NHPC must submit a detailed ecosystem restoration plan before final clearance. The wildlife board will review the plan and decide if the proposed mitigation is enough. If approved, construction of the 237‑metre dam will begin, while monitoring groups will likely watch for compliance with the forest‑clearance conditions and any impact on downstream projects such as Subansiri Lower.
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