Arunachal Pradesh’s Mega Hydel Project Now Set to Run Through 2037

Sixteen years after receiving environmental clearance, the 1,750 MW Demwe Lower hydel project in Arunachal Pradesh has secured an 11-year extension of its green nod till 2037. The Ministry of Environment’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) approved the extension in January 2026, citing prolonged litigation as the reason for delay. However, the decision has triggered concerns because a past National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruling had set aside the project’s wildlife clearance. The extension has reopened debate on biodiversity risks and legal compliance in the ecologically sensitive Lohit basin.

Demwe Lower Project: Why Environmental Clearance Extended Till 2037?

• The Demwe Lower Project, a 1,750 MW hydel project on the Lohit River, originally received environmental clearance (EC) in February 2010.
• Its validity was set to expire in 2020. However, due to policy relaxations and litigation delays, the clearance has now been extended till 2037.
• The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment relied on a 2025 Office Memorandum treating litigation time as a “zero period.”
• Current developer Greenko Demwe Power Limited argued that over 10 years were lost in proceedings before the NCLT and NGT.

NGT Wildlife Clearance Controversy: Key Legal Issue

• A major concern surrounding the Demwe Lower Project is the earlier ruling by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
• In 2017, while dismissing an appeal against forest clearance, the NGT set aside the project’s wildlife clearance and directed reconsideration by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
• The wildlife clearance formed the basis for forest approval.
• Though the NBWL re-granted clearance in 2018, critics argue that counting litigation as “zero period” overlooks the fact that judicial orders had struck down a key approval. The 2025 OM is silent on such situations, raising legal and procedural concerns.

Ecological Concerns: Lohit Basin and White-Bellied Heron Habitat

• The Demwe Lower Project spans Anjaw and Lohit districts and involves construction of a 162.12 m tall concrete gravity dam.
• Around 1,416 hectares of forest land will be diverted, and nearly 1,590 hectares submerged.
• The Lohit basin and the Kamlang Tiger Reserve serve as habitats for the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron.
• The project is also upstream of Parshuram Kund, a major Hindu pilgrimage site.
• Environmentalists argue that fresh baseline biodiversity studies were not mandated despite the long delay, which could overlook ecological changes over 16 years.

Timeline: Demwe Lower Project from 2010 to 2026

The Demwe Lower Project has faced multiple legal and administrative hurdles,

• 2010: Environmental clearance granted.
• 2012-13: Wildlife and forest clearances obtained.
• 2014-17: NGT proceedings; wildlife clearance set aside.
• 2018: Wildlife clearance reissued.
• 2025: Project acquired by Greenko after NCLT process.
• 2026: EC validity extended till 2037.

Earlier, projects without work commencement within EC validity required fresh appraisal (“de novo”). The 2025 OM introduced the “zero period” rule to prevent delays due to litigation.

Question

Q. The Demwe Lower Hydel Project is located on which river?

A) Subansiri
B) Lohit
C) Siang
D) Dibang