Kalai-II Hydropower Project Cleared Amid White-Bellied Heron Conservation Concerns

The Union Environment Ministry’s expert panel has recommended environmental clearance for the Kalai-II hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh. The decision has sparked concern among conservationists, who argue that the project’s environmental impact assessment ignored the presence of the critically endangered white-bellied heron in the Lohit River basin.

Why in the News?

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) cleared the 1,200-MW Kalai-II project on the Lohit River. Environmentalists flagged that the EIA report did not mention the critically endangered white-bellied heron found in the project area.

About the Kalai-II Hydropower Project

• The Kalai-II project is a 1,200-MW hydroelectric scheme planned on the Lohit River in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Developed by THDC India Ltd, it involves a 128.5-metre concrete gravity dam, pondage and an underground powerhouse, with an estimated cost of ₹14,176 crore.

Concerns Over the EIA

• The (Environmental Impact Assessment) EIA report, prepared by WAPCOS Ltd, recorded 28 bird species but made no mention of the white bellied heron.
• Environmentalists highlighted that the project area lies within the bird’s known range, including stretches near Namdapha Tiger Reserve and Kamlang Tiger Reserve.

Why the White-Bellied Heron Matters

• The white-bellied heron is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Experts estimate fewer than 250 birds survive worldwide, with possibly only 60 left.
• In India, key nesting sites exist along the Lohit River, especially near Walong and Namdapha, making habitat protection crucial.

Static Background: Legal Protection of the Species

• The white bellied heron is a Schedule-I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, granting it the highest level of legal protection.
• Any project affecting its habitat requires careful ecological assessment and conservation planning to avoid irreversible biodiversity loss.

About White-bellied Heron

Description

• Rare and elusive bird
• Second-largest living species of heron

Characteristics

• Extremely shy of human presence
• Plain dark grey body with a distinct white belly
• Long neck

Habitat & Distribution: One of the rarest birds in the world

Found in:  Bhutan, Myanmar and Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh (India)

Also recorded in: Kamlang Tiger Reserve, Lohit district, Arunachal Pradesh (via camera traps)

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered & Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule IV

Key Summary at a Glance

Question

Q. The Kalai-II hydropower project is planned on which river?

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