Amid Siang Protests, FAC Recommends In-Principle Forest Clearance for 1,000-MW Naying Hydroelectric Project on Siyom River

NEW DELHI- Even as protests continue in Arunachal Pradesh against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has recommended in-principle (Stage-I) forest clearance for the 1,000-MW Naying Hydroelectric Project.

HINDI TUTION

The FAC made the recommendation during its meeting on October 23, 2026, as per the official minutes. The project, to be developed and operated by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO), is a run-of-the-river scheme on the Siyom River (a major tributary of the Siang) in the Shi Yomi and Siang districts, close to the India-China border

Project Details

• According to NEEPCO submissions and FAC records, the estimated cost is ₹10,369 crore (some earlier assessments cited around ₹11,835 crore). Key components include:
• – A concrete gravity dam 138 metres high from the deepest foundation level (approximately 108 metres above river bed level), near Pabuying and Yapik villages.
• – An underground powerhouse complex with four vertical-axis Francis turbine-generator units of 250 MW each.
• – A 7.08-km-long, 10.6-metre-diameter headrace tunnel connecting the dam to the powerhouse, along with a surge shaft and tailrace tunnel.

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The project is expected to generate around 4,967 GWh annually. It is one of several hydroelectric schemes planned in the Siang basin, alongside the much larger SUMP (11,200 MW by NHPC), the 2,700-MW Lower Siang, and the 700-MW Tato-II project (approved earlier by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

Earlier, in June 2026, the ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee had recommended environmental clearance for the project (subject to conditions), following public hearings and studies. The Central Electricity Authority had previously concurred with the Detailed Project Report.

Forest Diversion and Conditions

The in-principle clearance covers diversion of 470.8 hectares of unclassed forest land. The FAC categorised the area as a “high conservation value zone.” Approximately 1,04,036 trees would be affected (48,282 of girth above 60 cm and 55,754 below 60 cm).

Conditions attached include:

• – Compensatory afforestation over double the diverted area (942 hectares) on contiguous land.
• – Design modifications, based on the Siang basin cumulative impact assessment, to lower the full reservoir level and maintain at least a 1-km free-flowing river stretch between the upstream Tato-II project and Naying.

Stage-I approval requires fulfilment of these and other conditions (including rehabilitation plans) before Stage-II final diversion clearance.

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Social and Ecological Context

A social impact assessment identified impacts on about 12 villages and more than 400 project-affected families (one draft survey cited 410 families across 13 villages). The dam and reservoir are expected to alter fish habitats and migration patterns for around 20 species present in the river, according to the environmental impact assessment. The site is near wildlife sanctuaries (Yorde-Rabe Supse and Mouling), though not within notified protected areas.

The FAC noted the project’s potential contribution to power requirements in the Northeast, with surplus available for other states.

Local voices have expressed concern that advancing other projects in the basin, such as Naying, could intensify tensions. The FAC’s decision on Naying is distinct from the still-controversial SUMP, for which pre-feasibility work remains contested.

The Naying project’s Stage-I forest clearance advances it toward construction, expected in the late 2020s pending further clearances and compliance, though social and ecological concerns in the sensitive border region persist.