📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Karl and Ali
Business
FAC clears Stage‑I forest approval for 1,000 MW Naying hydro project amid Siang protests
✍️ Arunachal24
🗓 10 Nov 2026, 12:31 AM
👁 13
The Forest Advisory Committee has recommended Stage‑I forest clearance for the 1,000‑MW Naying hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh, despite ongoing protests in the Siang region.
New Delhi – The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has submitted a recommendation for Stage‑I forest clearance of the Naying hydroelectric project, a 1,000‑megawatt power scheme slated for the Siang basin of Arunachal Pradesh. The clearance is a prerequisite for the project’s detailed design and subsequent financial closure.
The recommendation comes as local communities and environmental groups continue to stage protests in the Siang region, citing concerns over displacement, loss of forest cover and impacts on river ecology. While the FAC’s report acknowledges these concerns, it notes that the project includes mitigation measures such as afforestation, compensation for affected families and a biodiversity management plan.
If approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the clearance would allow the project’s developers to move forward with land acquisition and construction activities. The Naying scheme is part of the state’s broader push to expand hydro‑electric capacity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Stakeholders say the decision will be closely watched, as it could set a precedent for future large‑scale hydro projects in the ecologically sensitive Northeast.
The government has not yet announced a final decision, and the protests are expected to continue until clear assurances are provided to the local population.
The recommendation comes as local communities and environmental groups continue to stage protests in the Siang region, citing concerns over displacement, loss of forest cover and impacts on river ecology. While the FAC’s report acknowledges these concerns, it notes that the project includes mitigation measures such as afforestation, compensation for affected families and a biodiversity management plan.
If approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the clearance would allow the project’s developers to move forward with land acquisition and construction activities. The Naying scheme is part of the state’s broader push to expand hydro‑electric capacity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Stakeholders say the decision will be closely watched, as it could set a precedent for future large‑scale hydro projects in the ecologically sensitive Northeast.
The government has not yet announced a final decision, and the protests are expected to continue until clear assurances are provided to the local population.