NHPC's Kamala Hydroelectric Project Approved

Summary Notes on Kamala Hydroelectric Project

Project Overview:

• Name: Kamala Hydroelectric Project
• Capacity: 1,720 MW
• Location: Arunachal Pradesh
• Estimated Cost: ₹23,764.01 crore
• Infrastructure:
  • Height of dam: 216 meters
  • Reservoir area: 2,600 hectares
  • River: Kamala River, tributary of Subansiri, which is tributary of Brahmaputra.

Environmental Impact:

• Proposed felling of 23.4 lakh trees (2,340,213 trees).
• Affects 5,440 families across 126 villages (Social Impact Assessment findings).
• Forest Diversion: Proposal to divert 3,278 hectares of forest, with 439 hectares as very dense forest and 1,119 hectares as moderately dense.
• Total recorded plant species in the area: 155 species belonging to 69 families, as per Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Regulatory Process:

• The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on river valley and hydroelectric projects has recommended that NHPC obtain an in-principle forest clearance before receiving final environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment.
• The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) will review the forest diversion proposal.
• Approval Process: Tree felling permitted only after two-stage forest diversion approval.

Compensatory Measures:

• Compensatory afforestation planned in Madhya Pradesh (districts: Khargone, Gwalior, Dhar, Panna) due to lack of degraded forest land in Arunachal Pradesh.

Judicial Context:

• Previous Supreme Court order (2009): Stipulated that projects upstream of Lower Subansiri must be evaluated by the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife.
• The EAC has not addressed whether wildlife clearance is required, raising concerns noted by environmentalist Bimal Gogoi.

Current Concerns:

• Lack of specific action plans for ecosystem restoration and compensatory measures.
• Potential environmental risks due to extensive tree felling in a dense forest ecosystem.

Related Projects:

• The Kamala project is part of several hydroelectric projects planned in the Subansiri river basin, including the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri project, which was commissioned in December 2025.

Constitutional and Policy References

• No direct constitutional articles or amendments mentioned, but the project implicates various environmental protection policies and regulations related to forest and wildlife conservation.

Conclusion

The Kamala hydroelectric project is a significant endeavor aimed at harnessing renewable energy but also raises critical environmental and social concerns, particularly regarding deforestation and wildlife habitat preservation. The ongoing scrutiny by environmental committees and the pending approvals highlight the intricate balance between development and ecological integrity.