FAC clears key infra projects, grants nod for diversion of 3K hectares of forest land

THe unification surround ministry’s timberland consultive citizens committee (FAC) has granted in-principle approval for the diversion of over 3,000 hectares of forest land across several states for key infrastructure projects, including hydropower in Arunachal Pradesh, a coal mine in Chhattisgarh, and iron ore mining in Goa and Odisha, according to minutes of the committee’s meeting held on May 8.The FAC granted in-principle approval for diversion of 261.53 hectares of unclassed forest land for the 680 MW Attunli Hydroelectric Project on the Talo (Tangon) river in Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh. The project, located in the Dibang Sub-basin of the Brahmaputra river valley, involves the felling of 47,243 trees. Compensatory afforestation has been proposed over 523.762 hectares of degraded forest land in West Kameng district.A sub-committee that visited the site in October last year — on directions of the FAC’s May 2024 meeting — recommended approval subject to conditions. These include requirements that quarry sites be treated as mining proposals with approved mining and mine closure plans, that a geological and slope-stability study be conducted by a reputed institution given the steep terrain, and that the wildlife and biodiversity management plan be vetted by the Wildlife Institute of India.The last condition reflects the project’s location upstream of the Etalin Hydroelectric Project, also in Dibang Valley, and is aimed at ensuring ecological consistency across both projects. The Dibang Valley is a biodiversity hotspot, and the FAC had previously declined forest clearance for the Etalin (3,097 mw) plant.The FAC also granted in-principle approval for diversion of 869.35 hectares of forest land — including 75 hectares of very dense forest and 169 hectares of moderately dense forest — for the 1,200 MW Kalai Hydroelectric Project Stage-II on the Lohit river, a Brahmaputra tributary, in the Namsai and Anjaw forest divisions of Arunachal Pradesh.Compensatory afforestation for this project is proposed across 51 patches of degraded forest land in Madhya Pradesh.In Chhattisgarh, the FAC granted Stage-I clearance for the diversion of 1,742.6 hectares of forest land for the Kente Extension Opencast Coal Mine and Integrated Washery, a 9 million tonne per annum project. The proposal involves the felling of 448,874 trees in phases. A part of these trees will be transplanted according to the minutes.The project has been classified under the inviolate or high conservation value (HCV) category under the Parivesh portal’s Decision Support System — a classification that flags proposals in ecologically sensitive areas and is meant to trigger heightened scrutiny.The mine is located 3.625 km from the Lemru Elephant Reserve, and elephant movement has been reported in and around the mining area.Other wildlife recorded in the area includes sloth bear, barking deer, jackal, fox, hyena, Indian grey wolf and wild pig.The FAC has approved mining in two phases: the first phase, covering 15 years, restricts mining to 1,001.95 hectares; clearance for the remaining 740.65 hectares in Phase-II will be conditional on reforestation and biodiversity management outcomes in Phase-I.The FAC also granted Stage-I clearance for the diversion of 5.36 hectares of forest land within the Block-VII Cudnem Mineral Block in North Goa for iron ore mining. The user agency is required to submit a comprehensive reclamation plan integrating soil and water conservation and bioremediation measures.In Odisha, Stage-I approval was granted for the diversion of 216.875 hectares of forest land in the Barbil range of Keonjhar forest division for the Gandhalpada Iron Ore Block project. The state government has been directed to implement a site-specific wildlife management and biodiversity conservation plan approved by the Chief Wildlife Warden, with soil and moisture conservation measures to be carried out at the project proponent’s cost.