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Updated by
Published on
October 21, 2016
March 7, 2023
Edited on
October 21, 2016
The Etalin Hydropower Project, proposed in the state's Lower Dibang Valley, has been put on hold for six years as the project requires diversion of forestland and would displace hundreds of families in 39 villages in Dibang district.
Assigned to National Hydro Power Corporation Limited (NHPCL), the project was launched in 2008 by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It envisages the construction of two dams over two tributaries of Dibang river: Dir and Tangon. Upon completion, the entire project will stand 278 metres tall, supposedly the largest in India and the largest concrete gravity dam in the world.
Several public hearings, scheduled between 2008 and 2013, were abandoned due to protests by people who would be displaced by the project. Besides the submergence of their rice fields and the loss of land in use, around 3.5 lakh trees would have to be felled for the project. The residents allege that the official number of families and people to be affected claimed by the government is much lower than the actual number of people who will be displaced. The compliance to the settlement of the rights of the tribal population, a must for such projects as per the Forest Rights Act, 2006, was also reportedly ignored by the state.
Villagers took to the streets in 2011 to protest against the construction of the dam, and the government deployed paramilitary troops to suppress the protests. The people reportedly agreed to the project after two hearings towards the end of 2013. According to a media report, they were coerced into giving their consent to the project.
The project had been denied forest clearance twice in 2013 and 2014 due to discrepancies in its Environment Impact Assessment reports and the potential loss of biodiversity. However, it received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in February 2015, and on November 13, 2018, the National Green Tribunal upheld it.
In March 2019, prior to the Assembly elections, the state government announced a compensation package to the affected people under Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. However, soon after the elections, a petition was filed by NHPCL claiming that 1,732.45 acres of land are unclassified and do not belong to any individual, leading to the Gauhati High Court staying the state government's compensation order. This nudged the locals to file a counter-petition claiming that NHPCL was trying to reduce the scope of the issue from the Land Settlement Act, 2015, to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, which does not have any provision for compensating the affected people. The Dibang Multipurpose Project Affected Area Committee has demanded that all project work be stopped until the high court settles the matter.
On July 18, 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave the project the go-ahead and stated that the project completion would take nine years, despite it not having received Stage II forest clearance and the compensation issue not being settled. The CCEA also approved the proposal of the Dam Safety Bill 2019 and assured that a National Committee on Dam Safety will be instituted to develop policies and recommend regulations.
In February 2020, the Forest Advisory committee (FAC; an advisory body of the environment ministry tasked with deciding whether forestland can be diverted for industrial projects) conducted an on-site visit to the project area. In a subsequent meeting on April 23, the FAC accepted the controversial findings of the Wildlife Institute of India study, titled “Wildlife Conservation Plan for Impact Zone of Etalin HEP”, and sought recommendations from the Ministry of Power on whether to continue the project or not. Following the study, there was outcry from activists and experts alike over the impact of the project on the biodiversity of Dibang valley.
The decision on the project, which has already been deferred for six years, has been put on hold until the Ministry of Power clarifies about the changes, if any, made in its policy since 2014 when the project was last revised.
Meanwhile, on January 17, 2022, the Dibang Valley District Students's Union and the All Idu Mishmi Students Union enforced an indefinite bandh in Dibang Valley protesting against the district administration for a delay in the disbursement of compensation.
In February 2022, the Dibang Multipurpose Project Affected Area Committee alleged that the district administration has put on hold the disbursement of compensation to 300 project-affected families without offering an explanation.
Refusal to give up land for the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Demand for rehabilitation
Demand for compensation
Rural
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest, Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
28080.35
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2008
Page Number In Investment Document:
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws, Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-rehabilitation of displaced people
Violation of environmental laws
Non-implementation/violation of FRA
Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation
Delay in compensation
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Green Tribunal
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Gauhati High Court, National Green Tribunal
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Nature of Protest
Protests/marches
Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)
Strikes
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ministry of Power; Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change; Forest Advisory Committee
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
National Hydro Power Corporation Limited
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Etalin Hydro Electric Power Company Limited (a joint venture of Hydro Power Development Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh Limited and Jindal Power Limited)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Idu Mishmi community, Dibang Multipurpose Project Affected Area Committee
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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