Guwahati: The proposed 1,720 MW Kamala Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh is expected to generate 6,870 million units of electricity annually while providing flood moderation benefits to the Brahmaputra valley, according to a press release on the project.

The project is being developed on the Kamala River, a tributary of the Subansiri, across Kamle, Kra Daadi and Kurung Kumey districts. It has been designed with two main objectives: power generation and flood moderation.

The project will comprise a 216-metre-high concrete gravity dam, an underground powerhouse fitted with eight 210 MW Francis turbines and a 40 MW dam-toe powerhouse dedicated to maintaining environmental flows.

The state government is entitled to 12 per cent free power from the project, along with an additional 1 per cent for the Local Area Development Fund and regional infrastructure benefits.

Estimated at Rs 26,069.50 crore, the project is being developed on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis through a joint venture between NHPC Limited, which holds a 74 per cent stake, and the Arunachal Pradesh government, which holds the remaining 26 per cent.

The dam is expected to create a reservoir covering approximately 26 sq km, with a gross storage capacity of 1,927.60 million cubic metres at Full Reservoir Level (FRL).

A dedicated 15-metre flood cushion, providing surcharge storage of 438 million cubic metres, has also been incorporated into the design to help moderate floods in the Brahmaputra valley.

According to the press release, the project’s total land requirement has been limited to 38.58 sq km, including 32.78 sq km of forest land. It cited the India State of Forest Report 2021, which puts Arunachal Pradesh’s forest cover at 66,430 sq km, accounting for about 79.33 per cent of the state’s geographical area.

The press release also sought to clarify reports in The Indian Express and other media outlets that 23,40,213 trees would be felled for the project. It said a preliminary assessment of enumeration data available on the PARIVESH portal suggested that the reported figure included approximately 11,40,000 bamboo entries and 8,79,032 small-girth poles.

After excluding these entries, the preliminary calculation leaves around 3,21,181 stems, the statement said, adding that the actual number of mature trees proposed for felling was expected to be substantially lower than the reported figure.

Explaining the inclusion of bamboo in the enumeration, the press release said bamboo was historically covered under the definition of a “tree” in the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The Indian Forest (Amendment) Act, 2017, excluded bamboo grown in non-forest areas from this definition to facilitate its cultivation and economic use.

However, bamboo found within forest land may continue to be regulated under forest-conservation procedures and included in forest-clearance enumeration, the statement said.

It also called for bamboo clumps to be listed separately from trees in felling statements, arguing that the two have different ecological roles, regeneration patterns and mitigation requirements. It said the removal of bamboo should also be assessed and addressed through appropriate measures.

The statement maintained that tree felling would be restricted to areas required for project components, safety, construction access and reservoir formation. It added that efforts would be made to retain trees outside the project’s direct footprint.

On compensatory afforestation, the press release said the proposed diversion of approximately 3,278 hectares of forest land would be offset through afforestation over around 7,018 hectares, more than twice the diverted area.

The statement said the afforestation plan had been prepared with the required budget in accordance with prevailing Forest (Conservation) guidelines. It added that other mitigation and conservation conditions would also be followed to address the environmental impact of the project.