Environmental public hearing of 1000 MW Naying project to be held in Nov

The environmental public hearing for the 1,000 MW Naying hydroelectric project will be held in Arunachal Pradesh's Shi-Yomi district on November 12, an official said.

Shi-Yomi deputy commissioner Tungge Loya, in a circular on Wednesday, asked the general public of the project-affected locality to attend the hearing at Yapik community hall in the district on November 12.

The proposed 1000 MW is a run-of-the-river project over Siyom (Yomgo) river and the project will be implemented by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). The construction work, including a concrete dam, an underground powerhouse and a tunnel is likely to begin around 2028, and the project is planned for commissioning by 2032.

The project is expected to generate 4,966.77 GWh of electricity.

The project received Central Electricity Authority concurrence in 2013, and the construction work was expected to start in 2015, but environmental and social considerations have hampered it.

The project requires diversion of significant forest land and will impact tens of thousands of trees. Additionally, the project faced protests related to concerns about dams and their environmental and social impacts.

On October 7, during the Cabinet Aapke Dwar at Miao in Changlang district, the state government had approved the formation of joint venture companies between NEEPCO and Arunachal Pradesh Hydropower Corporation Ltd to advance the state's hydro power mission under Decade of Hydro Power (2025-35), targeting 19Gw capacity and attracting investments, creating jobs and contributing to India's net-zero goals.