Relevance: UPSC GS-1 (Geography), GS-3 (Environment); Source: Indian Express.

In February 2026, the Ministry of Environment gave an 11-year extension to the 1,750 MW Demwe Lower Project in Arunachal Pradesh. This allows the project to stay legally valid until 2037 despite being stalled for over a decade.

1. The “Zero Period” Concept

The government used a new policy called the “Zero Period” to grant this extension.

• What it is: The time a project loses due to court cases (litigation) or insolvency is not counted against its deadline.
• How it works: If a project was stuck in court for 10 years, those 10 years are “added back” to its validity.
• Simple Logic: It protects builders from losing their permits due to delays that were not their fault.

2. Project Details: The Lohit River

• Location: The dam is being built on the Lohit River, a key tributary of the Brahmaputra.
• Impact: It will submerge nearly 1,590 hectares of land and divert a large forest area.
• The Conflict: Experts worry the dam will harm the White-bellied Heron (a bird that is Critically Endangered) and change the natural flow of the river downstream.
• Concrete Gravity Dam: A dam that stays in place mainly because of its own massive weight. It is designed to resist the horizontal pressure of the water pushing against it.

3. Why is it Controversial?

• Critics say the environmental studies are 15 years old. The nature of the forest and river may have changed, but the extension was given without fresh studies.
• Wildlife Risks: The project is near Kamlang Tiger Reserve and upstream of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. Changes in water levels could drown bird nests and destroy river grasslands.

UPSC Value Addition Box

Entity/Term	Explanation
Lohit River	Originates in Tibet; known as the “River of Blood” due to red soil; flows through Mishmi Hills.
White-bellied Heron	One of the world’s rarest birds; found only in the Eastern Himalayas; Critically Endangered status.
NGT	A special court for environment cases; its orders can stop projects if they harm nature.

With reference to the “Demwe Lower Hydroelectric Project,” consider the following statements:

1. It is a run-of-the-river project located on the Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh.
2. The “Zero Period” policy allows the extension of environmental clearance by excluding time lost in legal disputes.
3. The project site is located within the core territory of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a)