A public campaign “Dibang Valley Must Be Saved from Destruction — Act Now!” seeking rejection of the Etalin hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley has received good response.

The campaign which ended on Tuesday has received 4,600 signatures.

The campaign was started on Conservation India portal (a non-profit, non-commercial portal that aims to facilitate wildlife and nature conservation) by an informal conglomerate of scientists, conservationists and local Idu people who are concerned over the fate of Dibang Valley in view of the Etalin project.

The campaigners said: “Arguments against the Etalin hydro project are manifold. Alongside the irreplaceable loss of biodiversity and the potential cultural dilution that the project will cause, are concerns about the viability of such mega dams in a seismically active geological region. To compound these matters is climate change and the resultant retreat of the glaciers that are to feed the dams envisioned by the project.”

“The proposal for the Etalin hydroelectric project (3097 MW) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley was placed for approval before the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) on April 23. Reports state that 2.7 lakh forest trees will be felled in the process. Long-term research in Dibang Valley (including areas which will see impacts of the proposed hydro-project) show that the region is a crucial habitat for many Schedule I endangered species, including a genetically-distinct population of tigers,” the campaigners said.

“Hundreds of people acro-ss the country have registered their opposition to the project via e-mails and tweets to the FAC. In addition, reputed scientists have criticised the project on multiple fronts, including irreplaceable biodiversity loss and seismic hazards,” said Cara Tejpal of Sanctuary Nature Foundation.

The campaign which also includes a letter to the FAC members said: “Long-term research in Dibang Valley (including areas which will see impacts of the proposed hydro project) shows that the region is a very important habitat for many Schedule I endangered species, including a genetically-distinct population of tigers, 75 species of other mammals and over 300 species of birds. The proposed hydro-electric project is detrimental to India’s biodiversity and ecological security, and therefore we respectfully request that the FAC reject it.”

Dibang Valley forms part of the Eastern Himalaya Global Biodiversity hotspot, one of the 36 such global biodiversity hotspots across the world that contain 60 per cent of the planet’s faunal diversity. Research reveals a unique relationship between tigers and Dibang’s Idu Mishmi people that helps protects their forests.

In addition to tigers, the greater region of Dibang Valley harbours more than 75 species of mammals including clouded leopard, Asiatic golden cat, Asiatic wild dog, red panda, mishmi takin, red goral and gongshan muntjac.

Rapid bird assessments in the region have estimated more than 300 species, including rare, endemic and endangered species like the blyth’s tragopan, sclater’s monal, rufous-necked hornbill, ward’s trogon, Hodgson’s frogmouth, beautiful nut-hatch, wedge-billed babbler and the recently-discovered mishmi wren-babbler. Forty-three species of amphibians have been recorded from the area, many of which are new discoveries.