Guwahati, June 20 -- By Simrin Sirur/Mongabay

The environment minister's Forest Advisory Committee has granted "in principle" approval to a hydropower project in a region of Arunachal Pradesh that is inhabited by the white bellied heron, a critically endangered bird whose species number was estimated to be less than 60, globally, in 2015. To compensate for the forest loss resulting from the project, the FAC approved afforestation thousands of kilometres away, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, a decision experts termed futile for the bird's conservation.

The FAC, a statutory body under the environment ministry which evaluates project proposals on forest land, gave its approval to the Kalai II hydroelectric power plant (HEP) ...