HC Admits Plea Seeking PAF Status for 75,000 Downstream Residents of Dibang Project

The Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court has admitted a writ petition seeking recognition of over 75,000 downstream residents affected by the Dibang Multipurpose Hydro Project as Project Affected Families (PAFs), setting the stage for judicial examination of the long-standing dispute.
The petition was filed by Uttama Bor Abor Sanrakshana Sanrachana (UBSS), which argued that large populations living downstream in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley and adjoining areas of Assam face significant risks but have been excluded from the project’s rehabilitation and compensation framework.
UBSS chairman Bigam Pertin submitted that the downstream communities remain vulnerable to potential flooding, ecological disruption and livelihood losses arising from the 2,880-MW Dibang Multipurpose Hydro Project. The petition contends that despite official acknowledgements of possible downstream impacts extending several kilometres, affected residents have not been granted PAF status.
The plea raises allegations against the project developer, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), and concerned authorities. Petitioners claimed the 2016 Cumulative Impact Assessment Study excluded the first 45 km downstream stretch — described as the most densely populated zone — thereby understating the project’s social footprint.
The petition further alleged that mandatory public hearings were not conducted in downstream districts of Assam, which, according to the petitioner, violates provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. It also flagged the absence of free, prior and informed consent from affected tribal communities under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Additional concerns cited include delays in constructing seismic-resistant embankments and putting in place adequate disaster-response mechanisms in the seismically sensitive Dibang basin.
The court’s admission of the plea does not amount to a ruling on the merits but indicates that the matter warrants judicial consideration. The case is expected to examine whether downstream populations should be formally included within the project’s impact and rehabilitation framework.
The Dibang Multipurpose Hydro Project, among India’s largest proposed hydropower ventures, has remained under scrutiny from environmental groups and local communities even as authorities project it as a major boost to the region’s power infrastructure.