India’s Rarest Heron Threatened by Lohit Dam

A proposed 1,200-MW hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit River basin may threaten the critically endangered white-bellied heron. 

About the White-Bellied Heron

• Scientific name: Ardea insignis.
• It is among the world’s rarest and most elusive birds.
• It lives along fast-flowing rivers bordered by old-growth forests.
• It feeds mainly on fish in shallow waters.
• It is listed as Critically Endangered and receives protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Distribution in India

• India is estimated to have only six to nine individuals.
• They are found mainly along the Noa-Dehing, Lahm and Lohit rivers in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Globally, small populations survive in parts of Bhutan, north-eastern India and Myanmar.

Threats from the Dam

• Alteration of river flow and turbidity may reduce fish availability.
• Clearing and submergence of riparian forests may destroy nesting and roosting sites.
• Increased construction and human activity may disturb a species that prefers undisturbed habitats.
• Changes in river courses, sand extraction, pollution and reduced water flow further threaten its survival.

Gaps in Environmental Assessment

• The species was excluded because it was not recorded within the immediate diversion area.
• Conservationists argue that the entire Lohit basin should be assessed as one connected habitat.
• The assessment reportedly overlooked broader impacts on feeding, breeding and roosting areas.
• Compensatory afforestation far away cannot fully recreate the complex ecology of the Eastern Himalayan river basin.

Way Forward

• Conduct a basin-level cumulative environmental impact assessment.
• Map and protect nesting, feeding and roosting habitats.
• Reconsider project design and location in ecologically sensitive stretches.
• Ensure independent wildlife surveys and long-term monitoring.
• Give rare species the same conservation urgency as better-known animals such as tigers and elephants.

The white-bellied heron’s extremely small population means that even limited habitat disturbance could cause its local extinction. Hydropower planning must therefore balance energy needs with the protection of fragile river ecosystems and critically endangered species.