Rapid Ecological Assessment of Impacts of Lower Demwe Hydro-Electric Project on Wildlife Values Report submitted to the National Board of Wildlife Standing Committee (NBWL-SC) August 2018 Contents Contents .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Background ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Objectives............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Study Area and Methods ................................................................................................................................... 6 Zone maps ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Results ................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................................... 16 References ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Appendix I: Proposal for ‘Geospatial Analysis of Impacts of Lower Demwe Hydro-Electric Project on the Riverine Ecosystem of Lohit Basin, Arunachal Pradesh’ ............................................ 21 Background .............................................................................................................................................. 21 Objectives ................................................................................................................................................ 22 Methods .................................................................................................................................................... 23 Outcomes ................................................................................................................................................. 23 Activity timeline of the study ................................................................................................................ 24 Budget of the study................................................................................................................................. 25 Annexures ......................................................................................................................................................... 26 Annexure I) Details of the sites visited .................................................................................................... 26 Annexure II) Glossary and Abbreviations ............................................................................................... 30 Annexure III) About Lower Demwe HE Project .................................................................................. 31 Annexure IV) Chronology of Events pertaining to clearance .............................................................. 33 Annexure V) Literature review .................................................................................................................. 35 Annexure VI) Field Photographs .............................................................................................................. 39 Annexure VII) List of people interacted.................................................................................................. 53 Annexure VIII) List of fishes .................................................................................................................... 57 Annexure IX) List of herpetofauna .......................................................................................................... 58 Annexure X) List of birds .......................................................................................................................... 59 Annexure XI) List of mammals ................................................................................................................ 72 Annexure XII) Undertaking by project proponents .............................................................................. 76 1 | P a g e List of tables Table 1. Details of the zones in which the study area is divided (see Map 1) ........................................... 6 Table 2. Threatened species recorded during the present survey ............................................................. 14 Table 3. Details of the sites visited during the present survey .................................................................. 26 Table 4. Timeline of activities of the study .................................................................................................. 24 Table 5. Head-wise Budget of the proposed study ..................................................................................... 25 Table 6. List of people interviewed during the survey ............................................................................... 53 Table 7. List of fish species recorded during the survey ............................................................................ 57 Table 8. List of reptile and amphibian species recorded during the survey ............................................ 58 Table 9. List of bird species recorded during the survey ........................................................................... 59 Table 10. List of mammal species recorded during the survey (P: primary data, S: secondary data) .. 72 List of Maps Map 1. Study area in Lohit river basin highlighting the survey zones, protected areas and also the proposed HEP sites. (TPRF: Tezu Proposed Reserve Forest, DSNP: Dibru Saikhowa National Park .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Map 2. Zone 1: From Tiding village (zero point of reservoir) to Parshuram Kund. ............................... 9 Map 3. Zone 2: From Parshuram Kund to Demwe village ......................................................................... 9 Map 4. Zone 3: From Demwe village to Alubari bridge ............................................................................ 10 Map 5. Zone 4: From Alubari bridge to Dhola-Sadiya bridge .................................................................. 10 Map 6. Zone 5: From Dhola-Sadiya bridge to Lohit mahasangam .......................................................... 11 Map 7. Study area highlighting the locations of signs of important species ........................................... 13 Map 8. Sighting locations of Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica) in Zone 4 and 5 ..... 13 Map 9. A potential Tiger corridor (highlighted in green border) through the chaporis of river Lohit.. 15 List of Images Image 1. Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis): Male sighted in Zone 4. ............................................ 14 Image 2. Assam Roofed Turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) sighted at DSNP ................................................... 14 Image 3. Location of dam site and surrounding habitat ............................................................................ 39 Image 4. Dam site and surrounding habitat: ground view ......................................................................... 39 Image 5. Surveying the chaporis by crossing streams on foot in zone 1 and 2. ........................................ 40 2 | P a g e Image 6. Surveying on country made hand boat in Zone 3 ...................................................................... 41 Image 7. Surveying on country made motor boat in Zone 4 .................................................................... 41 Image 8. Surveying on cruise type motor boat in zone 5........................................................................... 41 Image 9. Surveying on speed boat in DSNP ............................................................................................... 41 Image 10. Top) River Lohit at Tiding, Middle) Plumbeous Water redstart, Bottom) Brown Dipper 42 Image 11 From Zone 2: Top) Grasslands and Trees of Dalbergia sissoo on the chaporis, Bottom right) Large Tree Frog; Bottom left) Flying lizard Draco maculatus ...................................................................... 43 Image 12. Cattle grazing on the chaporis of Zone 2 .................................................................................. 44 Image 13. Local sand and boulder mining from dry River bed from Zone 3. ....................................... 44 Image 14. Upstream migration of stream fishes for spawning in river Lohit (Zone 3) ........................ 45 Image 15. Use of gill nets to catch stream fishes of river Lohit in Zone 3 ............................................. 45 Image 16. Fishes of Lohit: 1) Barilius sp., 2)Cabdio morar, 3) Devario aequipinnatus, 4) Garra sp. 5) Neolissochylus hexgonolepis, 6) Xenentodon cancila................................................................................ 46 Image 17. Nest of Streaked Weaver bird found on a chapori from Zone 3 ........................................... 47 Image 18. The chaporis of Zone 3 representing