- The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has recommended forest clearance for the 1,000 MW Naying Hydroelectric Project. - The project is located on the Siyom River, a key tributary of the Brahmaputra system in Arunachal Pradesh. - Large infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive northeastern states raise concerns regarding biodiversity loss, forest diversion, and cumulative environmental impacts. - **Forest Advisory Committee:** A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that evaluates proposals for diverting forest land for non-forest purposes like infrastructure projects and recommends clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act. - **Naying Hydroelectric Project:** A 1,000 MW hydropower project proposed on the Siyom River in Arunachal Pradesh, involving large-scale forest land diversion and sparking debates on Himalayan ecological conservation. - **Siyom River:** A vital right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River system in Arunachal Pradesh, originating near the Indo-China border and draining sensitive alpine ecosystems. **Introduction** The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has recommended forest clearance for the 1,000 MW Naying Hydroelectric Project situated on the Siyom River in Arunachal Pradesh. The decision brings the large-scale hydropower initiative closer to execution, highlighting ongoing debates over balancing renewable energy generation and infrastructure development in fragile Himalayan ecosystems with biodiversity and forest conservation. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has recommended forest clearance for the 1,000 MW Naying Hydroelectric Project. - The project is located on the Siyom River, a key tributary of the Brahmaputra system in Arunachal Pradesh. - Large infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive northeastern states raise concerns regarding biodiversity loss, forest diversion, and cumulative environmental impacts. **Key Statutory Bodies, Acts & Concepts** - **Forest Advisory Committee:** A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that evaluates proposals for diverting forest land for non-forest purposes like infrastructure projects and recommends clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act. - **Naying Hydroelectric Project:** A 1,000 MW hydropower project proposed on the Siyom River in Arunachal Pradesh, involving large-scale forest land diversion and sparking debates on Himalayan ecological conservation. - **Siyom River:** A vital right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River system in Arunachal Pradesh, originating near the Indo-China border and draining sensitive alpine ecosystems.