The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change approves forest land diversion in Chümoukedima for a 220KV transmission line.
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DIMAPUR — The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has accorded final approval for the diversion of 3.93 hectares of forest land in favour of the Department of Power, Nagaland, for the construction of a 220 KV transmission line from Dimapur to Kohima (Zhadima).
The transmission line will run through the Nagaland Zoological Park under the Nagaland Zoological Park Division, Rangapahar Reserve Forest, in Chümoukedima district.
According to a DIPR report, the final approval, communicated on August 25, 2025, follows the compliance of conditions stipulated in the in-principle stage-I approval dated February 12, 2024.
The Government of Nagaland has permitted the diversion of the forest land. The divisional forest officer of the Nagaland Zoological Park Division, Rangapahar Reserve Forest, Chümoukedima, has been directed to monitor compliance with the conditions stipulated in the forest and wildlife clearance orders and to report violations, if any, to the nodal officer (Forest Conservation Act), the principal chief conservator of forests and head of Forest Force, Nagaland, and the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
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Execution of the project activities will be subject to the availability of all other clearances required under the relevant acts and rules, the deposit of requisite fees, and compliance with court orders, if any.
Under the conditions of the diversion, the legal status of the diverted forest land shall remain unchanged.
The compensatory afforestation shall be raised and maintained over double the degraded forest land, totalling 7.98 hectares, in three plots measuring two hectares, 3.98 hectares, and two hectares in the Rangapahar Reserve Forest, Rangapahar Range, under the Nagaland Zoological Park in Chümoukedima district. As far as possible, a mixture of local indigenous species shall be planted, and monoculture of any species must be avoided.
The state government shall ensure that the revised rates of the Net Present Value amount of the forest land being diverted are transferred through the online portal by the user agency into the CAMPA account of the state concerned before the final approval is issued.
The boundary of the diverted forest land shall be suitably demarcated on the ground at the project cost, as per the directions of the concerned divisional forest officer. All other clearances and no-objection certificates under different rules, regulations, and local laws, and under the Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, must be complied with.
The state Forest department shall carry out the creation and maintenance of plantations of dwarf species, preferably medicinal plants, under the transmission line from the amount already realised from the user agency. Complete compliance with the Forest Rights Act, 2006, shall be ensured by way of a prescribed certificate from the concerned district collector, where applicable.
The user agency, at its own cost, shall provide bird deflectors to be fixed on the upper conductor of the transmission line at suitable intervals to avoid bird hits. In case the portion of the transmission line to be constructed is located in a hilly area where adequate clearance is already available, trees shall not be cut.
The user agency shall comply with the guidelines for laying transmission lines through forest areas issued by the Ministry. The user agency shall obtain the Environmental Clearance under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, if applicable. The layout of the proposal shall not be changed without the prior approval of the central government. No labour camps shall be established on the forest land.
Sufficient firewood, preferably alternative fuel, shall be provided by the user agency to the labourers after purchasing it from the state Forest department, the Forest Development Corporation, or any other legal source.
No additional or new path will be constructed inside the forest area for the transportation of construction materials. The period of diversion under this approval shall be co-terminus with the period of lease to be granted in favour of the user agency or the project life, whichever is less.
The user agency must obtain clearance under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, for the removal, if any, of stone, river sand, and river boulders in the forest land. The forest land shall not be used for any purpose other than that specified in the project proposal.
The proposal will be implemented under the overall supervision of the concerned Divisional Forest Officer, who will monitor and take necessary mitigative measures to ensure there is no adverse impact on the surrounding forests.
The user agency and the state government shall ensure compliance with all court orders, provisions, rules, regulations, and guidelines in force. The forest land proposed to be diverted shall under no circumstances be transferred to any other agency, department, or person without prior approval of the Government of India.
Any other conditions that the regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change may stipulate from time to time in the interest of conservation, protection, and development of forests and wildlife must also be followed.
The user agency shall transfer the Net Present Value of the forest land being diverted under this proposal, as per the orders of the Supreme Court of India, through the online portal into the CAMPA account of the state.
The user agency shall transfer the cost of raising and maintaining the compensatory afforestation at the current wage rate, in consultation with the state Forest department, to the CAMPA account. The scheme may include appropriate anticipated cost increases for works scheduled for subsequent years.
All funds received from the user agency under the project shall be deposited into the Compensatory Afforestation Fund of Nagaland State managed by the Ad-hoc CAMPA only through the designated e-portal (parivesh.nic.in).
The compliance report and KML files of the area to be diverted, compensatory afforestation areas, soil and moisture conservation work, catchment area treatment area, and wildlife management plan area must be uploaded on the e-Green watch portal before seeking working permission or submitting the compliance report for Stage II approval.
Charges for felling, logging, and transportation of project-affected trees should be collected from the user agency at the rates approved by the state government and deposited with the concerned divisional forest officer.
Expenditures like boundary walls, stone pillars, demarcation charges, and the cost of damage to trees must be deposited with the concerned divisional forest officer. The user agency shall restrict the felling of trees to the minimum number in the diverted forest land, and the trees shall be felled under the strict supervision of the state Forest department at the cost of the user agency.
Violation of any of these conditions will amount to a violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and action will be taken under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, and its corresponding rules and guidelines.
Copies of the forest clearance and the order should be submitted to all heads of local bodies, panchayats, and municipal bodies for publicity. The divisional forest officer of the Nagaland Zoological Park is requested to submit monitoring reports to the nodal officer, and the handing over and taking certificate along with GPS readings must be submitted.