An expert panel from the Union Environment Ministry has recommended environmental clearance for Arunachal Pradesh's 1,200-MW Kalai-II hydroelectric project on the Lohit River. Environmentalists and locals raised concerns that the project's environmental impact assessment report omitted mention of the critically-endangered white-bellied heron, a Schedule-I species, despite its presence in the river basin and proximity to the Kamlang Tiger Reserve. The panel had previously requested conservation plans for the heron for a similar project.