An expert panel of the Union Environment Ministry has recommended clearance for the 1,200 MW Kalai-II hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project is planned on the Lohit River at Hawai village in Anjaw district. The Lohit is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River. Environmental clearance is a key regulatory step that large hydroelectric projects must pass before construction can go ahead, as they can affect river ecology, forests and local communities.