The Dibang Valley, a biodiversity hotspot in northeastern India, is threatened by a proposed hydropower dam. By Vaishnavi ChandrashekharScience’s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center.Environmentalists in India are criticizing government moves to continue to approve major industrial projects, and to relax the nation’s environmental assessment rules, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated public oversight and canceled potential field reviews.“They are carrying on as if there is no health emergency, hosting meetings and taking decisions including on big ticket projects,” said Kanchi Kohli, an environmental governance expert with the Centre for Policy Research. “Public engagement, ground verification—these options are