Centre defers nod to hydroelectric project in Karnataka over ecological concerns

The Centre has deferred the Karnataka Government’s ambitious 2,000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project due to the lack of wildlife mitigation plan.

Located within Sharavathy Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary in the Centre of the Western Ghats, the Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee has expressed concern that all the project components fall within Seismic Zone 3, making the area moderately prone to earthquakes. Construction activities such as road widening (over 20 km), slope cutting, and tunneling (up to 3.2 km in length and 500 m in depth) are expected to cause significant soil erosion, habitat fragmentation and disturbance to forest ecosystems.

According to the minutes of the meeting of the Forest Advisory Committee, “Blasting activities and regular vehicle movement may further increase environmental degradation. The proposed project site lies entirely within the forest, i.e. the distance from the forest boundary is 0 km.”

The Karnataka Government has sought the Centre’s permission to divert 54.155 ha of forest land for the construction of pumped storage.

Praneetha Paul, Deputy Inspector-General of Forest (DIGF) from the regional office of the Environment Ministry, did not recommend the project, saying the proposed forest area falls inside the sanctuary.

“The project would result in the felling of over 15,000 trees, many of which are endemic to this ecologically sensitive region. The area is also home to significant endemic wildlife species, including the Malabar Pied Hornbill, which relies on tall, undisturbed canopy forests. There is no alternative alignment as the project depends on utilising existing reservoirs and gravity for hydroelectricity production,” read the minutes of the meeting.

The ruling Congress in Karnataka views the project as an essential step for meeting the state’s peak-hour power demands.

“Residents need not have any apprehensions about the project. The damage to ecology will be minimal. We will convince the local public about these issues before beginning the work,” said State Energy Minister KJ George.