Centre to review Karnataka hydel project nod over threat to rare macaque

The Centre has decided to reconsider the in-principle approval granted to the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project in Karnataka following serious ecological concerns over its potential impact on the Sharavathi Valley Lion-tailed Macaque Sanctuary in the Western Ghats.

The project, proposed by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., aims to build a 2,000 MW pumped hydroelectric system in the Western Ghats, requiring 105.05 acres of dense forestland. Environmentalists warn that the sanctuary, home to about 700 lion-tailed macaques, one of the world’s rarest primates, would be affected.

According to the minutes of the meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) the Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav directed the wildlife panel that a committee should be constituted that will visit the project site and submit a report to the SC-NBWL.In the case of the Sharavati project the final stage clearance was due.

Two panel members Dr HS Singh and Dr Raman Sukumar have in SC-NBWL meeting expressed that adequate time is needed to examine big projects like the Sharavathi project. Over 13,756 trees were enumerated to be felled. Dr R Sukumar said the Sharavathy Wild Life Sanctuary is a densely forested area.

“It houses the maximum population of lion-tailed macaques in the entire Western Ghats. The proposal does not provide full details of the ecological loss in terms of the loss of forest cover, the number of trees that would be cut and type and number of species that would be affected by the project including construction of dams, road and other associated activities. The proposal should be examined in detail,” he said.