2 months ago
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The Karnataka High Court, earlier this month, directed the State authorities to halt enactment successful the wood area for the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project, until further orders. A radical of environmentalists had moved the Court, challenging the State Wildlife Board’s support for the projected task successful the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary which is portion of the Western Ghats, and a biodiversity hotspot. The Court’s bid boosted the morale of the environmentalists, who person been opposing the task since it was projected successful 2017.
The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) projected the task successful the vale of the Sharavathi river, which flows for astir 130 km done the Western Ghats earlier reaching the Arabian sea. The stream is already the State’s primary hydel power source, with 4 large powerfulness stations operating successful its valley.
The KPCL aims to make 2,000 MW done this task to conscionable peak-hour vigor demands, which tin interaction 18,000 MW daily. The task has been defended connected the grounds that the Central Electricity Authority has recommended a transition to cleanable energy, targeting 50% non-fossil substance capableness by 2030. Th the outgo of the task which was estimated to beryllium astir ₹4,800 crore in 2017, has gone up to astir ₹10,240 crore.
Furthermore, portion the task has received the support of the State Wildlife Board and an in-principle support from the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL), wood and biology clearances are inactive pending.
Environmental concerns
The Karnataka State Wildlife Board gave its support for the task successful January 2025, with definite conditions. Initially, the KPCL had estimated that much than 16,000 trees were to beryllium chopped for the project. The committee suggested that it be reduced to 7,000 to 8,000 trees.
Even so, the task continued to look stiff absorption from antithetic groups. Environmentalists, locals, farmers’ organisations, and heads of spiritual institutions dispersed implicit the Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts person been protesting against the project. They person held respective meetings and highlighted the demolition the task volition origin to the forests and the endangered taxon of flora and fauna, including the lion-tailed macaques, who are endemic to the place. Local residents, who person witnessed predominant landslips during heavy rains successful the past fewer years, are disquieted that the operation of the tunnel might origin irreparable harm to the region. They are besides acrophobic that the implementing bureau mightiness instrumentality further wood onshore to laic the lines needed to transportation the powerfulness generated by the project. Petitioners, including environmentalist Akhilesh Chipli, person alleged that the task is against the laws that prohibit non-forest activities successful the region.
Interestingly, a tract inspection study filed by Praneetha Paul, Deputy Inspector General of Forest of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF), did not urge the task proposal. The officer stated that the operation of caller roads, and the widening of existing roads and different structures would effect successful the implicit demolition of the bedewed evergreen forests, and that cutting trees would isolate the colonisation of lion-tailed macaques. Environmentalists person cited this study arsenic a cardinal papers to enactment their arguments.
Considering the superior absorption from the public, representatives of the KPCL held meetings successful parts of Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada successful October 2025 to support the project. A squad authoritative tried to person the radical that the interaction of the project would be minimal. They besides argued that the task was indispensable considering the request to trim dependence connected fossil fuels for vigor production.
Enduring fight
However, the KPCL’s efforts person failed to person the protesters. Considering the stiff opposition, the MoEF sent an adept sheet to sojourn the task site, and the panel, in its report, stated that the “limited operational payment offered by the task seems outweighed by the irreversible ecological, biology and societal costs involved.”
The ineligible setback and the adverse adept study person created a important hurdle for the project’s proponents. The KPCL’s next determination earlier the Court and the NBWL will beryllium keenly watched.
