GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
Activists have raised strong objections to the In-Principle Approval granted for the 2000 MW Pumped Storage Project (PSP) in Sharavathi Valley LTM Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka. The in-principle approval was granted by the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife on June 26, this year.
Concerned citizens, environmentalists, and civil society representatives across Karnataka and the Western Ghats region have cited “Procedural Lapses and Grave Ecological Implications” for Sharavathi Valley which is the home for endangered Lion Tailed Macaques and the Western Ghats which is the World’s Hottest Biodiversity Hotspot and the birthplace of many rivers, tributaries and streams in Karnataka.
Akhilesh Chipli, General Secretary, SWAN & Man (Save-Wild-Atmosphere-Nature & Man) has expressed deep concern and strong opposition to the NBWL decision. He says in a letter to the Chairperson, Member Secretary, and Members, Standing Committee, NBWL, “This appears to have been taken without adequate due diligence, public consultation, or regard for the ecological consequences and legal safeguards in place.”
SERIOUS ECO-TECHNICAL & POLICY ISSUES
Despite my earlier representations, outlining serious technical, ecological, and policy concerns regarding this project, they have neither been acknowledged nor addressed the issues. It is disturbing that the minutes of the 84th NBWL meeting make no reference to public representations or expert submissions from civil society.
KEY CONCERNS RAISED
- Violation of Protected Area Norms:
The decision to consider diversion of over 140 hectares of ecologically sensitive land within and around a legally protected Wildlife Sanctuary is deeply troubling. There is no documented justification for placing such a project inside a Protected Area, especially in the absence of a transparent needs assessment or consideration of alternatives.
- Lack of Due Process and Objectivity:
Granting in-principle approval before obtaining forest, wildlife, and environmental clearances undermines the credibility of the entire regulatory process. It sends a message of pre-approval and encourages premature activities by project proponents, even before scrutiny is complete.
- Neglect of Independent Expert Opinion:
The site inspection report by Praneetha Paul, Deputy Inspector General of Forests (MoEF&CC, Bengaluru), dated 19 May 2025, explicitly does not recommend the project, citing irreversible ecological harm. This report has been disregarded in favour of the recommendation made by the Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka—an official from the very government agency proposing the project. Such conflict of interest raises serious ethical questions.
- Violations of Wildlife Protection Act and Forest Conservation Laws:
The Wildlife (Protection) Act does not permit forest land diversion for such purposes within sanctuaries. The project contradicts the principles of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 and 2023 Rules, which emphasize forest conservation, biodiversity protection, and carbon stock enhancement.
- Irreversible Biodiversity Loss:
This project threatens the core habitat of the endangered Lion-Tailed Macaque, Malabar Pied Hornbill, and King Cobra, among other endemic species. The Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot, cannot afford such ecological fragmentation. Wet evergreen forests with high canopy densities (Eco Class-1) will be permanently lost.
- Risks of Geological Instability and Natural Disasters:
Extensive tunnelling, blasting, and felling of over 15,000 trees in steep terrain already prone to landslides and high rainfall poses significant risks to both ecology and human settlements.
- Lack of Transparent Alternatives Assessment:
The project’s justification fails to compare its feasibility and impact against alternative energy storage methods such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), which are more sustainable and less ecologically damaging.
- Contradictions in National Forest Policy Goals:
India’s forest and tree cover is already below the 33% national target. Forest diversions of this magnitude directly contradict our climate commitments and sustainable development goals, including the creation of a 2.5–3.0-billion-ton carbon sink by 2030.
- National Trend of Unchecked Clearances:
Between 2014–19, 99.82% of projects seeking forest clearance were approved. Over 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land have been diverted for non-forestry use in recent years. This alarming trend is symptomatic of a systemic failure to uphold environmental governance.
- Impact on LTM Populations:
Destroying the treetop habitat of approximately 700 Lion-Tailed Macaques effectively dooms the species to local extinction. The proposal to replace evergreen forest with shola grasslands as compensatory afforestation is biologically incompatible. - . Excessive Past Diversions in the Region:
Over 18,000 hectares have already been leased to KPCL in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka. Adding to this damage in Shivamogga and elsewhere will lead to an ecological collapse of the Central Western Ghats.
- Cascade Effect of Multiple PSPs in the Ghats:
At least 10 other PSPs are proposed in the Kali, Varahi, and Cauvery basins. If even a few are sanctioned, it would result in irreversible destruction of Western Ghats riverine and forest ecosystems. The cumulative impact has not been assessed.
APPEAL FOR WITHOLDING ALL CLEARANCES
The approval of this project, taken in haste, ignoring expert advice, public concern, and statutory provisions, is a breach of the government’s constitutional, legal, and moral duty to protect the environment. Chipli further states, “I strongly urge the NBWL, EAC, and MoEF & CC to:
- Withhold all project-related clearances until a thorough, transparent, and participatory review is conducted.
- Reject the in-principle approval granted at the 84th NBWL meeting.
- Institute a cumulative environmental and ecological impact assessment of all PSPs proposed in the Western Ghats.
- Uphold the spirit and mandate of India’s forest and wildlife conservation laws.
Environmental governance must be based on science, transparency, and accountability. Therefore, the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project should not be allowed to proceed until all concerns have been duly addressed and the sanctity of India’s Protected Areas (PA) is assured.