NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved the diversion of around 1,200 hectares of forest land for two hydropower projects located in Nagpur and Pune, Maharashtra.
Both hydroelectric projects are situated within eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) of different wildlife protection areas, which may negatively impact conservation efforts. However, the Government’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) advised the project proponents to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the ecological implications on forests.
An eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) functions as a protected buffer area surrounding a protected reserve. It acts as a "shock absorber," helping to regulate developmental activities and minimize human-wildlife conflict in these protected areas.
The proposed Wainganga-Nalganga River Link Project (Link-0 and Link-1) in Nagpur is located within 10 km of the ESZ surrounding the Umred-Kharandala Wildlife Sanctuary.
The total cost of this project exceeds Rs 53,096 crore, requiring 14,467.97 hectares (ha) of land, out of which 1,023.45 ha is forest land. The Ghosikhurd Dam is proposed to have a height of 28.37 metres from the riverbed, which will result in the submergence of over 13,000 ha of land.
Despite violating ESZ norms, the EAC categorised this project as “B1,” indicating a moderate impact on forest land. The EAC noted that the current project proposal falls under the “B1” category for Culturable Command Areas. However, since the project is located within 10 km of the ESZ surrounding the Umred-Kharandala Wildlife Sanctuary (only 0.80 km away), it requires appraisal at the Central level by the EAC.
Additionally, the MoEFCC's EAC has also given approval for the Pimpalpada–Savale Pumped Storage Project in Pune, located within the ESZ of the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and the proposed Western Ghats Eco-sensitive Area.
This project has a total power capacity of 2,100 MW and costs Rs 10,217.36 crore. It requires 249.23 ha of land, which includes 99.36 ha of forest land and 149.87 hectares of non-forest land. The forest land is proposed to be diverted for the construction of various project components.
This project falls under Category ‘A,’ indicating a severe impact on forest land. The committee noted that the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and the proposed Western Ghats Eco-sensitive Area are located within a 10 km radius of the project. The nearest component of the project, the lower reservoir, is situated approximately 8.2 km from the sanctuary boundary, while the closest distance between the notified ESZ boundary and the nearest project component is about 5.0 km.
Nevertheless, the EAC highlighted that the upper reservoir and certain associated project components are proposed within the draft notified Western Ghats Eco-sensitive Area (ESA), Maharashtra. Therefore, it emphasised the need for a comprehensive assessment of the ecological implications of locating these project components within the proposed ESA during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study.