BENGALURU: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday met Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi and sought his intervention in expediting wildlife clearances for the proposed Sharavathy Pumped Storage Project and the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Drinking Water Project.
During the meeting at Paryavaran Bhavan, the Chief Minister also discussed issues concerning Karnataka, including the proposed declaration of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) based on the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee.
He urged the Centre not to finalise the seventh draft notification until the state government completes a physical survey and submits the report of its high-level committee.
The state has sought early consideration of the two project proposals by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), which are awaiting clearance.
The 2,000-MW Sharavathy Pumped Storage Project has been considered and deferred at several meetings of the standing committee. At its 89th meeting on February 28, 2026, the committee had sought clarifications from the state and the user agency on issues raised by its technical committee, along with a report from the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.
The Karnataka government has said it has addressed the queries and submitted the required documents, including the NIAS report, and sought an early decision on the proposal.
The Mekedatu proposal involves drilling 20 boreholes within the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary for geotechnical investigations related to the proposed balancing reservoir and drinking water project. The proposal, submitted to the Union Environment Ministry on July 1, 2026, covers a total area of 0.0000352 hectares.
The state has clarified that the proposal is limited to survey and investigation activities and does not involve the diversion of the protected area at this stage. The ministry has sought additional information regarding petitions pending before the Supreme Court in connection with the project, which the state has said will be furnished shortly.
Seeks deferment of Western Ghats notification
Shivakumar also pressed for the deferment of the seventh draft notification, dated July 27, 2026, on declaring the Western Ghats an ESA.
The state government has argued that the notification should not be finalised until its high-level committee submits its report and a physical survey is completed within a year. It has also sought consultation with the state before the Centre takes further steps.
The Chief Minister had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 25, requesting that the notification be kept pending until the state completes the exercise.
Seeks relief for sugar factory
The state government has also sought the removal of Eco Cane Sugar Energy Limited from the eco-sensitive zone, arguing that the factory was established before 2016 and that its inclusion would affect livelihoods.
According to the state, more than 500 workers and 5,000 families depend on the factory. The government has urged the Union Environment Ministry to consider its recommendation to exclude the unit from the eco-sensitive zone, citing the company's representation on the matter.
The meeting comes amid Karnataka's efforts to secure environmental clearances for major infrastructure projects while seeking changes to proposed environmental restrictions that the state says could affect development and industrial activity.