BENGALURU: The Energy Department’s much-hyped 2,000 MW pumped storage power project in Sharavathi Valley has once again faced a hurdle as it has not yet got forest clearance.
The proposal was rejected at a recently held meeting of the project screening committee. Of the 150-hectare project area, 39.7 hectares fall inside the forests of Sagar, Shivamogga and Honnavar wildlife divisions, including the Lion Tail Macaque Sanctuary. The proposal was sent to the committee a fortnight ago. The committee, comprising an additional principal chief conservator of forests, deputy commissioner and other officials scrutinised the proposal. Committee sources said, “The proposal was cancelled citing technical reasons. Survey number-wise demarcations, details of what is coming inside the wildlife sanctuary, what is coming in the eco-sensitive zones and in what survey numbers have not been explained.”
Sources said the committee also questioned what was the need to acquire more land when the infrastructure was already in place. “An energy department official at the meeting said LTMs are migratory species, so temporary damage to the place will not harm. Besides under compensatory afforestation schemes a habitat for them can be recreated elsewhere,” sources who attended the meeting said.
As per the energy department, the project cost is estimated to be Rs 7,400 crore for eight pumped storage units of 250MW each. The state will utilise the existing Talakalale as the upper reservoir and Gerusoppa as the lower reservoir.