Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project: The cost of energy transition

The Karnataka High Court docket, earlier this month, directed the Reveal authorities to stop work within the wooded space condominium for the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Mission, except extra orders. A community of environmentalists had moved the Court docket, interesting the Reveal Natural world Board’s approval for the proposed project within the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Natural world Sanctuary which is section of the Western Ghats, and a biodiversity hotspot. The Court docket’s expose boosted the morale of the environmentalists, who indulge in been opposing the project because it was once proposed in 2017.

The Karnataka Energy Company Restricted (KPCL) proposed the project within the valley of the Sharavathi river, which flows for approximately 130 km via the Western Ghats earlier than reaching the Arabian sea. The river is already the Reveal’s vital hydel energy supply, with four vital energy stations working in its valley.

The KPCL objectives to generate 2,000 MW via this project to meet height-hour energy requires, that would contact 18,000 MW day-to-day. The project has been defended on the grounds that the Central Electrical energy Authority has instant a transition to shipshape energy, concentrated on 50% non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Th the worth of the project which was once estimated to be around ₹4,800 crore in 2017, has long gone up to nearly ₹10,240 crore.

Furthermore, while the project has bought the approval of the Reveal Natural world Board and an in-theory approval from the National Board of Natural world (NBWL), wooded space and environmental clearances are light pending.

Environmental considerations

The Karnataka Reveal Natural world Board gave its approval for the project in January 2025, with definite conditions. At the muse, the KPCL had estimated that more than 16,000 trees indulge in been to be gash for the project. The board instant that it be diminished to 7,000 to 8,000 trees.

Even so, the project persisted to face stiff opposition from loads of groups. Environmentalists, locals, farmers’ organisations, and heads of non secular institutions spread over the Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts indulge in been protesting against the project. They’ve held several conferences and highlighted the destruction the project will cause to the forests and the endangered species of natural world, at the side of the lion-tailed macaques, who’re endemic to the put.  Local residents, who indulge in witnessed frequent landslips finally of heavy rains within the previous few years, are fearful that the near of the tunnel could per chance cause irreparable worry to the plan. They’re also alive to that the enforcing company could per chance rob extra wooded space land to put the traces wished to preserve up the energy generated by the project. Petitioners, at the side of environmentalist Akhilesh Chipli, indulge in alleged that the project is against the regulations that restrict non-wooded space actions within the plan. 

Curiously, a utter inspection characterize filed by Praneetha Paul, Deputy Inspector Frequent of Woodland of the Regional Reveal of job of the Ministry of Environment, Woodland and Local weather Alternate (MoEF), did not imply the project proposal. The officer stated that the near of unusual roads, and the widening of current roads and other constructions would result for your entire destruction of the wet evergreen forests, and that reducing trees would isolate the inhabitants of lion-tailed macaques. Environmentalists indulge in cited this characterize as a key doc to present a snatch to their arguments.

Inquisitive regarding the intense opposition from the public, representatives of the KPCL held conferences in aspects of Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada in October 2025 to protect the project. A crew legitimate tried to convince the of us that the impact of the project could per chance be minimal. They also argued that the project was once foremost pondering the want to gash dependence on fossil fuels for energy manufacturing.

Enduring fight

Alternatively, the KPCL’s efforts indulge in failed to convince the protesters. Inquisitive regarding the stiff opposition, the MoEF sent an professional panel to be in contact over with the project utter, and the panel, in its characterize, stated that the “dinky operational wait on supplied by the project seems outweighed by the irreversible ecological, environmental and social expenses alive to.” 

The ethical setback and the negative professional characterize indulge in created a important hurdle for the project’s proponents. The KPCL’s subsequent switch earlier than the Court docket and the NBWL would perchance be keenly watched.