A ‘green versus green’ battle is brewing in Karnataka, with environmentalists clashing with the government over a pumped hydro storage project proposed for the Sharavathy river system in the Western Ghats.

The state government is yet to secure forest and wildlife clearance but has already begun the process of acquiring land for the ₹80 billion (~$918 million) project, drawing the ire of environmentalists who fear large-scale construction could harm flora and fauna in this biodiversity hotspot.

The proposed project area is home to the Lion Tailed Macaque (LTM), a critically endangered primate endemic to the Sharavathy Valley.

The conflict has arisen when pumped storage projects are seen as an environment-friendly technology to overcome the intermittency of renewable energy sources and help India meet its clean energy targets.

A similar biodiversity conservation versus renewables clash in the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) habitat in Rajasthan had brought solar and wind power project development to its knees in Rajasthan in 2021.

The Karnataka Power Corporation, which is executing the project, appears firm on its plan but has run into protests, with the possibility of activists taking the issue to court.

The 2,000 MW (8 X 250 MW) Sharavathy pumped storage project in Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts entails an upper (Talakale) and lower (Gerusoppa) reservoir, both of which already exist, an underground powerhouse, eight turbines, and four tunnels ranging from 2.2 km to 3.5 km.

The project proposes pumping water up from the lower reservoir during low-demand hours and generating power by discharging the water from the upper reservoir and running it through turbines during peak hours.

The project requires 153 hectares of land, including forest land. Roads and power lines will also have to be constructed.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) approved the Detailed Project Report in 2024. The project awaits a nod from the National Board of Wildlife and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Even while these approvals are pending, preparations for land acquisition have begun.

The project area and around are rich in flora and fauna. About 70 acres of the forest land proposed to be acquired falls within the core area of the habitat of the LTM, which is on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. The region is also home to the Great Hornbill and other rare wildlife species.

What is Pumped Storage?

Pumped storage acts like a giant battery and involves two water reservoirs at different levels. Power is generated when water moves from the upper reservoir to the lower one, passing through a turbine. These projects can store and release power on demand.

With energy storage becoming increasingly important in the context of growing integration of renewables into India’s electricity grid, the government has been aggressively pushing pumped storage projects as one of the options. Integrating wind and solar energy with pumped storage is considered an economically viable solution to ensure power supply on demand using base load and peak load capabilities.

The Ministry of Power considers pumped storage projects “clean, MW scale, domestically available, time tested and internationally accepted.” They have a long service life of up to 50 years, much more than any other energy storage technology currently available. The bonus is the low cost of delivered energy over the life of the projects.

The Ministry said in its guidelines on pumped storage projects issued in 2023 that these projects are non-polluting, more environmentally friendly, and leave no residual environmental impacts.

The CEA estimates on-river pumped storage potential in India at 103 GW.

LTM Numbers Threatened  

Environmental activists scoff at these claims and point to the reports of three deputy conservators of forests in the project-affected districts, listing the negative impacts the project could have on flora and fauna, especially the LTM (Macaca Silenus).

As of 2024, the LTM number in the region was estimated to be around 750. The total population in the world is about 4,000. Any fragmentation of their habitat could bring their numbers down.

“The state government has disregarded their reports and is rushing through,” said Ananth Hegde Ashisara, a former chairman of the Karnataka Biodiversity Board. “About 200,000 trees will be felled, and 1,000 acres of forest land will be destroyed. It is not only flora and fauna that will be impacted but also people’s lives.”

In the pre-feasibility report, the National Institute of Advanced Studies pointed out that considering the project’s proximity to the Sharavathy Wildlife Sanctuary, the layout has been prepared to keep most components completely underground. The dams exist, the powerhouse complex and the water-conducting systems are underground. Only the tunnel/audit entrance portal, roads, and muck disposal/quarry sites are exposed to the ground surface.

Activists, however, argue that construction will involve blasting, drilling, and laying roads, all of which risk landslides and wildlife habitat fragmentation. They say tree canopies, which are arboreal (living on trees), are key to the movement of the LTM.

In the GIB case, the Supreme Court struck a fine balance between the twin imperatives of biodiversity protection and renewables-led energy transition.

It observed, “While balancing two equally crucial goals, the conservation of the GIB on the one hand, with the conservation of the environment as a whole on the other hand, it is necessary to adopt a holistic approach which does not sacrifice either of the two goals at the altar of the other. The delicate balance between the two aims must not be disturbed. Rather, care must be taken by all actors, including the state and the courts, to ensure that both goals are met without compromising on either.”

Can such a middle ground still be found if the project continues to be embroiled in conflict? Can wildlife and renewables co-exist without one disturbing the other?