Bengaluru: Opposition to the proposed 2,000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project received a major boost Friday after the Centre informed Karnataka high court that an expert committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) had recommended against granting wildlife clearance to the KPCL initiative.The Centre’s submission marks a significant setback for the state govt.The project, spread across Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats region, faced sustained opposition from conservationists and environmental activists. In view of that, NBWL had constituted the expert committee in June 2025.Additional solicitor general Aravind Kamath submitted the expert committee’s report to the high court. Denying approval for the project, the report categorically stated: “The present proposal lacks compelling technical merit, environmental sustainability, or alignment with public interest.”Thereafter, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha extended its interim direction restraining any work on the project and adjourned the hearing on the PIL to Oct 1.Further questioning the efficacy of the project, the expert committee observed: “The project entails a significant net loss of effective electricity generation, as it merely shifts power availability to nighttime hours without creating any additional energy.”The committee warned that the project could threaten the survival of rare and endemic species in the Western Ghats. It said the project is likely to fragment wildlife habitats, disturb animals, and put additional pressure on the region’s forests and river ecosystems.
