Don’t carry out any work on ground for now on Sharavathi pumped storage hydroelectric project, Karnataka High Court directs State government

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday (March 10) directed the State government and the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) not to carry out any work on ground for the ₹10,000 crore Sharavathi pumped storage hydroelectric project in forest areas within the Sharavathi Valley Lion Macaque Sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone, until further orders.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha passed the interim order on the petition filed by Akhilesh Chipli of Shivamogga and two others.

Earlier, Additional Solicitor General of India K. Arvind Kamath pointed out to the bench that the Union government has some concerns about the project while pointing out that no approval has been given for the project as of now, even though the National Board of Wildlife had given in-principle approval for the project.

No impediment

However, senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, appearing for the KPCL, said that the restrictions imposed under Section 29 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for destruction of sanctuary, will not cause any impediment to take up the proposed project in the sanctuary area as no endangered monkeys are found in the project area within the sanctuary or its eco-sensitive zone.

Meanwhile, State Advocate General K. Shashi Kiran Shetty contended that the petition is premature as the Union government has not yet granted approval for the project.

To a query by the bench on certain preparatory works being carried out in the project area as was claimed in the petition, the A-G said there is no such possibility of taking up works in the absence of approval for the project by the Centre.

However, the bench orally said that since the issues raised in the petitions require examination, the court does not want a situation of taking up any work in the project in the event of project approval by the Centre during pendency of the petition.

Not betterment

In the petition, filed through advocate B.V. Vidyulatha, it has been contended that destruction within sanctuary is permissible only for “improvement and better management of wildlife” in the sanctuary, and the present power project cannot be termed as betterment of wildlife.

The petitioners have questioned the legality of approval given by the granted by the State Wildlife Board in January 2025 and the in-principle approval granted by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife in June 2025.

It has been pointed out in the petition that the project requires 142.763 hectares of land, out of which 102 hectares are geographically located inside the sanctuary and 39.715 hectares are situated within the eco-sensitive zone.