Reject mini-hydel project in Western Ghats: Activist to Forest Department

Over 15 years after the state government was taken to the High Court over mini-hydel projects in the Western Ghats, a Hassan-based company has submitted a proposal to set up a 10-MW power project across the Kumaradhara river at Somwarpet.

Wildlife conservationist Giridhar Kulkarni has written to Forest Department officers at the divisional and circle levels, requesting them to reject the proposal. The plant is proposed in the Madikeri territorial division, a region already under pressure from multiple development projects.

“The area proposed for the project lies in close proximity to Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an important elephant habitat and home to several species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The proposed project site is located approximately 2.5 km from the sanctuary’s boundary and appears to fall within its Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), as notified on 28th June 2017,” he said.

Kulkarni also noted that the Forest Department and the state government had submitted an affidavit in WP 9333 of 2009 before the Karnataka High Court, stating that no new mini-hydel projects would be permitted. About 10 such projects were cancelled following the judgment, he said.

“Any new mini-hydel project in the Western Ghats would be in violation of the commitment made before the court,” he added, urging officials to reject the proposal.