Green groups to up the ante against sharavathi pumped storage project

A post card campaign to be launched to apprise the govt

Shivamogga/DHNS: A meeting here decided to oppose the proposed Sharavathi pumped storage project and to draw the government's attention to its adverse impact on the environment, on Sunday. Several like-minded groups including Paryavarana Trust, Rashtriya Swabhimana Andolana and a group of environmentalists held a meeting to oppose the proposed project. Shivamogga City Municipal Corporation former chairman M Shankar tabled the agenda at the meeting. 

The meeting observed that the proposed Sharavathi pumped storage project would threaten the Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary that endangered houses Lion Tailed Macaques. The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited has already destroyed about 18,000 acre of natural forest in the Sharavathi valley and with the new proposed project, the remaining green cover would be at threat, the noted. 

To draw the government's attention, the meeting decided to urge the government to adopt modern ways like smart grid system instead of the proposed project. The organisations will carry out a post card movement to apprise the government of its intentions, initially. 

Basavaraj Patil Virapura of Rashtriya Swabhimana Andolana, Lalitha rani of Gangavathi Srirangadevarayalu Anegundi dynasty, Paryavarana Trust chairman Prof B M Kumaraswamy, environmentalists Akhilesh Chippalli, Ananth Hegde Ashisara, Sharada Gopal, MLAs S N Channabasappa, Prakash Koliwad, MLC D S Arun, former legislator Mahima Patel and theatre artiste Kantesh Kadaramandalagi were present.