<p>As many as 64,454 trees are to be felled for the pumped storage project (PSP) proposed at Saundatti in Belagavi district.</p>.<p>The installed capacity of this project has been enhanced from the earlier 1,260 |MW to 1,600 MW and an expert committee at the Centre has cleared the additional requirement of over 231 acres of non-forest land for the project.</p>.<p>The enhancement of the installed capacity of the project has been approved along with the construction of a lower reservoir.</p>.<p>The total land required for the project has gone up from 528 acre to 759.65 acre. Also cleared is the one-time requirement of 0.759 tmc of water.</p>.In jibe at HM, D K Suresh reiterates he wants to see brother Sivakumar as Karnataka CM.<p>The expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, however, decided not to seek a fresh public hearing for the revised project proposed by Greenko KA01 IREP Private Limited.</p>.<p>"The EAC was of the view that since (the company) has already conducted public hearing before the grant of earlier environment clearance on 07/01/2019 and additional private land required for proposed components is adjacent to the earlier components of the project and the lower reservoir falls in the same study area for which the EC was granted. Moreover, 70% of total private land has been acquired. Therefore, there is no requirement of fresh public consultation/hearing," it said.</p>.<p><strong>Impact on flora and fauna</strong></p>.<p>As per the documents, when the public hearing was conducted, the number of trees to be cleared was 5,086. As per the latest submissions, a total of 64,454 trees have to be cleared for the project. The company has estimated the project cost at Rs 11,015.98 crore.</p>.<p>The forest and open land environment in the area is home to Bengal fox, golden jackal, grey wolf, jungle cat, Indian grey mongoose, striped hyena, porcupine, peafowl, mugger crocodile, Bengal monitor lizard among other species. However, in 2021, the then deputy conservator of forests Ashok Patil had given a report stating that grey wolf was not present in the area.</p>.<p>The company has sought forest clearance from the ministry and given an undertaking to pay for the compensatory afforestation while agreeing to comply with other recommendations.</p>.<p>A sum of Rs 53.34 crore has been deposited in the state Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority, as per the submissions made to the Centre.</p>
<p>As many as 64,454 trees are to be felled for the pumped storage project (PSP) proposed at Saundatti in Belagavi district.</p>.<p>The installed capacity of this project has been enhanced from the earlier 1,260 |MW to 1,600 MW and an expert committee at the Centre has cleared the additional requirement of over 231 acres of non-forest land for the project.</p>.<p>The enhancement of the installed capacity of the project has been approved along with the construction of a lower reservoir.</p>.<p>The total land required for the project has gone up from 528 acre to 759.65 acre. Also cleared is the one-time requirement of 0.759 tmc of water.</p>.In jibe at HM, D K Suresh reiterates he wants to see brother Sivakumar as Karnataka CM.<p>The expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, however, decided not to seek a fresh public hearing for the revised project proposed by Greenko KA01 IREP Private Limited.</p>.<p>"The EAC was of the view that since (the company) has already conducted public hearing before the grant of earlier environment clearance on 07/01/2019 and additional private land required for proposed components is adjacent to the earlier components of the project and the lower reservoir falls in the same study area for which the EC was granted. Moreover, 70% of total private land has been acquired. Therefore, there is no requirement of fresh public consultation/hearing," it said.</p>.<p><strong>Impact on flora and fauna</strong></p>.<p>As per the documents, when the public hearing was conducted, the number of trees to be cleared was 5,086. As per the latest submissions, a total of 64,454 trees have to be cleared for the project. The company has estimated the project cost at Rs 11,015.98 crore.</p>.<p>The forest and open land environment in the area is home to Bengal fox, golden jackal, grey wolf, jungle cat, Indian grey mongoose, striped hyena, porcupine, peafowl, mugger crocodile, Bengal monitor lizard among other species. However, in 2021, the then deputy conservator of forests Ashok Patil had given a report stating that grey wolf was not present in the area.</p>.<p>The company has sought forest clearance from the ministry and given an undertaking to pay for the compensatory afforestation while agreeing to comply with other recommendations.</p>.<p>A sum of Rs 53.34 crore has been deposited in the state Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority, as per the submissions made to the Centre.</p>