The Saundatti Pumped Storage Project (PSP) in Belagavi is moving forward after receiving a green signal from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEF&CC) expert panel. The project, which dates back to 2018, has undergone multiple revisions—most notably an increase in its capacity from the originally proposed 1,260 MW to 1,600 MW.
With this expansion, the project’s environmental footprint has grown significantly. Initially, forest department officials in the Gokak division had estimated that around 5,087 trees would be impacted. Now, that number has skyrocketed to 64,454 trees—mainly scrub forest—that will be cleared to make way for the project. However, Greenko, the firm behind the initiative, maintains that it has not sought additional forest land but has increased its private land requirement by over 250 acres.
The project proposes to recirculate approximately 0.7 tmc of water between an upper and a lower reservoir, both near the backwaters of the Renukasagar Dam. Out of the total 759.65 acres required, 395.36 acres fall under forest category, most of which will be submerged by the upper reservoir.
A variety of wildlife—23 mammal species including the Indian fox, Asiatic jackal, jungle cat, blackbuck, and spotted deer—has been recorded in the project area. In 2018, the forest department had stated the zone did not fall within the habitat of the Indian grey wolf.
Originally, the powerhouse was to be constructed underground to mitigate noise. But in 2018, following a capacity revision to 1,260 MW, the plan was changed to a surface powerhouse. With the capacity now increased to 1,600 MW, the structural plans have undergone further alterations.
Gokak Deputy Conservator of Forests Shivanand Naikwadi confirmed that a draft wildlife mitigation plan has been submitted by the company. “A meeting will soon be held to evaluate the plan and suggest improvements. The project has secured Stage 1 clearance, and a thorough review will take place before the final nod,” he said.
Nonetheless, internal sources within the department raised concerns that the proposed mitigation strategies were insufficient. “There are patches of non-forest land in Ramdurg taluk that could be notified as protected areas, and a dryland sanctuary could help safeguard wildlife. But such alternatives haven’t been considered. With numerous dams already altering the forest landscape, further submergence of forest land for hydropower should be reconsidered,” a source noted.
