New Delhi: Within just 15 days, another pumped storage project in the eco-sensitive area (ESA) of the Western Ghats has received a crucial clearance from the Environment Ministry’s expert appraisal committee (EAC).
The 240-megawatt (MW) project, called the Tilari Pumped Storage Project (PSP), in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district will be operated by Shree Tatyasaheb Kore Warana Sahakari Navshakti Nirman Sanstha Limited, according to the minutes of the EAC’s July 30 meeting.
Previously, on July 15, the EAC recommended a 2,700 MW PSP by Adani Green Energy Limited in Maharashtra’s Satara district for the grant of environment clearance. Apart from being in the Western Ghats’ ESA, this project is just 150 metres from the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve’s buffer zone.
The Ghats’ ESA was declared through the Environment Ministry’s draft notification issued last month. This was its seventh iteration since March, 2014.
Notified by the Environment Ministry, ESAs are areas with unique biological resources that require special attention for their conservation. According to a 2013 notification from the ministry, hydro-projects are permitted in the ESA of the ghats.
The Kolhapur project is within the Chandgad Conservation Reserve, notified by the Maharashtra government in 2021, according to the minutes of the EAC meeting.
The Kolhapur PSP, spanning more than 45 hectares, was recommended for the grant of specific “terms of reference” (TOR), which is the first step in the approval process.
The TOR refers to a formal document that defines the scope, objectives, methodology and reporting requirements of an environmental impact assessment study for any proposed project.
