Environmentalists, seers to stage protest in Shivamogga against Sharavati Pumped Storage project on March 19

L.K. Sripathi, a retired professor of an engineering college, said that the government should minimise the load in peak hours by imposing restrictions. “Instead of fulfilling the demand at peak hours, the government should ask people to minimise the use of power. It should charge high for those who consume power at peak hours instead of taking up projects by cutting trees,” he suggested.

Environmentalists and seers of a couple of mutts in Shivamogga will hold a protest meet and march in Shivamogga on March 19 opposing the Sharavati Pumped Storage project.

The environmentalists, who are part of the Sharavati Nadi Kanive – Ulisi Horata Okkuta of Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts, have appealed to the people of Shivamogga district to join the protest in large numbers to put pressure on the government of Karnataka not to take up the project. They would hold a protest meeting at Gopi Cirlce.

Abhinava Channabasava Mahaswamy of Mulegadde mutt at Hosanagara and Basava Marulasidda Swamy of Basava Kendra in Shivamogga are among those expected to take part in the meeting.

Addressing a press conference in Shivamogga, on March 17, Akhilesh Chipli, an environmentalist, said that the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) had proposed the project at an estimated cost of ₹4,000 crore in 2017. Within the last eight years, the estimated cost had gone up to over ₹10,000 crore.

“The project, meant to handle the power supply during peak hours, will consume a giant sum of money if it is allowed to be implemented. The project is coming up in the pristine forests of the Western Ghats, habitat of rare flora and fauna, including those facing the threat of extinction. We have to stop this by registering our opposition,” he said.

Mr. Chipli said the project would affect people of Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts. Water would be pumped from Gerusoppa reservoir to Talakalale reservoir, which is expected to impact the flow of water downstream.

“The people, particularly those depending on the river, would be hit badly,” he remarked and suggested Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) as a better alternative to handle the peak hour load.