Centre to review Karnataka hydel project nod over threat to rare macaque

The Centre has decided to reconsider the in-principle approval granted to the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project in Karnataka following serious ecological concerns over its potential impact on the Sharavathi Valley Lion-tailed Macaque Sanctuary in the Western Ghats.

The project, proposed by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., aims to build a 2,000 MW pumped hydroelectric system in the Western Ghats, requiring 105.05 acres of dense forestland. Environmentalists warn that the sanctuary, home to about 700 lion-tailed macaques, one of the world’s rarest primates, would be affected.