The Forest department last week granted permission to Karnataka Power Corporation Limited to drill the ground for survey and geo-technical investigation for a power project, inside the Sharavathi Valley Lion-tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary, but with stringent conditions.
This, despite opposition to the proposed 2,000-MW Sharavathi pumped storage hydroelectric project inside the Sharavathi Valley between Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts.
The proposal, accorded approval by the State Board for Wildlife in September 2019, was forwarded to the prime minister-headed National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). The NBWL, which met in April, gave its green signal to the study, subject to conditions imposed by the Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka.
