In a respite to forest dwelling communities, fragile biodiversity and community conservation areas in the Western Ghats, Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) rejected Adani Energy’s application for 1500 MW Warasgaon-Warangi Pump Storage Project. The committee has asked the proponent to apply afresh for Stage I Clearance, adding several conditions to assessment.
In the meeting last week (27th September 2024) whose minutes were published only today, the EAC did not approve Adani application for amendments in the TORs earlier granted for 1200 MW Warasgaon-Warangi Pumped Storage by Adani Green Energy. We thank the EAC for this decision. In another welcome decision, the EAC has decided to visit sites of all the PSPs that have applied for environment clearance before giving any further clearances. We hope that the site visits will expose the perilous siting of over 15 pumped storage projects in the Western Ghats.
The upper dam of 1500 MW Warasgaon Warangi Project was set to destroy a sacred fish pool and sacred grove of Goddess Varadayini in village Tekpowale. SANDRP had sent a submission to the EAC outlining the impacts of this project on the ecologically sensitive area and the wider cumulative impact of the multiple proposed pumped storage schemes in the Western Ghats.
More information on Tekpowale Adani Projects: https://sandrp.in/2024/09/25/adani-energy-dams-defiling-sacred-pools-and-fish-sanctuaries-in-western-ghats/
More than 200 individuals and organizations endorsed the submission. (Full list of endorsements in the annexure below.)
While not granting TORs (Stage I Clearance) to the project, EAC has asked the proponent:
To prepare a new project layout which will not obstruct rivulets in Western Ghats.
To change the project layout to reduce impact on forest land
EAC will conduct site visit to all proposed pumped storage sites in the Western Ghats for which TORs have been issued, prior to granting Environmental Clearance, because “These projects are located in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats and huge forest area is also involved“.
The relevant verbatim decisions as per the minutes of MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley Projects held on Sept 27 2024:
Warsgaon Warangi Pumped Storage Project (1500 MW) in 225.14 Ha at Village Teckpole and Warangi, Tehsil Velhe and Mahad, Dist Pune and Raigad Mah) by Adani Green Energy Ltd – Amendment in Terms of Reference given on 13.2.2023: “The project proposes to use water of the catchment of lower reservoir for initial filling and annual recuperation of losses. This will impact several small rivulets draining into these reservoirs as the water will not be released downstream.
The EAC was of the view that PP has changed configuration of the project drastically which could attract more impact on the environment. The EAC raised its concerns about change in the total forest land required for the project with increase of more than three times i.e. from 24.50 Ha to 88.98 Ha. The EAC also noted that the PP has not applied for Stage-I forest clearance as per time period given as per OM dated 01.08.2013, which stipulates for submission of application for StageI Forest Clearance within 6 months of grant of TOR.”
“Accordingly, the EAC suggested the PP to submit a fresh proposal for grant of TOR with modified PFR incorporating information on:
i. Fresh alternative site analysis modifying the project layout with no obstruction of small rivulets in the area as the small rivulets are the key source of water for the perennial rivers in the western ghats.
ii. Change in project profile i.e. change in project layout, change in forest land and private land requirement.”
THE EAC ALSO DECIDED: “The EAC reviewed the Terms of Reference recommended to the PSPs proposed to be located in Western Ghats. The Member Secretary informed the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) that the Ministry has granted Terms of Reference (ToR) to approximately 15 projects in the Western Ghats. Given the region’s high environmental sensitivity, the EAC, in previous meetings, recommended site visits by sub-committee members to several pumped storage projects. These projects are located in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats and huge forest area is also involved, the EAC emphasized that, prior to granting environmental clearance or making any recommendations, all pumped storage projects in Western Ghats that have been granted ToR by the Ministry, a site visit shall be carried in toto wherever possible.”
Read the Minutes here: https://parivesh.nic.in/utildoc/107849168_1727934715085.pdf
We welcome these decisions of EAC and hope that EAC will continue to give importance to such issues and submissions in future.
Parineeta Dandekar (parineeta.dandekar@gmail.com)
LETTER TO THE EAC ABOUT THE 1500 MW WARASGAON WARANGI PSP OF ADANI WAS ENDORSED BY:
Parineeta Dandekar and Himanshu Thakkar, SANDRP
Suniti S.R. and colleagues, National Alliance for People’s Movements
Shailaja Deshpande and colleagues, Jeevit Nadi
Priyadarshini Karve, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change
Jaideep Baphana, Pune River Revival ( Group with over 1000 members in Pune)
Shripad Dharmadhikary, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, Pune
| BC Shetty | |
| Bhakti Kulkarni | |
| Pravin Subramanian | |
| Shobha Chavda | |
| Bandu Fuke, Pune | |
| Naresh Maruti Koli | |
| Amit Padwal | |
| Rahul Singh | |
| Murlidhar Kamlakar Prabhu | |
| Usha Viswanathan, IIT Bombay | |
| Dr Akhilesh Moktali | |
| Chandru Chawla | |
| Priya Sohoni | |
| Diya Banerjee Uttarayan Wildlife | |
| Debal Deb, Basudha Trust | |
| Nitin Divekar | |
| Rishin Basu Roy | |
| Umesh Narvekar | |
| Zazen Books and Art Mamata Gohil | |
| Sujan Chatterjee | |
| Jayashree Ramadas | |
| Shivprasad Mahajan | |
| JeevitNadi | |
| Ashwini Bhilare | |
| Aj Study Group Pune | |
| Tanmayee Joglekar. | |
| Manali Joglekar | |
| Kishor Y. Daphal | |
| Rajesh Sanap | |
| Dharmendra Patil | |
| Prajakta Mahajan | |
| Dr Sibnath Maity | |
| Anuradha Joglekar | |
| रेखा जोशी पुणे संवाद ग्रुपतर्फे | |
| Rupesh Sarode | |
| Vinod Nagpur | |
| Prashant Dindokar | |
| Anagha Aniruddha Kortikar | |
| Shirish Kothavale | |
| Nimish Sane | |
| Dr. Jai Apte, UC Davis. | |
| Amruta Apte, Pune | |
| Shrunali Apte- Inner wheel club of Pune | |
| Pooja Thakur | |
| Shubha Khandekar | |
| Kirti Amritkar- Wani, Director and founder member, Jeevitnadi living river foundation | |
| Yogesh Vaidya | |
| Sitara Leela | |
| Ajay Wadke | |
| Swapnil Thatte | |
| Nisha Munshi | |
| Sarang Yadwadkar | |
| Prajakta Chakravarty , Green Mango Design Pune | |
| Akshay kharate | |
| Sunil Bhadekar , Help Social Organization | |
| Pallavi Jacob | |
| Dr. Saee Satish Lalit | |
| Satish Ramchandra Lalit | |
| Manish Rajankar, Director, Foundation for Economic and Ecological Development. | |
| Rujuta Vinod | |
| Aruna Burte | |
| National Alliance of People’s Movement | |
| Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) | |
| Vinita Gupte | |
| Sai Tambe | |
| Radhika bhatavdekar | |
| Chadrahas Tawde | |
| Rahul Bannerjee | |
| Smita Bhatawadekar | |
| Dr Sujit Pokharkar | |
| Meenakshi Walse | |
| Pallavi Singh, Binsar Forest Retreat | |
| Dr Sujit Pokharkar | |
| Gaurav Bhadsalkar | |
| Yash Shetty | |
| Girish Kulkarni | |
| Saumik Pal | |
| Sandeep Chodankar | |
| Peeyush Shekhsaria | |
| Jaideep Baphna | |
| Uday Gorhe | |
| Rohan Aaron | |
| Angad Patwardhan, Pune Rivers Revival | |
| Saili Palande Datar, Vice President, Malabar Nature Conservation Club | |
| Mukta A Deodhar Aditya Karnatkai, Assistant Professor, Chennai Mathematical Institute Swapna Vijaya Arun Amitraj |
SANDRP 
Modi govt distancing from Adanis? MoEFCC ‘defers’ 1500 MW project in Western Ghats https://www.counterview.net/2024/10/modi-govt-distancing-from-adanis-moefcc.html
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