Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, one of India’s most forested regions and part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, is witnessing increasing pressure from hydropower, pumped storage, nuclear expansion, ports and river diversion projects.
The report highlights concerns over the proposed Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project, which is planned in the forest landscape surrounding the Gerusoppa Dam. The area now falls within the Sharavathi Valley Lion Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary and its eco sensitive zone, raising legal and ecological questions over the project’s location.
Uttara Kannada has nearly 80 per cent forest cover and is home to rich biodiversity, including tigers, leopards, lion-tailed macaques and great hornbills. The district also contains protected areas such as the Kali Tiger Reserve, Anshi National Park, the Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and the Aghanashini Estuary a Ramsar site.
According to the report, decades of hydropower development have already submerged large stretches of evergreen forests, altered river ecosystems and affected the livelihoods of forest dependent and fishing communities. Earlier projects, including the Gerusoppa Hydroelectric Project, faced sustained public protests over environmental degradation and displacement.
The article notes that the proposed Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project has triggered fresh opposition from local residents and environmental groups. Citizens have challenged the project before the Karnataka High Court, which in March 2026 ordered that no work on the project be carried out until further orders. The matter is scheduled for further hearing in October.
The report also states that a March 2026 site inspection by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reportedly questioned the project’s location within the protected sanctuary, citing ecological concerns and omissions in the proposal. However a separate study prepared for the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited has recommended approval of the project, highlighting differing assessments over its environmental impact.
Beyond the Sharavathi project, Uttara Kannada is also facing proposals for nuclear expansion at Kaiga, new port developments, thermal power projects and river diversion schemes. According to the report, these projects have raised concerns among local communities over forest loss, declining river flows, impacts on fisheries and displacement.
The article argues that while India is pursuing ambitious clean energy and net zero targets, infrastructure development should not come at the cost of ecologically sensitive forests, biodiversity, carbon sinks and the livelihoods of communities that depend on them. It stresses the need for balancing renewable energy expansion with conservation and sustainable land use planning.