Union govt move hits TN plans to set up 14 PSPs in Western Ghats

CHENNAI: The state government’s ambitious plan to establish over a dozen pumped storage projects (PSPs) – all in the Western Ghats – might have hit a roadblock with the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) deciding that the PSPs in the Western Ghats would be given the clearance only after site visits to ascertain their impact on the environment.

Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Ltd (TNGECL) plans to set up 14 PSPs in the State with a total generation capacity of 14,500 MW with the two projects receiving terms of reference from the EAC. Apart from that, it is already building the Kundah PSP (4x125 MW) in The Nilgiris district, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2025-26.

Of the 14 proposed PSPs, five will be located in The Nilgiris district, including the Sillahalla I&II (2000 MW), Upper Bhavani (1000 MW), Sandy Nalla (1200 MW), and Sigur (800 MW) projects. Furthermore, three projects – Kodayar (1500 MW), Vellimalai (1100 MW), and Chattar (1100 MW) – will be established in Kanniyakumari. Two projects each will be built in Dindigul and Theni districts, and one each in Salem and Tirunelveli.

The Tangedco (before the creation of TNGECL) had applied for the EC for Sillahalla I, Manalar and Kodayar PSPs but the EAC has granted ToR only for Sillahalla Stage I and Manalar projects.

According to minutes of the EAC meeting held on September 27, the site visits to such projects should be considered "in toto" before granting environmental clearances to the PSPs proposed in the Western Ghats. The EAC reviewed the Terms of Reference recommended for the 15 PSPs proposed to be located in 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 areas are also involved,” it said.

G Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbaragal has expressed concerns about building new pumped storage projects in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, especially after the Wayanad landslide. “Building a new dam would lead to submergence of thousands of hectares of the forest. We are also not sure of the efficiency of such projects,” he said, adding that they are not completely against the PSPs as such. He suggested that if upper and lower dams already exist, there would be no issue in building pumped storage hydroelectric projects. Additionally, he recommended the government consider setting up floating solar projects on reservoirs.

Sources from the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Ltd have stated that obtaining environmental clearance for the hydro projects involves a lengthy and meticulous process due to their location in forest areas. Sources emphasised that no compromises are made in granting environmental clearances, which are awarded only after submitting all technical reports and site visits by the Expert Appraisal Committee.