The Saundatti Integrated Renewable Energy with Storage Project (IRESP), a mega power initiative in Belagavi district, has received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) — but not without significant ecological concerns. Over 64,000 trees are set to be felled, a tenfold jump from the 5,087 initially estimated in 2018.
Proposed by Greenko, the project combines 2 GW solar, 2 GW wind, and a 9600 MWh pumped storage system, making it the first of its kind in India to deliver round-the-clock renewable energy. The 1,600 MW pumped storage component will involve the construction of a 96-meter-high dam creating a 1.75 TMC reservoir near Jagavalla Halla, about 80 km from Belagavi, close to Somapura village in Saundatti Taluk.
The project includes:
- Twin 817-meter head race tunnels,
- Five 375-meter penstock tunnels for 200 MW turbines and
- One bifurcated penstock for two 100 MW turbines,
- A surface powerhouse housing seven reversible Francis turbines,
- A 2.39 km tailrace channel connecting to the Renukasagar reservoir.
Initially, the company planned an underground powerhouse, but due to scaling up the capacity from 1,260 MW to 1,600 MW, it was shifted to a surface-based setup, raising environmental concerns. The revised plan requires 759.65 acres of land, including 395.36 acres of forest, most of which will be submerged under the upper reservoir.
Despite this, Greenko maintains that it has not sought additional forest land — only an expansion in private land usage by over 250 acres. The presence of 23 mammal species, including Indian foxes, Asiatic jackals, jungle cats, blackbucks, and spotted deer, has been recorded in the area. Forest officers earlier noted the absence of the Indian Grey Wolf, but conservationists say mitigation efforts remain inadequate.
Experts have criticized the lack of compensatory measures. “There’s no proposal to create sanctuaries or reforest non-forest land in nearby Ramdurg taluk. Given repeated forest losses to hydropower projects, it’s time to reconsider submerging forest areas,” a senior forest official noted.
The project’s core objective is to stabilize and dispatch renewable energy to the grid efficiently. Power from all components will be pooled and linked to the PGCIL substation at Dharwad.
While the Saundatti IRESP stands as a symbol of India’s clean energy ambitions, it also underscores the complex trade-offs between infrastructure growth and ecological sustainability.
Project Highlights:
It envisages creation of a reservoir across a Jagavalla Halla depression which is flowing NW – SE direction, joining the Malaprabha reservoir near Yekkundi village.
The project is about 80 km from District headquarters Belagavi via Yeragatti.
The nearest Village to project is Somapura about 3 Km, which comes under Tallur Grama Panchayat, Saundatti Taluk.
The Storage Capacity of the Project is proposed as 9600 MWH.