- Adani Group contests cost-revision allegations: Says ₹56.75 crore cited in the online proposal represented only preliminary site investigations and surveys.
- Full project cost pegged at ₹5,675 crore: The group maintains that this was the project cost considered by the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL).
- ₹227-crore conservation contribution in focus: A media report flagged the reduction of the estimated wildlife conservation contribution to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve to approximately ₹2.27 crore.
- Adani denies any attempt to dilute statutory obligations: The company says the project is located entirely on private, non-forest land.
- Wildlife and forest clearances under scrutiny: The group maintains that the project is outside protected areas, the notified tiger reserve buffer zone and designated ecological corridors.
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, NOV 14
A 1,500-MW pumped storage project in Maharashtra has come under scrutiny over a contentious revision in its declared cost and the resulting implications for wildlife conservation contributions. Rejecting allegations that the change was intended to reduce statutory obligations, the Adani Group has clarified that the lower figure reflected only preliminary site investigations and surveys, and not the overall project investment.
In a statement responding to a media report, the conglomerate said its renewable energy arm, Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), had submitted the online proposal for the Tarali Pumped Storage Project (PSP) exclusively for site investigation purposes. It maintained that the project’s total estimated cost of ₹5,675 crore had been considered by the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL).
₹56.75 crore figure was only for preliminary surveys, says Adani
Explaining the difference between the two figures, the group said the cost of preliminary site investigations and surveys was approximately one per cent of the overall project cost.
“Since site investigation costs are around 1 per cent of project costs, therefore, clarification of the project, Rs 56.75 crore, representing solely the site investigations and survey costs, for the online proposal was provided,” the group said.
The clarification followed a report by The Indian Express which stated that AGEL had reduced the declared cost of its 1,500-MW Tarali pumped storage project from ₹5,675 crore to ₹56.75 crore through a revised affidavit.
According to the report, the revision brought down the mandatory wildlife conservation contribution linked to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve from ₹227 crore to approximately ₹2.27 crore, prompting the Centre to order a probe.
Project location and ecological impact disputed
The Adani Group rejected the suggestion that the revision was intended to lower conservation-related financial obligations. It argued that the project’s geographical location and land-use characteristics did not warrant the concerns raised in the report.
“The Tarali PSP is situated entirely on private, non-forest land and 3.2 kms away from the Koyna wildlife sanctuary,” the group said.
It further maintained that the project falls outside the notified buffer zone of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve and does not affect or lie along the tiger corridor or any notified Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
Adani maintains no protected forest diversion is involved
Reiterating its position on environmental clearances, the group said the project would not involve the diversion of protected areas or notified forest land.
“The project does not cause diversion of any protected areas, any reserve forest or notified Eco Sensitive zone,” it said.
The company’s clarification places the distinction between the overall project investment and preliminary survey expenditure at the centre of the controversy. The reported revision, the proposed conservation contribution and the project’s proximity to ecologically sensitive areas remain the key issues in the public scrutiny surrounding the Tarali pumped storage project.