WESTERN GHATS, KARNATAKA, August 22, 2025 - Shri Maruti Guruji, the revered Dharmadhikari of Shri Kshetra Bangaramakki and a noted environmentalist honored as ‘Prakruthi Rakshaka’ and ‘Vruksha Mitra,’ today issued his most powerful and solemn condemnation of the proposed 2,000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project. Describing it as an unconscionable act of ecological sacrilege, a betrayal of generational trust, and a project built on a foundation of lies, Guruji has demanded its immediate and permanent termination.
“Let my words be heard clearly across this state and this nation. This project is not development; it is an act of Adharma. It is a violent, premeditated assault on the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the cradle of our rivers and the very soul of our land,” stated Shri Maruti Guruji. “To allow this desecration is to commit a sin against creation itself. We are not against progress, but we are vehemently against destruction. Let there be no doubt about our resolve: we are prepared to give our lives to protect this sacred forest. We will die before we allow this devastation to proceed.”
Speaking with a blend of spiritual authority and factual precision, Shri Maruti Guruji detailed the irrefutable evidence that makes this project a national disgrace:
Annihilation of a Sacred Ecosystem: The project will permanently destroy 142.7 hectares of pristine, old-growth rainforest within the Sharavathi Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary and dangerously close to the Kali Tiger Reserve. This is a direct assault on what is effectively a ‘Singalika Reserve’: the local name for the Lion-tailed Macaque's sanctuary, and a critical habitat for the ‘Kalinga Sarpa,’ the majestic King Cobra. It requires the felling of over 16,000 mature trees and extensive blasting, which will trigger catastrophic landslides. The Ministry’s own field report warned the project could be “disastrous not only to the ecology of the area but also to human habitations”. A forest once lost cannot come back at any cost, and the idea of ‘compensatory afforestation’ is a complete fallacy when dealing with an ancient, irreplaceable ecosystem.
A Cruel Betrayal of Our People: This project will forcibly displace 130 families, including the indigenous Kunbi Marathi community. For these families, this is the second time in 50 years they will be uprooted by the state, repeating a cycle of trauma from the original Linganamakki dam construction which displaced 12,000 families. This is a cruel repeat of history, as many of those families displaced by the original dam have still not been provided proper replacement land or compensation even after 60 years; a failure of the state so profound that it has recently drawn the attention of the Supreme Court.
An Economic and Technical Sham: The project is a colossal waste of public funds and energy. It is a net consumer of electricity, losing a staggering 24% of the energy it uses in the pumping process. The economic justification is a proven fraud; the project proponent, KPCL, was forced to slash its claimed cost-benefit ratio by 97% - from an absurd 1:2643 down to 1:74.65 - only after being questioned by officials. Meanwhile, the project cost has ballooned from an initial Rs 4,862 crore to over Rs 10,240 crore. All this while ignoring superior, non-destructive, and modern alternatives like Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) that can achieve the same grid-stabilizing goals without destroying a single tree.
A Brazen Collapse of Governance and Law: The entire process is rotten with illegality. The tender was rushed through in just 21 days, violating procurement laws, and awarded to a contractor facing scrutiny from central agencies. Most damningly, the Ministry of Environment’s own expert submitted a detailed site inspection report with 15 compelling reasons to REJECT the project, only to be inexplicably overruled by her superior officer. The project is a flagrant violation of Section 29 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and stands in direct defiance of a binding Supreme Court order. The directive from November 13, 2000 (in W.P. No. 337/1995), places a blanket ban on the de-reservation of any wildlife sanctuary in the country, making any such land diversion for this project fundamentally illegal without the apex court's explicit approval.
“When a government’s own scientific experts warn of catastrophe and are silenced, it is a sign of systemic rot,” declared Shri Maruti Guruji. “This is no longer about energy; it is about integrity, justice, and our moral compass as a nation.”
“As this project directly threatens a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, I also call upon UNESCO to immediately intervene and investigate this impending cultural and natural catastrophe. The world is watching, and international covenants to protect such irreplaceable sites must be honored, not bulldozed in the name of flawed progress.”
Shri Maruti Guruji has issued a direct and solemn appeal to the Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, the Honorable Prime Minister of India, and the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
“I implore you, in the name of Dharma and in the interest of our nation, to act with wisdom and righteousness. Heed the undisputed facts. Listen to the cries of the people and the silent agony of the forest. This project is a monumental mistake; ecologically, socially, economically, and legally. I urge you to intervene personally and cancel the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project immediately and permanently. Let your legacy be the protection of this priceless natural heritage, not its obliteration.”
About Shri Maruti Guruji:
Shri Shri Maruti Guruji is the Dharmadhikari (religious head) of the renowned Shri Kshetra Bangaramakki temple in Karnataka. A deeply respected spiritual leader, he is also a celebrated environmentalist, honored with the titles ‘Prakruthi Rakshaka’ (Protector of Nature) and ‘Vruksha Mitra’ (Friend of Trees) for his decades of tireless work in conservation and afforestation, and serves as the Executive President of the International Hindu Parliament.
Media Contact:
Pa. Poo. Shri Maruthi Guruji,
Dharmadhikarigalu,
Shri Vishwa Veeranjaneya Maha Samsthanam,
Hemapura Maha Peetham,
Shri Kshetra Bangaramakki,
Po: Gerasoppa, Tq: Honnavara,
UttaraKannadaDist,
Karnataka State, 581384
Mobile: 9380643455 Email: wghats25@gmail.com
