Karnataka expedited the approval of the controversial Goa-Tamnar power transmission project, clearing it just months after easing its position and requesting a revised proposal from the implementing agency. Despite the Goa-Tamnar power line posing a significant threat to Mollem National Park, Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary, and surrounding villages, resulting in major forest diversion and fragmentation of critical Western Ghats ecosystems, the Karnataka Forest Department has approved the new proposal.
The Karnataka government had initially put the project on hold, citing opposition from Goa to the Kalasa-Bandura drinking water scheme. However, under pressure from the Centre, Karnataka reportedly softened its position in July 2025, instructing the Delhi-based Goa-Tamnar Transmission Project (GTTP) Ltd. to resubmit its proposal with an alternative alignment aimed at minimising forest loss. Within months of receiving the revised plan, the authorities at the Kali Tiger Reserve recommended the diversion of 32 hectares of forest land for the project.
The project also necessitates the conversion of 8.7 hectares of non-forest land. In its proposal, GTTP outlined that, of the 10,810 trees identified along the corridor, only 3,248 would be felled within the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. In a recent letter to the Chief Conservator of Forests, Canara Circle, the Deputy Conservator of Forests at Kali Tiger Reserve reaffirmed the findings from the 2023 site inspection and recommended approval of the proposal.
The DCF report states, “The user agency has reduced the number of trees to be felled to 3,248, and this revised figure has been recommended for further action.” It also prescribes several mitigation measures, such as the installation of canopy bridges for arboreal species, minimising habitat disturbance, limiting construction activities to daylight hours, and imposing a complete ban on overnight stays at work sites. The interstate power transmission line, first envisioned by the Union Ministry of Power in 2015, is aimed at securing a stable and reliable electricity supply for Goa, which is predominantly dependent on the western grid.
