The Centre has deferred forest clearance for Karnataka’s 2,000-MW Sharavathy Pumped Storage Project, citing potential “enormous damage” to biodiversity in the Western Ghats, including threats to Lion-Tailed Macaques and endemic flora in the Sharavathy Valley Sanctuary
Environmentalists argued that the Act weakens environmental protections by allowing easier diversion of forest land for infrastructure projects, particularly in border areas, potentially impacting biodiversity and ecologically sensitive regions
The Upper House passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 after a brief debate, though the opposition had walked out over the ethnic violence in Manipur.
