The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the Goa-Tamnar Transmission Project (GTTP), despite strong opposition from Karnataka. The project, which aims to transfer power from Chhattisgarh to Goa, involves constructing a transmission line that cuts through dense forests and the Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. In March, Karnataka had rejected the project due to the high environmental cost it would incur. However, as the project is considered of national importance and part of the national grid development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wrote to Karnataka's Chief Minister, urging the state to reconsider its decision. As a result, Karnataka is now set to re-examine the proposal.
At its 79th meeting in Delhi, the NBWL recommended the project's approval within Goa's jurisdiction, subject to certain conditions. It also instructed GTTP Ltd, the agency responsible for the project, not to commence work until the proposal on the Karnataka side is approved by the NBWL standing committee.
The GTTP was conceived by the power ministry in 2015 to provide an additional power source to Goa, which heavily relies on the western grid. The transmission line, spanning 77 kilometers from Narendra near Dharwad to Xeldem in South Goa, passes through 31 kilometers of forest land, including 6.6 kilometers within the Dandeli wildlife area. Conservationists in both Goa and Karnataka have strongly opposed the project due to the significant environmental impact, which includes the diversion of 174.6 hectares of forest land in Karnataka and the felling of over 70,000 trees in the Western Ghats. The project will also pass through the Kali Tiger Reserve. Despite this, the proposal has not yet been reviewed by the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife, although the state's forest minister, Eshwar Khandre, had previously rejected it in March.
