Environmentalist flags 'hypocrisy' ahead of IUCN Congress, seeks halt to forest diversions in Western Ghats

By A Representative 

Power and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has written a strongly worded letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), questioning India’s environmental credibility ahead of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi from October 9–15.

Referring to a recent Down to Earth report announcing the unveiling of India’s first Red List of Endangered Species at the global forum, Sharma said the move “rings hollow” when juxtaposed with the country’s continuing clearance of projects in ecologically fragile regions.

“Whether the successive governments in our country have made honest and diligent efforts to conserve critical elements of nature in the last 50-55 years is the question haunting environmentalists,” Sharma wrote. “If not, what is the purpose of unveiling India’s Red List at an international event?”

Citing data from the ministry’s own Parivesh portal, he noted that the MoEF&CC had approved 87% of proposals for environment clearance between 2014 and 2020, including over 270 projects in and around protected areas and biodiversity hotspots. “If this rate of environmental clearance is to continue, the country is likely to lose most of its original forests of enormous ecological significance within a few decades,” he warned.

Sharma pointed to findings from an IIT Kharagpur study that revealed a steady decline in India’s forest health despite claims of increased green cover. Only 16% of forests, the study found, retain high strength and resilience — a statistic Sharma said should “alarm any responsible government.”

He also cited the Forest Survey of India’s 2023 report, which showed that more than 46,000 sq km of forest became non-forest land over the past decade, and that the forest cover of eight mountain states had declined in just two years. “The destruction of forest wealth in ecologically sensitive areas clearly establishes the true health of our forests, which are the abode of wildlife,” he said.

The analyst’s letter draws special attention to the controversial 2,000 MW pumped storage project (PSP) proposed in the Sharavati Lion-Tailed Macaque (LTM) Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka — a project that has sparked massive public protests and opposition from scientists, conservationists, and even political leaders across parties.

“Even in 2025, the National Board for Wildlife is considering a ghastly project proposal to divert about 400 acres of thick tropical rainforest lands within and around the Sharavati LTM Sanctuary,” Sharma wrote. “There are many benign and better alternatives.”

He highlighted that the sanctuary zone harbours at least 77 species listed in the IUCN Red List, including endangered lion-tailed macaques, and cited multiple scientific objections raised by researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and retired forest officials.

In his earlier submission to the Ministry and expert committees, Sharma reported that public hearings in September 2025 saw massive and unanimous opposition to the Sharavati project, with more than 10,000 people attending and not a single voice in support. Political figures including former BJP MLA Haratalu Halappa, JD(U) leader Mahima J. Patel, and a state cabinet minister have all opposed the project.

“It is hard to imagine how our ministers can feel proud to represent India in IUCN’s Conservation Congress under such a deplorable policy regime,” Sharma said. “Unless MoEF&CC demonstrates its commitment by rejecting forest diversion proposals within protected areas, all tall claims will remain empty rhetoric.”

He urged the Ministry to “permanently reject” clearances for projects within natural forests and sanctuaries until India achieves its National Forest Policy target of 33% forest and tree cover.

“The ongoing approval process for the Sharavati PSP will be seen as a red flag for conservation of nature in our country,” Sharma cautioned, calling on the government to show “commitment and integrity” in protecting India’s biodiversity.