MEIL, JSW, NTPC, Adani—India’s biggest players are all in. Their collective ambition around pumped storage is fast becoming the centerpiece of the country’s energy strategy, bulldozing laws in the process. But ambition without accountability cannot deliver sustainability. It cannot deliver energy security. And it will certainly not deliver water security. This is the moment to pause amid the madness and ask: What are we building—and what are we burying to build it?
In April, a press release from the Ministry of Power touted a major milestone: the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) approved Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for six pumped storage projects totaling 7.5 GW—including the highly controversial 2,000 MW Sharavathi project in Karnataka.
This rapid clearance is being projected as a major policy success and a pillar of India’s green energy transition. The CEA now plans to approve 13 more pumped storage projects (22 GW) in 2025–26, with a national goal of 50 GW by 2032. Reforms like the Jalvi Store portal, simplified DPR formats, and fast-tracked coordination with appraisal agencies are being hailed as game changers.
Alongside nuclear, pumped storage is now being positioned as the backbone of India’s energy security.
But as we know, the reality on the ground is far more complicated.
The Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project, as I detailed in the Deccan Herald article, is a textbook case of violations galore—a project moving forward in blatant disregard of environmental law, including laws meant to protect wildlife sanctuaries and eco-sensitive zones. Why have laws, if violation is the name of the game?
Let me be clear: Pumped storage as a concept is fantastic. But it stops being fantastic the moment it enters protected and ecologically sensitive areas. These are no-go zones for good reason. (Or maybe we should just send them all to Vantara?)
The same press release proudly declared that this is a “significant opportunity” for developers and investors to build infrastructure with 70–80 year operational lifespans. So, who are these developers and investors?
- MEIL (Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd) – awarded the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project, and also the Kaiga nuclear plant expansion
- Adani Green Energy – aggressively building PSPs in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana
- JSW Energy – planning multiple PSPs in Maharashtra and Karnataka
- NTPC Limited, Tata Power, and others
All the big players are in. And the law is being bulldozed in the name of green transition.
Their collective ambition around pumped storage is fast becoming the centerpiece of India’s energy strategy. But ambition without accountability will not deliver sustainability. It will not deliver energy security. And it will certainly not deliver water security.
I’m pausing from the madness and asking: What are we building — and what are we burying to build it?
