An independent biodiversity survey has exposed major discrepancies in the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed 1500-MW Malshej Ghat-Bhorande Pumped Storage Project.

First flag

A young professional, Jehu Nadar from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Mumbai regional station, first flagged the error, while Wildlife conservationist and former Honorary Wildlife Warden Avinash Harad revealed that an independent survey recorded  777 species — including 94 Western Ghats endemics and 193 species listed under Schedule I and Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 2022.