In a positive development, the Karnataka government has rejected Goa’s proposal to have a power transmission line from Karnataka’s Dharwad towards the parts of South Goa.
Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Limited (GTTPL) had proposed to draw a power transmission line from Narendra village near Dharwad to Xeldom in the state of Goa.
GTTPL had proposed to draw a power line through the sensitive areas of the Western Ghats in Karnataka. The project was aimed at meeting Goa’s power needs for the next 15-20 years.
The Karnataka government has instead asked GTTPL to draw power transmission lines through non-forest areas. The project would have axed 72,552 trees in the Western Ghats.
GTTPL was planning to supply electricity to the parts of South Goa by sourcing power from Tamnar in Chhattisgarh. The plan was to draw a 400kV transmission line.
The project used to pass through a whopping 174.6 hectares of forest land including 31km length in the thick forest area and about 6km in the Kali tiger reserve area.
The Karnataka government has decided to serve a showcause notice to GTTPL and forest department officials. GTTPL is yet to get a nod from NBWL to continue with the project.
The only advantage the GTTPL had promised to offer to the Karnataka state is the exchange of 1200 MW of electricity between the power grids located in Karnataka and Goa.
GTTPL had proposed to link the existing 400kV power grid of the Narendra line near Dharwad belonging to the PGCIL with the 400/200kV substation at Xeldom in Goa.