Off-stream closed-loop PSPs are seen as an ecologically better option. Critically analyse this in the context of the Western Ghats.

In an off-stream closed-loop Pumped Storage Project (PSP), neither reservoir sits on a river or perennial stream. Of India's 345.38 GW of identified PSP potential, 288.71 GW is off-stream [1]. The Western Region leads with 129.72 GW because of steep Western Ghats gradients [1]. The ecological claim holds for rivers but only partly for the Ghats' forests.

Why closed-loop is ecologically better

• River continuity: No dam blocks a river, so fish movement, natural flow and sediment movement continue. On-stream hydro cannot offer this.
• Lower aquatic impact: The government prefers off-stream sites because they are faster to build and do less harm to aquatic ecosystems [1].
• Smaller submergence: The reservoirs only need to hold water for daily pumping and release, not a whole season's storage. This generally means less flooded land and less displacement than large river dams.
• Climate co-benefit: PSPs store variable solar and wind power for later use, which supports India's clean-energy transition [1].

Why the claim weakens in the Western Ghats

• Diluted scrutiny: A MoEF&CC notification of 18 May 2023 allows PSPs to be appraised in the B2 category [1]. Under the EIA Notification 2006, B2 projects generally skip a full EIA.
• Thin baseline: Closed-loop schemes need baseline data for just one non-monsoon season [2]. That is too short to capture the monsoon-driven endemic species of a global biodiversity hotspot.
• Forest fragmentation: Two reservoirs, tunnels, approach roads and transmission lines still cut through forested slopes. Off-stream does not mean no impact.
• Slope fragility: Digging and dumping excavated rock and soil on steep slopes that get heavy monsoon rain raises the risk of landslides.
• Cumulative clustering: Potential is concentrated in a few areas, so several projects may share one landscape. Appraising each project separately misses their combined effect.
• Expert norms: The Kasturirangan High Level Working Group said projects within 10 km of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) that need environmental clearance must be regulated under the EIA Notification 2006 [3].

Way forward

• Use a tiered appraisal: keep B2 for closed-loop projects on degraded land such as abandoned mines; require a full EIA in or near the ESA [3].
• Carry out landscape-level cumulative impact assessment and collect multi-season baseline data in the Ghats.
• Prefer sites that reuse existing reservoirs.

Closed-loop PSPs are clearly better for rivers, but they are not automatically better for forests. Fast-track clearance should depend on location, so that storage for a renewable-heavy grid grows without damaging the Ghats. This balance reflects Article 48A and SDG 7 and SDG 15.