Overview
- The Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C. M. Poonacha ordered that no activity for the Sharavathi PSP or the Kalkatte Bridge be carried out within the Sharavathi Valley Lion Macaque Sanctuary or its eco-sensitive zone until further orders.
- The court said even if permissions are issued by authorities, no preliminary on-ground work may proceed until the petition is heard, noting the need to examine Section 29 compliance.
- The Union government’s counsel told the court that serious concerns are under examination and confirmed that no final approval has been granted despite an earlier in-principle nod by the National Board for Wildlife.
- KPCL argued that Section 29 does not impose a blanket ban on development and cited the Supreme Court’s Essar Oil ruling, while also asserting the project site lies outside the macaque’s natural habitat.
- The PIL seeks to quash state and NBWL decisions from 2025, and notes a footprint of about 142.763 hectares—roughly 102 hectares inside the sanctuary and 39.715 hectares in the eco-sensitive zone—for a project estimated at about ₹10,000 crore.