Now Reading: Adani cut Maharashtra power project cost 99%, Centre orders probe
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Adani cut Maharashtra power project cost 99%, Centre orders probe
The Story in Brief
Adani Green Energy has slashed the stated cost of its 1,500 MW hydropower project in Maharashtra’s Satara district from Rs 5,675 crore to Rs 56.75 crore, a 99% reduction that proportionally cuts its forest conservation dues from Rs 227 crore to Rs 2.27 crore. The Maharashtra forest department accepted the revision on 12 October, and the company has deposited Rs 56.75 lakh (1% of the revised cost) into the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve account, according to documents reviewed by The Indian Express.
Following a complaint by honorary wildlife warden Rohan Bhate on 30 October, the Union Environment Ministry on 6 November directed the state forest department to investigate. The Congress party has demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe. The Tarali Pumped Storage Project falls within the deemed eco-sensitive zone of Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. Adani Green said the project uses only private land and has no adverse impact on ecology.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Indian Express and National Herald both report that Adani Green Energy cut its declared project cost to one-hundredth of the original estimate, a revision that slashes mandatory forest conservation dues from Rs 227 crore to Rs 2.27 crore. The Indian Express foregrounds the cost reduction mechanics and the company's defence that the project uses only private land, while National Herald emphasises the political dimension, the Congress party's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe, and the absence of an explanation for the revised figure. A union environment ministry letter from February 2025 had recorded the cost as Rs 5,675 crore, and the state wildlife board had demanded Rs 227 crore in March 2026. The ministry has ordered a state probe after a wildlife warden's complaint on 30 October.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): indianexpress.com (neutral report), nationalheraldindia.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 13 November 2026: this story now draws on 2 sources.
