Balancing energy ambitions and tribal rights: Closer look at pumped storage hydro power projects in Andhra
In recent years, Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a key player in India’s renewable energy transition, with the state government approving multiple large-scale pumped storage hydroelectric projects (PSPs) aimed at enhancing energy storage and supporting the country’s net-zero goals. However, this push for clean energy has ignited a heated debate, particularly in the Scheduled Areas of the Eastern Ghats, where tribal communities and environmental advocates are raising concerns over legal violations, displacement, and ecological degradation.
From 2022 to 2025, the state has sanctioned PSPs with a combined capacity of 8,700 megawatts, marking a significant expansion in hydroelectric storage development. These approvals have come under two successive governments. The YSR Congress government gave the green light to six major projects: Kurukutti with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts; a second phase of Kurukutti, adding another 600 megawatts; Karrivalasa, approved for 1,000 megawatts in Parvathipuram Manyam District, Raiwada for 1,000 megawatts in Vizianagaram District; Pedakota for 1,500 megawatts; and Yerravaram for 1,200 megawatts.
Later, under the current NDA-led administration, two additional projects were cleared — Gujjili with 1,400 megawatts and Chittimvalasa with 800 megawatts in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR)District.
These projects, though technically ambitious, are situated in the tribal-dominated Agency areas of Andhra Pradesh — regions protected under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. Here, the transfer of land to non-tribals is explicitly restricted under the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Area Land Transfer Regulation of 1970. The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in the Samata case further upheld that government land in Scheduled Areas cannot be leased or transferred to private entities comprising non-tribals.
Despite this, the state government has decided to hand over vast stretches of land to private developers — a total of 3,387 acres in both the Scheduled Areas and tribal-dominated Sub-Plan areas, including individual and forest lands — triggering widespread opposition from tribal organizations and legal experts.
Each of the projects comes with specific land requirements. The Yerravaram project alone seeks approximately 738 acres of land, of which more than 639 acres are classified as forest land. The Kurukutti project requires 638 acres, including 10 acres on lease and 460 acres earmarked for underground works and transmission lines. Karrivalasa’s footprint spans 378 acres, Pedakota’s project involves 500 acres, and Gujjili’s planned site demands 673 acres of land. Data for the Chittamavalasa project is not available.
The state’s land acquisition model allows private developers to either lease land or purchase it outright. Under current policy, leased land is charged at ₹31,000 per acre per annum, with an escalation of 5 percent every two years. Alternatively, land may be purchased at ₹5 lakh per acre, or at the basic land value—whichever is higher—depending on prevailing government rates.
Water use, another critical aspect, has also raised alarms. Local tribal communities and downstream farming populations rely heavily on existing water bodies. Although certain PSPs are being adapted into closed-loop systems to minimize environmental impact, the effectiveness of these revisions is in question. For instance, the Pedakota project was initially modified to reduce its environmental footprint but is still being assessed as an open-loop project due to its positioning along the Bodderu River, which may directly affect water flow and aquatic ecosystems, according to rights groups.
The social implications of these projects are equally profound. A petition has been filed before the National Human Rights Commission (Case No. 1386/1/29/2022) by human rights advocate Amal Kanti Chakma against the Yerravaram project, which is projected to displace 32 tribal villages. These include 27 villages in Chintapalli Mandal and five in Koyyuru Mandal, affecting nearly 1,500 families.
The complaint underscores concerns over potential violations of the Forest Rights Act 2006, the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (LARR) 2013, and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) 1996. It also warns of irreversible damage to local biodiversity and forest ecosystems. There is also a need to recognize and comply with the forest rights of communities before diverting forest lands for projects.
Official state records reveal that the government has gone ahead with formal approvals despite these apprehensions. Government Order (GO) Ms No. 2, dated January 19, 2023, authorized the development of two pumped storage projects by M/s Shirdi Sai Electricals Ltd., including a 900 megawatt facility at Somasila in YSR District and a 1,200 megawatt facility at Yerravaram in Alluri Seetharama Raju(ASR) District. For the Yerravaram project, the state allocated 0.553 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water for initial filling and 0.046 TMC annually for operational losses — allocations governed by terms set by the Water Resources Department.
Similarly, G.O. Ms. No. 1, dated January 18, 2023, approved two projects by M/s Adani Green Energy Ltd. — one with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts at Pedakota and another of 600 megawatts at Raiwada, in addition to the Kurukutti and Karrivalasa projects. More recently, in February 2025, G.O. Ms. No. 13 sanctioned the establishment of a 1,500 megawatt project at Gujjili and an 800 megawatt project at Chittimvalasa, to be developed by M/s Navayuga Engineering Company Limited in ASR District.
All of these projects are facilitated under the Andhra Pradesh Renewable Energy Export Policy, 2020, as notified through G.O. Ms. No. 20, dated July 17, 2020, and subsequently fall under the ambit of the AP Integrated Clean Energy Policy, 2024. This policy allows developers to set up renewable energy projects for export purposes, with no obligation to sell power to Andhra Pradesh’s own distribution companies (APDISCOMs). Lands required for these projects, if under government ownership, are made available on a 33-year lease with possible extensions, or through outright purchase at the prescribed rates.
From the government’s perspective, these projects represent Andhra Pradesh’s contribution to national and global climate targets. At the COP26 summit, India committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070, and pumped storage systems are recognized as a viable solution for stabilizing grid fluctuations due to solar and wind variability.
Yet, critics argue that energy development cannot come at the expense of constitutional rights and ecological stability. Eminent former bureaucrat E.A.S. Sarma welcomed the recent decision by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change , GoI to deny clearance for a 1,500 MW Adani project in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats, citing the lessons from a devastating landslide in Wayanad. He cautioned that similar risks loom over Andhra Pradesh, especially in the fragile terrains of the Eastern Ghats, where projects could deplete water reserves, harm biodiversity, and undermine tribal livelihoods.
Furthermore, the legal process for project approvals in Scheduled Areas requires the informed consent of Gram Sabhas under PESA 1996 and the due involvement of the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) under the Fifth Schedule. Any scheme or project that impacts the livelihoods of tribal communities shall be placed before the APTAC, a constitutional body under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution, which advises the Governor on matters related to the welfare and advancement of tribals.
To date, there is no public record indicating that such consultations have been adequately conducted. The role of the New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP), tasked with fast-tracking approvals, has also drawn scrutiny for bypassing critical environmental and social safeguards.
What emerges is a complex picture. On one hand, Andhra Pradesh is making bold moves to become a renewable energy powerhouse. On the other, the very communities that have coexisted with these landscapes for generations are being pushed aside in the name of progress. The situation calls for a more inclusive model of development—one that honors constitutional protections, ecological principles, and the lived realities of tribal populations.
If India is to meet its climate goals without repeating the mistakes of the past, projects like these must go beyond mere technical compliance. They must set a precedent for equitable, responsible, and legally sound development—ensuring that sustainability includes not only the planet but also its people.
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