Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) has rejected allegations that it reduced the stated cost of its Tarali Pumped Storage Project to lower statutory and conservation obligations, saying the ₹56.75 crore figure cited in an online environmental proposal represented only site investigation and survey expenses.
In a media statement issued on Friday, an AGEL spokesperson said the allegation was “completely misleading”. The company said the online proposal submitted through the forest and wildlife portal was intended solely for site investigation purposes, while the State Board for Wildlife considered the Tarali project’s total cost at ₹5,675 crore.
AGEL said site investigation costs account for about 1 per cent of the overall project cost. It therefore clarified that the ₹56.75 crore figure in the online proposal represented only the cost of site investigations and surveys, rather than the full value of the pumped storage project.
The company also rejected allegations that the lower figure was intended to reduce conservation-related costs. “Secondly, the allegation that downward revision was intended to lower conservation costs is false,” the spokesperson said.
The clarification places the dispute within the approval process for a pumped storage project, where project details submitted to authorities can be assessed alongside environmental and wildlife considerations. The company’s statement distinguishes between the cost of preliminary site investigations and the total project cost considered by the State Board for Wildlife.
AGEL said the Tarali Pumped Storage Project is located entirely on private, non-forest land. According to the company, the site is 3.2 kilometres from the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and lies outside the notified buffer zone of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
The company further stated that the project does not affect or border a tiger corridor or any notified Eco-Sensitive Zone. It also said the project would not involve diversion of protected areas, reserve forest or a notified Eco-Sensitive Zone.
The statements are AGEL’s response to allegations concerning the project’s cost figures and possible implications for statutory obligations. The company’s position is that the ₹56.75 crore amount was limited to site investigation and survey work, while the total project cost considered by the wildlife authority was ₹5,675 crore. The project’s regulatory and environmental assessment will therefore continue to depend on the submissions and decisions made through the relevant approval process.
