Pune’s proposed Malshej Ghat–Bhorande pumped storage project is entering a crucial environmental review stage, with a public hearing scheduled for August 21 in Junnar taluka. The 1,500 MW scheme, planned across Pune and Thane districts, could add large-scale electricity storage capacity, but its location in the Western Ghats makes land use, water systems, biodiversity and community participation central to the project’s next phase.
The Pune Malshej project is proposed by Adani Renewable Energy Fifty Two Ltd and has been listed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for the August 21 environmental public hearing. The project falls under Category A of the environmental clearance framework, meaning appraisal takes place at the central level rather than solely through the state process. Government documents show that the project has evolved during the appraisal process. Its capacity was revised from 1,440 MW to 1,500 MW, while the land requirement increased from 116.5 hectares to about 166.26 hectares following detailed surveys and investigations. The revised proposal comprises four 300 MW units and two 150 MW units. Unlike conventional hydropower stations that depend on continuous river flows, pumped storage plants operate more like large-scale electricity storage systems. Water is moved between upper and lower reservoirs when electricity is available and released through turbines when demand rises. This can help balance variable renewable sources such as solar and wind.
The proposed Pune Malshej project involves an upper reservoir near Adoshi and a lower reservoir near Bhorande. Official project documents describe it as an off-stream closed-loop scheme, with the reservoirs linked through the project’s water and power infrastructure rather than functioning as a conventional river-valley dam. The project has been under examination by the Central Water Commission, which recorded the scheme at 1,440 MW in its earlier review. The environmental trade-off is therefore more complex than the project’s renewable-energy label suggests. Construction of reservoirs, access roads, water conveyance systems and other infrastructure can alter slopes, drainage patterns and habitats. In a mountain landscape, these impacts can also interact with monsoon runoff and landslide risks. Local opposition has added another layer to the clearance process. Residents and activists have raised concerns about forest areas, biodiversity, tribal rights and the applicability of laws governing Scheduled Areas and forest rights. These claims will need to be examined through the statutory process rather than treated as either a barrier or a formality.
The August 21 hearing is consequently important beyond the project itself. It gives affected communities an opportunity to place location-specific concerns on record before the environmental assessment moves further. For Maharashtra’s clean-energy transition, pumped storage can provide valuable grid flexibility. But the durability of such infrastructure will depend on whether energy-security gains are matched by rigorous ecological assessment, transparent land processes and meaningful protection for communities and the Western Ghats landscape.
