Shivamogga MP B.Y. Raghavendra recently threw his weight behind a growing protest in Sagar, Karnataka, where residents are fiercely opposing the proposed Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project. The movement gained significant momentum with the MP’s visit, captured in an image showing him extending support to the demonstrators in Sagar on October 5, 2025.
The residents, organized under the banner of Raitha Sangha, initiated an indefinite sit-in protest on October 4th, setting up camp in front of the Assistant Commissioner’s office in Sagar town. Their unified stance is a clear rejection of the large-scale power project.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Raghavendra emphasized the critical environmental risks posed by the project. He highlighted concerns that the project, which aims to generate power by pumping water from the Gerusoppa reservoir to the Talakalale reservoir, would inflict irreversible damage upon the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. This region, a vital biodiversity hotspot, is home to numerous rare species of flora and fauna. He also voiced fears that the project would displace local communities.
The MP pledged to escalate the issue to the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, ensuring that the project’s detrimental impacts are fully brought to the Minister’s attention.
Further bolstering the local cause, leaders from the Karnataka Rashtra Samithi (KRS) party also extended their support. Ravi Krishna Reddy, founder and honorary president of KRS, critically stated that the project’s very design is flawed and unfeasible. He went on to accuse the government of conceiving the project as a means of illicit financial gain. An accompanying image shows the determined residents of Sagar taluk, under the banner of Raitha Sangha, continuing their protest since October 4, 2025.
Key figures such as Raitha Sangha president Dinesh Shiravala and environmentalist Akhilesh Chipli were prominently present at the protest, underscoring the broad base of local and expert opposition to the project.