The central government of India has approved the 160MW Athirappilly hydro project in the state of Kerala. The final clearance allowing the project to proceed was issued by the Central Electricity Authority. The project, originally proposed in 1988, has been in limbo due to objections raised by the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MFE). The MFE’s objections were that the project had unacceptable impacts on the environment and wildlife.
The state government of Kerala later submitted a revised proposal, which was accepted by MFE, seeking to protect wildlife while implementing the project.