A Union government-appointed committee has given the go-ahead for the diversion of 442 hectares of forest land for a 1500 MW closed-loop pumped storage project in Assam. The INR 7273.23-crore project shares its boundary with an elephant reserve in Karbi Anglong district and will result in the submergence of 352 hectares, impacting over 1100 people in the region. A closed-loop pumped storage project is a type of hydroelectric energy storage system where the upper and lower reservoirs are not directly connected to rivers or lakes. Water is recycled between these reservoirs, operating as 'off-river’ or 'water batteries'. The project is located in the villages of Lipgaon and Pankumar in Karbi Anglong and is being developed by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited. Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/