India’s first offshore wind energy demonstration project, a 50 MW test farm proposed by the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) off the coast of Dhanushkodi, has sparked intense ecological and livelihood concerns due to its location in a declared wetland just metres from the newly notified Greater Flamingo Sanctuary. The ₹364.6-crore facility, funded under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s ASPIRE program, is designed as a “living laboratory” to trial large turbines in Indian waters ahead of the national target of 30 GW offshore wind capacity by 2030. With average wind speeds of 8.3 m/s and a projected 48% capacity utilisation factor, the site at the southern tip of Rameswaram Island is technically ideal, yet its proximity to critical bird habitats and fishing grounds has triggered widespread opposition.

Environmentalists and ornithologists warn that the project threatens one of India’s most fragile coastal ecosystems. Dhanushkodi’s mudflats host 128 bird species, including greater and lesser flamingos, Kentish plovers, and Hanuman plovers, along the Central Asian Flyway. The 2023-24 wetland bird census recorded 10,761 individuals in the area. Former Bombay Natural History Society deputy director S. Balachandran described the habitat as “unique and critical”, citing global evidence of turbine collisions and disturbance to migratory routes. Local fishermen, led by Ramanathapuram District Coastal Zone Management Authority members X. Nallathambi and S.P. Rayappan, highlighted risks to fish breeding grounds, turtle nesting sites, and milkfish nurseries, noting that the proposed logistics jetty would disrupt traditional fishing routes.

Despite assurances from NIWE that noise will stay below 50 decibels beyond 500 metres and that bird flight diverters and bubble curtains will minimise underwater disturbance, the Ramanathapuram DCZMA meeting witnessed strong objections from forest officials and community representatives. A pending National Green Tribunal case on CRZ mapping further complicated proceedings. After heated debate, the authority recommended the project to the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority with 13 stringent conditions, including mandatory updated environmental impact assessments, protection of sand dunes and turtle sites, and separate clearances for the jetty from the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board.

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As the proposal moves to state-level appraisal, conservationists continue to demand withdrawal, arguing that innovation must not imperil a sanctuary declared specifically for its global biodiversity value. Member Secretary AR Rahul Nadh confirmed that additional technical details have been sought from the district collector and that no clearance will be granted until ecological and social impacts are fully addressed. With winter migration season approaching, the fate of India’s pioneering offshore wind research facility remains uncertain, balancing renewable energy ambitions against the urgent need to safeguard one of Tamil Nadu’s last pristine coastal wetlands.

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