Do we need hydroelectric projects in the pristine rain forests of the Western Ghats? The Gundia river basin is one of the very few irreplaceable biodiversity hotspots still remaining in the mountainous Western Ghats that run along the western coast of India. The river basin provides 192 billion Rupees worth of goods and services per year. Proposals to set up hydroelectric projects in the basin pose as a major threat to the region...—Anonymous