Some how they blagged a lot of money off the German government to build it (part funding).
I am pretty sure it all came down to the financial aspects rather than any environmental concern.
Why do they need to centralise so much of their activities into a distance area surrounded by arid deserts? Why not move to somewhere central in India, like Nagpur or Hyderabad, or need to a transport hub?
Why not move "God" around rather than move 10,000s of devotees to their god at a vast cost to both their pockets and the environment?
To state the obvious ... a few thousand Westerners, flying out to India as they do at the cost of 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) each ... say 10,000 tonnes of CO2 alone ... wipes out all the environmental friendly acts the BKs attempt.
What's an average season ... 10,000s of devotees now? Let's calculate their overall footprint.
Of course, they by centralising activities and requiring an annual pilgrimage of their devotees, they also centralise donations which they like, and they have a huge investment into their spiritual Disneyland at Mount Abu now ... but why? It would seem to be for utterly sentimental attachments now.
It's also not longer possible to talk about the purity and how their "god" can only come in Madhuban ... because he now comes down the mountain too. So why not elsewhere?
Adding distance, requiring effort and investment encults individuals. An individual who has traveled a long distance is much less likely to admit it was a waste of time and traveling such a long distance adds to the suspense and anticipation. It's all part of the "mystical manipulation".
As usual, they just conned someone into paying it and are just using it for service now. It all about the money.