Shinde’s water sports project in Munawale stalled for lack of green NOCs

When contacted, Manoj Suryawanshi, managing director of MTDC, confirmed that permissions from the environment and forest departments were pending along with an NOC from the local gram panchayat

MUMBAI: The Munawale water sports project in Satara, a pet scheme of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde launched during his tenure as CM, is now facing environmental issues. The work order has been issued but the forest department has directed that the work cannot commence without obtaining the necessary environmental and forest permissions. The project is just one kilometre away from the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, and the area falls within the eco-sensitive zone of the Western Ghats.

Eknath Shinde (PTI)

“In a meeting held at the end of March, we discussed the issue of the Munawale water sports project,” said Kiran Jagtap, deputy director of the Koyna wildlife sanctuary region. “We have directed the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), which is implementing the project, to obtain all the necessary environmental and forest permissions and then start the work.” The Munawale project is just 30 km away from Shinde’s hometown, Dare, in Satara district.

When contacted, Manoj Suryawanshi, managing director of MTDC, confirmed that permissions from the environment and forest departments were pending along with an NOC from the local gram panchayat. “The forest department has informed our officials about the permissions needed for the civil construction part of this project,” he told HT. “We have started the process and also appointed a consultant for this. We will check if permission from the forest department is actually mandatory, and if it is, we will apply. We are also trying to convince the local gram panchayat to give its approval.”

Suryawanshi added that the permission process was likely to take another six months. Meanwhile, as the construction of boats requires months, MTDC has initiated the process of giving orders for these. “These high-end boats will be imported, and it will take more than eight months to complete the process,” he said.

The MD added that if permissions were refused for the civil part of the Munawale water sports project, MTDC had a Plan B ready. “We will construct a floating jetty at Munawale and start the water sports there,” he said. “If the civil work is not able to be carried out in its entirety, we will use the extra boats ordered at our other water sports locations such as Kolhapur and Nashik.”

Eknath Shinde kickstarted the Munawale project on March 9, 2024. MTDC is implementing the project, as it aims to promote tourism in the region, but the civil construction part, which includes a jetty, ramp and boat club building, will be handled by the Krishna Valley Development Corporation.