Maharashtra CM Fadnavis defends tree-felling for Torrent power project, accuses opposition of ‘fake narrative’

Raj Thackeray will visit affected villages on October 28 to meet residents and discuss the next steps in the agitation against the project.

Amid protests by local residents, environmental groups and opposition leaders against the state forest department’s permission to fell over 32,000 trees for the Gujarat-based Torrent Power’s ₹13,500-crore, 3,000-MW hydroelectric project in Karjat, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday accused opposition leaders of pushing a “fake narrative” as part of an “anti-Maharashtra campaign”.

Torrent Power has proposed planting 90,000 trees around a planned water body, while the project site is located 16 km from Bhimashankar sanctuary, Fadnavis said. (@CMOMaharashtra X)

The CM said that due diligence had been done and the project had received clearances in accordance with the prescribed rules and regulations. Acknowledging that local residents might have grievances, he said their concerns would be taken into consideration but defended the pumped storage hydropower project as a source of clean energy that would help reduce pollution.

“Our solar power generation capacity has increased, but peak-hour electricity demand comes after solar generation hours. If we rely on coal-based electricity to meet this demand, it will cause a lot of pollution, to offset which, we would need to plant 280 million trees,” he claimed. “If we were to generate the entire 3,000 MW through thermal power, the pollution caused would be equivalent to that produced by four million vehicles.”

Given that the project is being executed by a Gujarat company, the CM stressed that the investment and employment opportunities would be for Maharashtra, and the state would be the primary beneficiary of the project. “With several development projects coming up, the state needs clean energy to meet its growing power requirements,” he said. “There is no reason to oppose a project that generates electricity without causing pollution. The Opposition should refrain from politicising the issue by creating a fake narrative which is anti-Maharashtra.”

Meanwhile, adding his voice to those of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray will visit Karjat on October 28 to meet affected residents. “He will guide them on how to take the agitation forward and hold discussions with gram panchayats opposing the project,” said MNS Mumbai chief Sandeep Deshpande. “he will also visit the project site, and we appeal to villagers to gather there. The government is handing over forest land, while forest minister Ganesh Naik, who holds forth on other issues, has remained silent on this matter.”

The project, being executed in Saidongar, Kotwal Khalati and Pali requires the hacking of over 32,000 trees on 370 hectares of land, which includes forest land. After the tree-cutting began a couple of days ago, locals launched protests, the videos of which went viral. Opposition leaders have backed them, pointing out the environmental consequences for Karjat, Mumbai and Pune.