Mumbai, Oct 27 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday alleged that the Maharashtra forest department has been ordered to fell more than 32,000 trees near the eco-sensitive Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit next month for the ground-breaking ceremony of a hydropower project.
Raut, in a post on X, shared a letter purportedly issued by a forest official, stating that approval has been granted for the diversion of 233 hectares of land for the Rs 13,505-crore Saidongar-I Karjat Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project in Raigad district.
As per the letter, the project involves clearing 197 hectares of reserved forest, 26 hectares of private forest, and nine hectares of protected forest land in Karjat to set up the 3,000 MW facility.
The Opposition and green activists have slammed the felling of trees for Gujarat-based Torrent Power’s project, accusing the Mahayuti government of destroying forests and wildlife.
The proposed facility is 16 km from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and 20 km from Bhimashankar Temple. At an investment of Rs 13,505 crore, it is expected to contribute to grid reliability and energy security in the state and other regions.
According to the letter issued by Karjat East Range Forest Officer Sameer Shinde, the tree felling must be strictly restricted to the 32,490 trees approved under the diversion proposal.
“In view of the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 3, 2026, for the project’s inauguration ceremony, the affected trees within the project area should be removed immediately,” the letter shared by Raut stated.
The Sena (UBT) leader also targeted senior lawyer and BJP-nominated Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam for supporting the venture, stating that he should advocate for the public rather than back those destroying green cover. PTI PR ARU
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