Maharashtra Congress chief threatens to move court against Torrent Power project near Bhimashankar

Harshwardhan Sapkal inspected the proposed project site in Raigad district. PIC/X

Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday threatened to move court against Torrent Power's proposed project in the Karjat-Bhimashankar region of Raigad district, alleging that it would lead to large-scale tree-felling in the Sahyadri region, news agency PTI reported.

After inspecting the proposed project site and interacting with local villagers, Sapkal accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of allowing extensive tree-felling to facilitate the project.

"The BJP-led Mahayuti government is compromising the Sahyadri region's natural heritage for the benefit of a Gujarat-based company. The government's claims that the project would generate thousands of jobs and that lakhs of trees would be planted elsewhere to compensate for the felling are hollow," Sapkal claimed.

He also questioned the outcome of the state government's earlier pledge to plant 33 crore trees, asking what had happened to the initiative.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, Sapkal said the Congress had planted trees in the Karjat forest under the initiative.

"The (power) project is not in Maharashtra's interest. The government is misleading people about its employment potential and environmental impact. How would the project, described by the government as technologically advanced, generate thousands of jobs," he questioned.

Torrent Power says project is outside Bhimashankar sanctuary's eco-sensitive zone

The proposed Saidongar-1 Pumped Storage Project in Karjat tehsil is a 3,000 MW hydro-energy initiative with a projected investment of Rs 13,505 crore. It is expected to support grid reliability and energy security in Maharashtra and other regions. The project site is around 16 km from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and 20 km from Bhimashankar Temple.

On October 25, Torrent Power defended the project amid environmental concerns, stating that it was located around 16 km from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and that all its components fell outside the sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone.

The company said the project would help maintain grid stability as the share of solar and other renewable energy sources increases, while reducing dependence on coal-fired power generation during evening peak hours. It also rejected reports of tree-felling inside the sanctuary, calling them based on incorrect information.

Meanwhile, Sapkal is scheduled to participate in a public agitation against the proposed Vadhavan port in Palghar district on Friday, a Congress statement said.

(With PTI inputs)