26 October,2026 08:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Members of Karjat Taluka Paryavaran Bachao Sangharsh Samiti meet Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at his Dadar West residence on Sunday
Members of the Karjat Taluka Paryavaran Bachao Sangharsh Samiti met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at his residence in Dadar West on Sunday, seeking his support against the felling of 32,490 trees for a proposed 3000 MW pumped storage project in Karjat. After being briefed on the issue and shown documents related to the project, Thackeray expressed opposition to the destruction of the region's forest cover and announced a public meeting in Karjat on October 28.
"Thackeray has been gathering information about the tree felling over the past two to three days," said advocate Kailash More, who is associated with the committee. The MNS chief is also expected to visit the project site before the public meeting, where he will announce his stand and plans for further agitation, according to More.
"When we showed Rajsaheb all the information, facts, and documents, he responded positively," More said, adding, "NCP-SP leader Rohit Pawar is also likely to attend the meeting. There has been a tremendous response from numerous political parties, leaders, organisations, and associations across Maharashtra. Everyone shares a single stance: the old trees, environment, and nature in that region must not be destroyed, and everyone has expressed their condemnation and anger toward this."
In a post on X, Aaditya Thackeray has questioned the permission granted for the felling and alleged that the project was being pushed ahead despite opposition from residents and environmentalists.
Rohit Pawar, meanwhile, warned that the destruction could affect species such as barking deer, leopards, and wild boars. He also raised concerns about the loss of medicinal plants, the impact of tunnelling-related blasting on the hills, and the consequences for local Adivasi communities.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the allegations of indiscriminate tree felling a fake narrative, claiming that the project was would bridge peak-hour power deficit after solar output ceases. "The land taken is solely for water reservoirs, for which nearly three times the land has been handed over to the Forest Department alongside 90,000 compensatory saplings. If this capacity were generated via coal, offsetting that pollution would require 28 crore full-grown trees, emissions would equal 40 lakh vehicles, and it would consume 19 TMC of water annually. The site is 16 km away from the Bhimashankar forest and secured approvals after 18 months of rigorous review by central and state forest bodies."
>> The Saidongar I Karjat off-stream open loop pumped storage project spans Pali, Kotal Khalati, Saidongar and Dhak villages in Karjat taluka
>> According to documents, the project requires the diversion of 233 hectares of forest land
>> A letter issued by the Range Forest Officer, Karjat East, on October 14 directed the immediate felling of 32,490 trees for the project, and according to locals, the axing has begun
>> Forest Department officials have told mid-day that the project has received central and state-level clearances
>> Environmentalists fear the loss of tree cover could destroy wildlife habitats, fragment forest areas and disrupt the ecological balance of the biodiversity-rich Sahyadri landscape
