The Maharashtra forest department has halted the proposed felling of 32,490 trees in Karjat, Raigad district, for Torrent Power’s 3,000MW pumped-storage project after protests by local residents and opposition parties intensified.
State forest department officials said the decision was taken amid tension surrounding the project and concerns about possible disturbances. “There was tension following widespread protests and we didn’t want to take any risk,” a senior forest official told the Times of India on condition of anonymity.
The department has not officially stated whether tree felling will resume. The company had earlier said it had obtained all requisite permissions for the project, which is planned across Saidongar, Kotwal Khalati and Pal villages in Karjat. The affected land covers 576 acres and includes reserved, private and protected forest areas.
The tree-felling plan followed a forest department notice issued on October 14. The notice triggered protests, with local residents alleging that work connected to tree cutting had already begun in some areas. Residents have also raised concerns about the project’s proximity to Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Torrent Power have disputed that concern, saying the proposed facility would be located 16km from the sanctuary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier been expected to lay the foundation stone for the project on November 3, according to the report.
The halt came on the day Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray visited the Saidongar forest area and described the proposed tree cutting as illegal. He was accompanied by party leaders Sanjay Raut and Sushma Andhare, while hundreds of villagers joined the protest. The villagers said they would continue opposing the tree felling until the government cancels the project.
Opposition parties have backed the protests in recent days. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray also announced that he planned to visit Karjat. Local residents said objections and suggestions had been invited for about 18 months but alleged that their concerns were not adequately considered during the approval process.
The project has also drawn scrutiny over the procedures followed for public consultation and environmental compliance. Citizen Siddhant Malvankar identified 11 areas requiring examination, including public hearing records, Marathi-language disclosures, a cumulative basin-level hydrological assessment, forest diversion and seismic safety.
Malvankar also questioned the reported 58-day delay in uploading public hearing minutes and the appearance of an expert appraisal committee assessment before the minutes were uploaded to the relevant portal. He said objections related to water security, stream diversion, blasting, forest loss and local livelihoods required clarification from the authorities.
“Our objective is not to prejudge the project, but to demand transparent procedures, independent verification and accountability. Development must not come at the cost of ecological security and community rights,” Malvankar said.
Thackeray called the proposed tree felling a “brutal massacre of nature” carried out in the name of development. Raut questioned the contrast between public tree-planting campaigns and the proposed removal of thousands of trees in Karjat. The forest department has yet to announce whether the halt is temporary or whether the project’s permissions and construction schedule will be reviewed.
