Bhimashankar tree felling for a proposed 3,000-MW hydroelectric project has triggered a legal threat from Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, who said he may approach the courts over the cutting of trees in the Karjat-Bhimashankar forest area. The project is proposed to be developed by Gujarat-based Torrent Power Ltd and has faced opposition from environmental activists and political parties.
Sapkal inspected the reported tree-felling activity in the Karjat-Bhimashankar forests on Thursday and met local villagers, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle. He also planted a sapling during the visit as a symbolic protest, linking the act to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” tree-planting initiative.
More than 32,000 trees are slated to be felled in the Bhimashankar-Karjat forest area for the proposed hydroelectric plant, the report said. The project is estimated to cost Rs 13,505 crore. Concerns have been raised over the scale of tree cutting and possible environmental damage in the Sahyadri mountain range, which includes ecologically sensitive forest areas.
Sapkal accused the Maharashtra government of presenting what he described as a misleading account of the project and questioned claims that it would create thousands of jobs. He also challenged assurances that large-scale tree planting elsewhere would compensate for the trees removed for construction. These statements were made as part of the Congress leader’s opposition to the project and have not been independently assessed in the supplied report.
The proposed facility has therefore become a dispute involving three linked questions: the extent of forest clearance required, the public-interest justification for a large power project, and the credibility of compensatory tree-planting commitments. The report does not provide details of the project’s environmental clearance, forest diversion approval, construction schedule or the specific agency responsible for monitoring tree felling.
Sapkal said the Congress would consider legal action to protect the forest area and argued that the project was not in Maharashtra’s interest. He also criticised the state government and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the handling of the proposal. His comments were political allegations, and the supplied report does not include a response from the Maharashtra government, Torrent Power, environmental authorities or local project officials.
The immediate next step identified in the report is the possibility of a court petition by Sapkal. Further clarity will depend on whether such proceedings are filed and on the disclosure of official approvals, environmental safeguards, rehabilitation measures and the project’s implementation schedule.
