India
Raut alleges 32,490 trees marked for Raigad project
The Hindu·
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday alleged Maharashtra officials ordered more than 32,000 trees felled near Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary before a Prime Minister visit. He shared a letter citing approval to divert 233 hectares for the Rs 13,505 crore Saidongar-I Karjat pumped storage project. The letter limits clearing to 32,490 approved trees ahead of a November 3 ceremony.
Prism
What It Means For You
- The planned 3,000 MW plant sits about 16 km from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- The diversion covers reserved, private and protected forest land in Karjat, Raigad.
- Raut tied the felling timeline to a November 3 ground-breaking visit.
What's Happening
- The letter Raut posted is attributed to Karjat East Range Forest Officer Sameer Shinde.
- It lists 197 hectares reserved forest, 26 hectares private forest and nine hectares protected forest.
- Opposition leaders and green activists oppose Torrent Power's project on forest grounds.
What The Letter Authorises
- The Saidongar-I Karjat pumped storage hydroelectric project is costed at Rs 13,505 crore.
- The facility is described as 20 km from Bhimashankar Temple.
- Raut also criticised Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam for backing the venture.
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