Overview
- Tree‑felling has begun at the proposed 3,000 MW Torrent Power pumped‑storage site in the Karjat‑Bhimashankar area and opposition leaders visited the site to protest the clearing, as reported on Friday.
- Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and Congress figures have alleged roughly 32,000 trees are being cut and have threatened legal or political action to stop further felling.
- Mumbai BJP chief Ameet (Amit) Satam said compensatory afforestation of 90,000 trees and land transfers are planned for Karjat and challenged critics to verify a separate claim that the BMC planted two lakh trees in Beed as compensation for the Madhya Vaitarna project.
- Satam argued the pumped‑storage plant would boost grid stability and reduce reliance on coal while denying claims that electricity would be sent out of Maharashtra, and he called for a state probe into past afforestation spending.
- The dispute has quickly become political and could hinge on independent verification of compensatory planting, pending legal challenges, and review of environmental clearances given the site’s proximity to Bhimashankar sanctuary and temple.