Overview
- Tree‑cutting operations started in the Saidongar area on Sunday after a Karjat forest division order dated October 14 allowed the felling of 32,490 trees and official reports say the Union environment ministry cleared diversion of 233 hectares of forest land.
- Published government documents and at least one official account also cite a higher figure of 48,000 trees to be felled, creating public confusion about the project’s true forest impact.
- Local residents and activists launched protests and shared viral videos while opposition leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Rohit Pawar publicly condemned the work and warned of habitat loss for species and harm to Adivasi livelihoods.
- State leaders and project backers, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra ministers, say the scheme has required clearances, will deliver grid stability and clean energy, and includes compensatory planting commitments that the company and forest department will carry out.
- A foundation‑stone event with the prime minister is scheduled for November 3, NGOs have asked the central ministry for a review, and legal challenges or further protests are likely as the dispute moves from tree felling to courtroom and political arenas.