Pune, Oct 26 Amid allegations by opposition parties, the Maharashtra Forest Department has asserted that no illegal tree felling is taking place in the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary for a company’s project.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Pune, Keshav Wable said reports alleging illegal felling were being widely circulated. However, there was no illegal tree felling underway in the sanctuary for any company’s project, he said in a statement.
Wable appealed to citizens to take note of the clarification and cooperate with the administration.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had also asserted that the proposed hydro-energy project is 16 km far from Bhimashankar and 20 km far from Bhimashankar Temple.
The project, proposed in Karjat tehsil, is the Saidongar-1 Pumped Storage Project, a 3,000 MW hydro-energy initiative. It is expected to contribute to grid reliability and energy security in the state and other regions. It envisages an investment of Rs 13,505 crore.
Environmental activists and opposition parties have raised concerns over rampant felling of trees for the project.
The Congress has accused the state government of “clearing of forest” for the power project to benefit “entrepreneurs from Gujarat” instead of considering alternative barren land.
Torrent Power has defended its proposed 3,000-megawatt pumped storage project against environmental concerns, saying it is located about 16 km from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and that all its components fall outside the sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone.
(PTI News)
