Mumbai, Oct 27 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the opposition to the upcoming pumped storage power project in Raigad district is unwarranted and seems politically motivated.
The Opposition and green activists have slammed the “large-scale” felling of trees for the proposed 3,000-MW project of Torrent Power in Karjat taluka and accused the Mahayuti government of destroying the forest and wildlife.
Torrent Power has rejected environmental concerns, saying the proposed project is located about 16 km from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and that all its components fall outside the sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone.
“It is necessary to balance intermittent solar and wind power generation and ensure a round-the-clock electricity supply,” Fadnavis told reporters.
Underlining the importance of the project based on pumped storage technology, he said solar and wind power generation sources are not available for 24 hours.
Fadnavis said the pumped storage technology is used worldwide to balance solar and wind power and stabilise electricity grids.
“During peak demand, pumped storage enables us to provide clean renewable power that does not cause pollution,” he added.
Fadnavis claimed that generating an equivalent 3,000 MW of electricity from coal would cause pollution that would require 28 crore trees to offset.
“If we oppose pumped storage, we will have to rely on coal-based electricity. To offset the pollution caused by that power, we would need to plant 28 crore trees, which is practically impossible,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the Karjat project involved planting 90,000 trees, adding that land equivalent to twice the area acquired for the project had been provided to the Forest Department for afforestation.
Another 60,000 trees would be planted at the project site, he added.
“Pumped storage projects have a lifespan of 50 years, and the technology is available in India. There is no need to depend on Chinese technology,” Fadnavis said.
Citing China’s pumped storage plans, he said the country had developed 60,000 MW of capacity and planned to add another 1.6 lakh MW by 2030.
“If India wants to reduce pollution from coal-based power generation, pumped storage is one of the solutions,” he said.
Defending the location of the upcoming project, Fadnavis said the Western Ghats had some of the most suitable locations for such projects because pumped storage could not be developed at just any site.
The Centre had classified pumped storage projects as green projects, Fadnavis said, arguing that their environmental impact needed to be assessed over their entire life cycle.
“The government is ready to hear concerns of locals and consider alternative technologies if they offered better environmental outcomes. Some people may have genuine concerns, and the government is ready to listen to them,” he said.
If anyone can demonstrate that a better technology is available and that the project can be implemented in a more environmentally friendly manner, the government is ready to consider it, he added.
“However, some people are opposing the project without studying its details. If the project is studied properly and understood, people will realise that the opposition is unwarranted and, in my view, politically motivated,” Fadnavis said.
He said Karjat is chosen because it is feasible for a pumped storage project.
Referring to the Aarey Metro car shed controversy, Fadnavis said the project had also faced opposition on environmental grounds before receiving judicial approval.
“Those who want to do politics can continue doing politics,” he said.
(PTI News)
