Karjat: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray visited Karjat on October 28 as tree felling began for the proposed 3,000-megawatt Saidongar-I pumped storage project, which has received state and central clearances.

A forest department letter dated October 14 authorised the removal of 32,490 trees and directed that felling be restricted to those covered by the approved proposal. The project, being developed by Torrent Power, requires the diversion of 233 hectares of forest land across villages in Karjat taluka.

During his visit, Thackeray met villagers, tribal residents and gram sabha members who fear displacement and the loss of land. MNS leaders Bala Nandgaonkar, Avinash Jadhav and Sandeep Deshpande accompanied him.

Avinash Jadhav, who has been in Karjat for three days, said that thousands of trees had already been felled. He alleged that the work was damaging forest cover and threatening local biodiversity. Jadhav also claimed that villagers and tribal communities had not been adequately consulted before work began.

Thackeray was scheduled to address a public rally in Karjat on October 28 to discuss the project and the objections raised by local communities.

The project has drawn criticism from environmental activists and Opposition leaders over forest diversion and potential effects on wildlife habitats. However, Torrent Power has defended the development, stating that it is outside the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone. The company has also cited compensatory afforestation measures.

Earlier, on October 26, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray visited the site with party MP Sanjay Raut and other leaders to meet villagers.