States » WestPosted at: Nov 3 2026 8:40PM


Maha: Prakash Ambedkaro accuses Maha govt of 'handing over' Western Ghats to Gujarat industrialists

Mumbai, Nov 3 (UNI) Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) National President Advocate Prakash Ambedkar today launched a direct attack on the Maharashtra government, alleging a concerted plan to hand over the state's natural water reserves and the ecologically sensitive Sahyadri mountain range to Gujarat-based corporate houses.
Addressing a press conference here, he produced official documents detailing electoral bond contributions to political parties and accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of misleading the public over power and water requirements to clear industrial projects in Raigad and Karjat.
Ambedkar stated that the central government had previously submitted an official undertaking to UNESCO affirming that no major development or industrial projects would be permitted in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats. He pointed out that several pockets in the Sahyadri belt maintain natural oxygen concentration levels between 95 and 98 per cent, functioning as vital ecological lungs for Konkan and Western Maharashtra.
The rulers have taken an oath to sacrifice Maharashtra's natural wealth to corporate interests in Gujarat. The Chief Minister has virtually pledged the state to keep his seat intact, he alleged.
The VBA chief contested official claims regarding tree felling, stating that while official figures cite 40,000 to 48,000 trees, the actual destruction will exceed 2,50,000 trees across the project zone. He warned that deforesting the Bhimashankar-Karjat belt—a primary habitat for the state animal Shekru (Indian Giant Squirrel)—will displace wildlife and provoke severe human-animal conflict across the region.
Ambedkar further claimed that under the guise of Torrent Power's pumped storage initiative in Karjat, an arrangement is being executed to divert 2,500 million litres of water daily (MLD) to supply heavy-cooling data centres operated by American corporations and the Adani Group.
He argued that alternative solutions remain available, including piping unutilized water from the Patalganga river to municipal belts like Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Dombivli, and Ambernath, alongside encouraging solar power adoption for domestic consumers to free up grid capacity.
To support his allegations of cross-party alignment with project developers, Ambedkar released compilation figures of electoral bond purchases made by Torrent Group entities.
According to the data presented, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a total of Rs 137 crore (Rs 76 crore from Torrent Power and Rs 61 crore from Torrent Pharma). The Indian National Congress (INC) received Rs 22 crore (Rs 17 crore from Torrent Power and Rs 5 crore from Torrent Pharma).
Among other recipients, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured Rs 8 crore (Rs 7 crore from Torrent Power and Rs 1 crore from Torrent Pharma), while the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha received Rs 7 crore from Torrent Pharma. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) received Rs 3.5 crore, Shiv Sena received Rs 3 crore, and the Samajwadi Party received Rs 3 crore. The Sikkim Democratic Front received Rs 50 lakh from Torrent Pharma.
Ambedkar highlighted the substantial funding received by both the ruling party and the opposition, calling upon leaders including Uddhav Thackeray, Rahul Gandhi, and Sharad Pawar to publicly clarify their stance on the Karjat project.
Attributing the postponement of the project's scheduled November 3 inauguration to sustained agitation by local residents, Ambedkar affirmed that the VBA accepts no corporate funding and will continue to oppose the project on the ground.
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