States » WestPosted at: Oct 24 2026 9:31PM


Wadettiwar, Rohit Pawar accuse Fadnavis of plotting to destroy 600 acres of forest to benefit Adani

Mumbai, Oct 24 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar and Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar alleged here on Saturday that the Fadnavis government is plotting to allow the Adani group as well as the Gujarat-based Torrent Power, to cut down 600 acres of rich forest in the Bhimashankar and Karjat areas, for a project.
“More than 32,000 trees are being cut down in the Saidongar forest area, due to which lakhs of mute animals, birds and wildlife like Shekaru are becoming homeless. This is not development but a major attack on the natural wealth of Maharashtra. The livelihood of tribals is being taken away,” Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said.
“Where is the justice in making empty promises of development for tribals and at the same time taking away their land, culture and livelihood from them? The forests of tribals do not consist merely of trees. They have been the basis of their existence for generations. We will not allow this to be destroyed for the benefit of some favoured industrial groups,” Wadettiwar said.
He stated that the deforestation will exacerbate the already serious human-wildlife conflict and environmental damage, including drinking water shortage.
It will endanger the lives of the common people by destroying the habitat of wildlife, Wadettiwar stated, adding that the forests of Maharashtra are not the private property of any industrial group.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar criticised the Fadnavis government’s move in a detailed tweet on his X handle.
“In Karjat taluka, in the Saidongar forest area adjacent to the Bhimashankar Sanctuary located in the lap of the Sahyadri, more than 32,000 trees are being cut down in an area of 233 hectares for a pumped storage hydroelectric project. Although this number appears to be 32,000 trees on paper, in reality, this number will reach lakhs,” Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar tweeted on his X handle.
Rohit Pawar alleged that powerful tunnel blasts are going to be engineered in the mountains, which will weaken the entire mountainous area and create a great risk of landslide disasters like it happened in Malin or Irshalwadi in the future.
If this area, which maintains the climate balance of Mumbai-Pune, is destroyed, the survival of local communities will be at stake, Rohit Pawar warned in his tweet.
“The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of this project on November 3. Has this tree murdering government taken up the challenge of destroying the entire forest by then,” Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar asked in his tweet.
“We are not against development, but we will strongly oppose this project, which is being carried out in the wrong place and is destroying the environment and tribals,” Rohit Pawar tweeted, warning that if the people do not come together and create pressure against such injustice, their future generation will never forgive them.
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Tags: #Wadettiwar# Rohit Pawar accuse Fadnavis of plotting to destroy 600 acres of forest to benefit Adani
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