Aaditya opposes environmental cost of 4 mega-projects, including Gargai dam

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday voiced his opposition to the Mahayuti government’s decision to allocate 1,800 hectares of forest land in Maharashtra for four mega-projects, including the felling of 4,00,000 trees. The projects include the Gargai dam to augment Mumbai’s water supply.

“We will not allow the government to destroy Maharashtra and we will approach the President of India, if we have to,” he said.

Addressing the media on Friday, Thackeray slammed the State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) for giving its nod to these projects, which would potentially destroy wildlife habitats and delicate ecosystems, including the tiger corridor in the Tadoba Andhari Reserve. The meeting on Thursday was chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The projects are: the Gargai dam project in Thane and Palghar; the hematite and quartzite mining project in Gadchiroli district; a road for maintenance of power lines in the Tadoba Tiger Reserve; and the Marki Mangli mining block in Yavatmal district.

“We are not against development but will not tolerate the destruction of Maharashtra. To oppose this corruption and destruction of the environment in the name of development, we will go up to President of India, if needed. It’s almost as if the BJP wants to convert Maharashtra into a desert,” Thackeray alleged.

He said his party had in the past considered the Gargai dam project but when studies revealed that the dam and reservoir would claim over 3,00,000 trees and destroy the forest ecosystem, the project was set aside. “Gargai will give 450 MLD of water to Mumbai and, for that, the government wants to cut the forest, which gives us rain. The government wants to spend vast sums while destroying the environment,” he said.

“Instead, we can get not only 450 MLD but 600 MLD of water for Mumbai through a desalination project, at a cost of ₹1,000-2,000 crore, within two-three years. But the earlier Eknath Shinde government cancelled the project,” said Thackeray.

He also pointed out that during Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had refused to clear the mining project in Gadchiroli as it would mean destroying vast forest lands.

Thackeray pointed out that the BJP-led government is approving contractor-driven projects at the cost of the environment, which will accelerate the climate crisis and impact monsoon patterns. “The next generation of leaders from the BJP and their partners have settled overseas, so they will not be affected by this environmental destruction but we and our next generations will live here and will suffer due to these decisions,” warned Thackeray.