Sayaji Shinde leads protest over 32,000 trees cleared for Karjat power project
By Meera IyerGovernance & Policy Editor, Peepals Bharat
Representative image: congerdesign / Pixabay
Actor Sayaji Shinde and Aaditya Thackeray on October 26, 2026 opposed the felling of over 32,000 trees for Torrent Power's 3,000 MW Karjat project; the state says rules were met.
What Happened
Actor Sayaji Shinde led environmental activists in Karjat, in Maharashtra's Raigad district, on Monday, October 26, 2026, against the felling of more than 32,000 trees for a 3,000-megawatt pumped storage power project being built by Torrent Power. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray visited the Saidongar project area the same day and also opposed the felling. The state government and the company say all required permissions were obtained, and Torrent Power says the project lies outside the nearby Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Key Facts
- Project: a 3,000 MW pumped storage hydropower project by Torrent Power in the Karjat area of Raigad district, Maharashtra.
- Trees: permission has been granted to cut over 32,000 trees, according to reports; one report puts the number at 32,490.
- Sayaji Shinde said no project should be built by cutting trees, questioned the transparency of the project reports, and urged people to drive away tree-cutters by banging plates and bowls.
- Aaditya Thackeray visited Saidongar on October 26, asked who had approved the felling, and demanded a public hearing with local residents; he claimed six to seven lakh trees in the forest could eventually be cut.
- NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said the felling would end an entire ecosystem and pointed to the project's closeness to the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Maharashtra Minister of State for Power Meghna Bordikar said the project was approved after meeting all conditions set by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry.
- Torrent Power says it will plant about 60,000 trees in the project area and about 30,000 more on 253 hectares of compensatory afforestation land it has provided.
Why It Matters
A pumped storage project works like a giant rechargeable battery made of water. When there is spare electricity, often from solar plants in the daytime, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper one. When demand rises, the water is released downhill through turbines to generate power again. India is adding large amounts of solar and wind power, which do not produce electricity round the clock, so storage projects like this one are seen as important for keeping the grid stable.
The difficulty is that such projects need two reservoirs at different heights, which usually means hilly, forested land. In Karjat, that brings the project close to the Western Ghats forests around the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, and to tribal communities who live and work there. Thackeray said his party stands with the tribal residents of the area, and protesters argue that the process of marking trees and sharing project reports has not been open enough.
The government's position rests on the approval process. Forest land in India can be used for a project only after clearance under central forest rules, usually with conditions such as compensatory afforestation, which means planting trees on other land to make up for those cut. The minister said those conditions were met. Torrent Power has also rejected reports that trees inside the sanctuary are being felled, calling them incorrect.
| Side | Position |
|---|---|
| Sayaji Shinde and activists | No trees should be cut; project reports lack transparency |
| Aaditya Thackeray, Rohit Pawar | Demand public hearing; warn of damage to forest ecosystem |
| Maharashtra government | Project cleared after meeting central ministry's conditions |
| Torrent Power | Project is outside the sanctuary; will plant about 90,000 trees in all |
Impact
Short-term: Protests at the site could slow tree felling and work on the project, and the demand for a public hearing puts pressure on the state government and the Forest Department to explain the approvals.
Long-term: The dispute is likely to shape how Maharashtra handles other pumped storage projects in the Western Ghats, where the need for clean-energy storage meets the protection of forests and tribal land.
Who is affected: Tribal and other residents of the Karjat area, Torrent Power and its investors, Maharashtra's power planners, and environmental groups watching the Western Ghats.
Key Takeaway
Sayaji Shinde's protest has turned a cleared 3,000 MW clean-energy storage project in Karjat into a political dispute over more than 32,000 trees, with the state and Torrent Power insisting all rules were followed.
Questions and Answers
Why is Sayaji Shinde protesting in Karjat?
Sayaji Shinde is opposing the felling of more than 32,000 trees for Torrent Power's 3,000 MW pumped storage project in Karjat, Raigad district. He says no project should be built by cutting trees and that the project's reports lack transparency.
What is a pumped storage power project?
It stores energy by pumping water to a higher reservoir when power is plentiful and releasing it through turbines to make electricity when demand is high. It helps balance solar and wind power, which are not available all the time.
What do the Maharashtra government and Torrent Power say?
Minister of State for Power Meghna Bordikar said the project was approved after meeting all conditions set by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry. Torrent Power says the project lies outside the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and that it will plant about 90,000 trees.
What did Aaditya Thackeray demand?
After visiting the Saidongar area on October 26, 2026, Aaditya Thackeray questioned who approved the felling and called for a face-to-face public hearing with local residents.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Meera Iyer, Governance & Policy EditorCovers Governance & Policy and more for Peepals Bharat. All stories by Meera Iyer
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Meera Iyer is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
