Sanjay Raut alleged that officials ordered more than 32,000 trees to be felled near the eco-sensitive Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary felled before PM Narendra Modi's proposed visit to the site on November 3.Sanjay Raut flags order to cut 32,490 trees in Maharashtra ahead of PM's visitMumbai,Oct 27, 2026 14:40 ISTShiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday alleged that the Maharashtra forest department had ordered the felling of more than 32,000 trees near the eco-sensitive Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit for the ground-breaking ceremony of a hydropower project, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The Rs 13,505-crore Saidongar-I Karjat Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project, proposed by Gujarat-based Torrent Power in Maharashtra's Raigad district, will have a capacity of 3,000 MW.In a post on X, Raut shared a letter purportedly issued by a forest official, stating that approval had been granted to divert 233 hectares of land for the project.According to the letter, the project requires the clearance of 197 hectares of reserved forest, 26 hectares of private forest and nine hectares of protected forest land in Karjat. The proposed facility is 16 km from the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and 20 km from the Bhimashankar Temple.
It is expected to improve the reliability of the electricity grid and support energy security in Maharashtra and other regions.According to the letter issued by Karjat East Range Forest Officer Sameer Shinde, the felling must be strictly limited to the 32,490 trees approved under the land diversion proposal, PTI reported. "In view of the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 3, for the project's inauguration ceremony, the affected trees within the project area should be removed immediately," the letter shared by Raut stated.The Opposition and environmental activists have criticised the proposed tree felling, accusing the Mahayuti government of destroying forests and wildlife. Raut also targeted senior lawyer and BJP-nominated Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam for supporting the project, saying he should advocate for the public rather than back those destroying green cover.- Ends