Raj Thackeray will visit Bhimashankar in Karjat taluka and hold discussions with villagers and tribal residents. Later, at 5 pm, he will address a public meeting at the Police Ground. The MNS has warned that it will launch a full-scale protest against the tree felling on October 28.
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande has alleged that trees are being cut down for a Gujarat-based company. According to claims being made in connection with the issue, 2,075 trees have already been felled in the forests of Karjat. Local residents have also alleged that more trees could be cut down.
The MNS has questioned how permission was granted for the tree felling and whether the process was legally valid. Deshpande has also raised questions about where the land required to plant 90,000 trees would be found.
“Two people sitting in Delhi will not decide the future of the Sahyadris,” Deshpande said, criticising the decision to carry out tree felling in the name of development. The MNS has maintained that development should not come at the cost of environmental destruction.
Deshpande expressed concern over the scale of the destruction, describing the scene as distressing. He alleged that trees that had stood for 150 years had been cut down, including trees with medicinal properties.
“It is a devastating sight. The destruction of the forest there is deeply distressing. Trees that had existed for 150 years have been cut down. What kind of development is this when medicinal trees are also being felled?” he said.
He also criticised the description of the project as a green project by the Chief Minister, questioning how a project involving the cutting of trees could be presented as environmentally friendly.
The MNS leader further claimed that the gram panchayat had not passed any resolution on the matter. He questioned how permission for the tree felling had been granted despite the alleged absence of such a resolution.
“How can you grant permission for tree felling? How is the tree felling legal? The people of that village were not even being given permission when they wanted to build a road. Where is the land to plant 90,000 trees?” Deshpande asked.
He demanded a clear explanation from those responsible for authorising the activity, saying the legality of the decision must be addressed publicly.
With Raj Thackeray scheduled to inspect the forest on October 28 before addressing a public meeting at 5 pm, the MNS has signalled that it intends to intensify its opposition to the project. The alleged felling of 2,075 trees, questions over the permissions granted and concerns about the proposed planting of 90,000 trees are at the centre of the escalating dispute in Karjat.
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