Raigad Hydropower Project Stirs Protest Over Plan to Cut 32,000 Trees

The Maharashtra government has moved ahead with a hydropower scheme in Raigad district that involves building a dam and related infrastructure.\n\nAccording to project documents, roughly 32,000 trees would be felled to clear the site, prompting immediate pushback from environmental NGOs and residents of nearby villages.\n\nActivists contend that the large‑scale felling threatens local biodiversity, disrupts the livelihoods of forest‑dependent communities, and may breach existing forest‑protection rules.\n\nState officials maintain that the project will add renewable electricity to the grid and spur regional development, and they have pledged compensatory afforestation to offset the loss.\n\nThe controversy remains unresolved as protestors plan further demonstrations while the water resources department seeks final clearance from the state forest authority.