The CM must bring transparency to this mindless destruction of the ecosystem near Karjat. 1) Publish the full report of the public hearing of the project. 2) Publish the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Environmental Clearance application/ report of the project. 3) Publish the Alternate Sites proposed by the consultant of the project proponent. 4) Has the regime thought of battery storage technology instead of pump storage technology for excess solar power? 5) Show us where, in the past decade of the regime, any compensatory afforestation program has been successful to achieve an ecosystem like the ones being destroyed by the regime. 6) Where in the world, apart from construction labour, have an excess of 60 jobs been created for pump storage technology, with modern day tech. This project is being forced onto Maharashtra to destroy the ecological balance of the Sahayadris that is the ecological, spiritual and historical crown jewel of Maharashtra. The Western Ghats being destroyed, with practically over 6 lakh trees in the project area, even while the regime claims about 45,000 is shocking. Many trees cut and left around yesterday, were not numbered! While cutting has been stopped by our locals and our local unit for the last 2 days, I urge Maharashtra to intervene and prevent the regime from snatching away the Sahayadris and giving its ownership to a private project that will destroy it. This is not just about cutting trees, this is about the ecosystem being destroyed, that we have to protect.

A minister of the Union regime virtually promoting exploitation over labour laws and work-life balance, instead of defending labour rights while promoting a business-friendly government. But the latter doesn’t seem to exist in this regime. Such mentality existed even before independence, that supported such exploitation to the likes of the then East India Company.