Sayaji Shinde slams tree felling at Karjat's Saydongar, targets Environment Minister Pankaja Munde

The controversy over the felling of trees for the Torrent project at Saydongar in Karjat shows no sign of dying down. Karjat residents, environmentalists and the Opposition are on the offensive and are targeting the Mahayuti government. Protests against the felling continue at various levels. Actor and environmentalist Sayaji Shinde has also sharply criticised the state government.

Shinde also targeted Environment Minister Pankaja Munde. "Thousands of trees are being cut, yet why is the Environment Minister silent? When portfolios are handed to ministers, it is necessary to see whether they understand that department or not," he said.

"If the axe is falling on thousands of trees in the name of development, who will protect the environment?" Raising this question, Shinde expressed sharp anger over the felling in Karjat. He lost his temper on seeing the felling in the Saydongar area at Palitarfe Kotwal Khalati in Karjat taluka. Karjat Paryavaran Bachav Samiti coordinator Adv. Kailas More was also present on the occasion.

Shinde said it was sad that trees are cut down but nobody holds a condolence meeting for their death. He said these trees give us oxygen, which is why he had come here to pay tribute to them. He also appealed to citizens to join the agitation in large numbers.

Shinde claims that about 80 kinds of birds lived on the old trees of the Saydongar area. With the trees gone, the question of where these birds will live has arisen. He expressed anger that even the breeding season of the birds was not considered.

He is worried that if the biodiversity that depends on the trees is destroyed, the food chain of the birds could also be affected. According to Shinde, protecting the environment matters more than clearing forests to put up a project.

Shinde also asked that if the government claims to plant crores of trees, where are those trees. He asked what need there is to pursue development by destroying forests when sunlight and the energy of nature are available free. Recounting his own experience, he said that as a person affected by the project he himself had to work as a watchman, and he questioned the promises of jobs.

The felling has heated up the political atmosphere in the state, and there appears to be no consensus within the Mahayuti either. This became clear from the dispute between Mahendra Thorve of the Shinde faction and Sudhakar Ghare of the Nationalist Congress Party's Ajit Pawar faction.

Mahendra Thorve has taken a stand in favour of the project. He says it will address the question of jobs for local people. On the other hand, Sudhakar Ghare of the Nationalist Congress Party has taken an aggressive stand against the project, in view of the local opposition to the tree felling and the project. Against this backdrop, Shinde's direct attack on the state government and the Environment Minister has intensified the debate.

Finally, Shinde made an emotional appeal to citizens: as there are drought conditions in the state and the tree felling also has to be opposed, they should not celebrate Diwali this year. The Saydongar tree felling issue has now become a matter of local agitation as well as of environmental debate.