Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday targeted the Devendra Fadnavis-led government for clearing projects that require felling of “lakhs of trees”, including for the proposed Gargai Dam to be built for supplying water to Mumbai.
Addressing a press conference, he hit out at the ruling BJP and said the party wants to turn Maharashtra into a desert. “Never has the city witnessed a water crisis in March and April, which is being experienced this year. Temperatures are rising across the state, crossing over 40°C in March and April,” Aaditya said, and attributed it to climate change.
“The State Wildlife Board has given approval to projects which will lead to the felling of lakhs of trees. Permission has been given to cut 5 lakh trees in Thane and Palghar district for constructing Gargai Dam to address water woes of Mumbai… the BJP wants to make Maharashtra a desert,” the former state environment minister said.
If the need arises, the Sena (UBT) will approach Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, as well as the country’s president to oppose the project, he added.
The Gargai Dam project had been scrapped when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power (from 2019 to 2022) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had decided to build a desalination plant. “This could have been completed much before the dam, required minimal space and would have been very cost-effective,” the Sena (UBT) leader said.
However, the desalination project was scrapped by the previous Eknath Shinde-led government. The plant would have generated 450 million litres a day (MLD) of water, which could have been increased to 600 MLD.
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