Rahul Somvanshi
Reports Prompt Scrutiny of Proposal to Fell Over 32,000 Trees for Torrent Power Hydro Project in Raigad
News reports describe a proposal involving tens of thousands of trees in the Saidongar forest area of Karjat, Raigad district, tied to a Torrent Power pumped-storage hydropower project. A separate report describes a Rs 13,500-crore Torrent Power hydro project near the Bhimashankar sanctuary. The reports appear to describe the same proposed project, but this cannot be confirmed without a primary record.
According to The Times of India and the Free Press Journal, both reporting on 24 October 2026, a proposal connected to a Torrent Power power project would, according to these outlets, require felling roughly 32,000 to 32,490 trees in the Saidongar forest area of Karjat, Raigad district.
Separately, the Deccan Herald reported on 25 October 2026 that a Rs 13,500-crore Torrent Power pumped-storage hydropower project proposed near the Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary in Raigad district has become a political controversy in Maharashtra, with that report also citing a figure of roughly 32,000 trees to be felled.
A Note on the Reporting Boundary
The Times of India and Free Press Journal reports center on the Saidongar forest area of Karjat, Raigad district, and the figure of 32,490 trees, as reported by those outlets, without describing the site’s location relative to the Bhimashankar sanctuary. The Deccan Herald report describes the project’s location near Bhimashankar and cites the Rs 13,500-crore cost figure, as reported by that outlet, without naming the Saidongar site. The reports appear to describe the same proposal, but this cannot be confirmed without a primary record.
About the Project, as Reported
Per the Times of India and Free Press Journal, the proposal is sited in the Saidongar forest area of Karjat, Raigad district, and is reported to require felling approximately 32,000 to 32,490 trees. Per the Deccan Herald, the project is a Torrent Power pumped-storage hydropower facility reported at an estimated cost of Rs 13,500 crore, proposed near the Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary. None of the three reports reviewed for this article states that tree-felling has begun, that an environmental or forest clearance has been granted, or that the project has received final government approval.
What Has Been Reported and What Remains Unconfirmed
Reported by the outlets reviewed:
- A Torrent Power pumped-storage hydropower project has been proposed; the Deccan Herald reports its cost at roughly Rs 13,500 crore and its site as near the Bhimashankar sanctuary.
- The Times of India and Free Press Journal report the proposal’s site as the Saidongar forest area of Karjat, Raigad district.
- The Times of India and Free Press Journal report that the proposal has drawn public objections.
- The Times of India and Free Press Journal report a figure of 32,490 (also described as “over 32,000”) trees in connection with the project; the Deccan Herald separately reports a figure of roughly 32,000 trees.
- All three outlets report that the matter has become a political controversy in Maharashtra.
Not confirmed by the records reviewed for this article:
- Whether the Saidongar-area proposal and the Bhimashankar-area proposal reported by the Deccan Herald are the identical project, absent a primary project record.
- Whether any tree-felling has started.
- Whether a forest or environmental clearance has been granted, or where the project stands in the regulatory approval process.
- The precise, officially verified number of trees involved — 32,490 (or “over 32,000”) is the figure reported by the outlets cited above, not a count drawn from an official order or clearance document reviewed for this article.
- Any specific, documented effects on wildlife, biodiversity, or local communities.
- Torrent Power’s own position or response to the matter.
A Note on Sourcing
The records retrieved for this article did not include a primary tree-felling order, an environmental or forest-clearance file, the project’s formal application, or a statement from Torrent Power. This article is based on reporting by the Times of India, Free Press Journal, and Deccan Herald, and reflects the figures and claims those outlets have published. Readers seeking the underlying regulatory record, or confirmation of whether the Saidongar and Bhimashankar-area references concern a single project, should consult the relevant state forest department or environmental clearance authority directly, as that documentation was not part of the source material reviewed here.
