Residents of Karjat are feeling the intense pressure of the push of Maharashtra government to transform the largely tribal and forested region into a region of water and electricity generation hub. The Maharashtra government has announced multiple large scale projects like the Poshir and Shillar dam and the Torrent Power's pumped storage hydro power plant projects in the environmentally sensitive zone of Karjat.
The residents of Dhak, Potal, and Pali villages and tribals near the Saidongar have started mobilising against the proposed Torrent Power's plant. The 3,000 MW hydro power plant proposed in Saidongar is a major pumped-storage hydropower project planned by Torrent Power Ltd. The project, covering a total of 370 hectares (233 ha of forest area and 144 ha of non-forested area), will comprise of two reservoirs. The upper reservoir will be constructed on the hilltop with maximum dam height of 27 m to create the desired storage capacity while the lower reservoir will have maximum height of 59 m and shall be constructed across River Pej.
The total cost of the project is Rs 13,505 crore, which includes the cost of of procurement of private land based on the market rate. Private land is required to be acquired from the following villages: Bhaliwadi (2.29 ha), Ambot (1.34 ha), Potal (6.87), Pali (48.14 ha), Saidongar (11.79 ha) and Dhak (73.55 ha)
According to the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, no Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Plan is required as the proposed PSP project is less than 1000 ha. As per the Government of Maharashtra's Gazette notification (Maharashtra Gazette notification No. LQN. 12/2013/C.R. 190/A-2 dated 27th August 2014), the provisions of Rehabilitation and Resettlement under RFCTLARR 2013 will apply only in case of private company purchases land through private negotiations to an extent equivalent or more than 1,000 ha.
In 2023, Torrent Power Limited had signed an agreement with the government of Maharashtra for three pumped storage hydro projects of 5,700 megawatt (MW) capacity. With an investment of Rs 27,000 crore, the company is working on three projects at – Karjat (3,000 MW) in Raigarh district; Maval (1,200 MW) and Junnar (1,500 MW) in Pune districts.
Locals say that at least a few lakh trees will be cut down for the project. They fear that if the forest shrinks, wildlife will migrate and enter human settlements and damage their farms and houses. Demanding the government to cancel the project, the farmers also question if the project will benefit locals as water generated by the project is expected to be supplied to other cities.
Residents of Dhak and Potal villages demanded the government to cancel the pumped-storage hydro power plant project by Torrent Power citing adverse impacts of felling of trees on a large scale on their livelihood and natural resources. Residents, led by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party, protested in front of Karjat Tehsildar office in April 2026 and submitted representations of their opposition to various government departments.
Despite protests from residents the project has received environmental and pollution board clearances. The residents have vowed to intensify there protests against this environmentally destructive project.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to cancel the project
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Dwelling/habitation use, Non-agri rural enterprise, Other natural resource collection/dependence, Water bodies, Grazing, Ecosystem/Environmental Services
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
13505.15
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2025
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Law, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Case Laws, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Torrent PSH 3 Private Limited
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Shubham is a housing rights activist based in Mumbai. He has a post graduate from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in urban policy and governance.
