Mumbai, October 30, 2026: Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam has challenged the Thackeray brothers and Congress leaders to visit 13 villages in Beed district and verify the BMC’s alleged plantation of 2 lakh compensatory trees. The plantation was carried out to offset tree loss during the Middle Vaitarna Dam project.
Satam’s challenge comes amid a political face-off over tree felling for the proposed Karjat pumped storage project, with MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray questioning its environmental impact.
Satam Challenges Opposition To Verify Plantation
Speaking to the media at the BJP’s state office on Friday, Satam said the BMC had spent crores of rupees on the 540-hectare plantation during the tenure of the undivided Shiv Sena in the civic body. Daring critics to verify the plantation firsthand, he accused the Thackeray brothers of misleading the public and stoking unrest over environmental concerns.
“Sustainable development is a commitment for the BJP, but merely a fashion statement for the Opposition,” Satam said, adding that the Thackerays and certain actors needed to be educated on sustainable development.
BJP Defends Karjat Pumped Storage Project
Defending the proposed Karjat pumped storage project, Satam described the 3,000-MW facility, spread across 377 hectares, as a major clean-energy initiative. He claimed an equivalent thermal power project would require 15 times Mumbai’s geographical area and the planting of 28 crore trees.
Taking his attack beyond the environmental debate, Satam alleged that foreign interests were backing opposition to India's infrastructure push. He accused the Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and certain actors of joining what he termed a campaign to obstruct the country's development, branding the critics “urban Naxals”.
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Satam Highlights Global Shift To Pumped Storage
Claiming that India’s and Maharashtra’s green cover, including trees and mangroves, had expanded over the past decade, Satam highlighted the growing global shift towards pumped storage power.
He said worldwide installed capacity had reached 201 GW, with China and Japan making significant advances, while India lagged at just 7.43 GW.
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