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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been...

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been reduced to an annual ritual of tree-planting drives and clicking selfies for social media, though 90 pc of the saplings don’t survive even a day. “Only the government knows where those trees really are,” said Raj sternly. He recalled a "Blueprint of Maharashtra’s Development" he had proposed in 2015, in which he advocated how development without environmental sensitivity is hollow. Justifying, he said that the consequences are visible where roads, bridges and infrastructure projects are hailed as achievements, but even a short spell of rainfall can paralyze entire cities. Referring to recent reports on farmers returning from the fields after 10 am due to the scorching heat, Raj said that the worsening climate crisis has become an everyday reality. Citing official statistics, Raj claimed that extreme heat has caused productivity losses of nearly USD 159 billion and slashing of 160 billion work-hours annually in recent years. He mentioned the World Bank estimates that India’s GDP could plummet by 2.5-4.5 pc while 57 pc of the country’s districts sheltering 76 pc of the population stare at serious climate-related crises. Taking a swipe, he said while the governments boast about growth figures and economical rankings, they are silent on the staggering costs of environmental destruction. He questioned the development model “whether flooded cities, washed-away crops and unbearable summers” genuinely indicate progress. Claiming that Maharashtra was increasingly becoming unliveable for upto 8 months in a year, he said excessive monsoon rains disrupt rural life and urban floods cripple cities, while extreme heat make normal life a torture in summers in both urban-rural areas. Targeting the Centre, Raj alleged that nearly 173,984 hectares of forest lands were diverted in the past 11 years for mining and infrastructure projects to benefit the PM’s single favourite Adani Group. He said that these lands amount to 1,730 sqkm, or equivalent to the area of 16 Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) that is spread over barely 104 sqkm. Dissolve state wildlife board: Aaditya Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has accused the Maharashtra government for issuing a permit to carry out mining activity in the sensitive tiger corridor between the Tadoba-Andhari and Indravati sanctuaries housing the big striped cats. In a strongly-worded letter to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member-Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Thackeray sought his immediate personal intervention, sacking the Maharashtra State Board for Wild-Life (SBWL), revoking the permit, and probe against the Chief Wildlife Warden & Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) M. Srinivasa Reddy for the alleged lacunae. Aditya’s two-pager says the permit has been granted for “scientific exploration and excavation/systematic recovery of low-grade iron ore in existing mines in villages Hedri, Bande, Parsalgondi and Round Parsalgondi, in the Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district”. Last January, Aditya – MLA from Worli – had first raised the issue saying that the proposed mine would create only 120 jobs, including 32 permanent, and the estimated output is pegged at 1.1 million tons in a year. Referring to two letters of Reddy – on April 28 and May 21 – the SS (UBT) leader claimed that in communications to the state government, the PCCF had changed his stance on the issue. Aditya said that in the first letter, Reddy had effectively opposed the government plans for mining activity but in the second letter, he took a somersault, ostensibly due to government pressures or some commercial interests, “the U-turn is disgraceful and detrimental to India’s national interest” – and this abrupt shift in stance must be investigated thoroughly. In view of the contrary stance of the PCCF Reddy, entrusted with protecting the wildlife but failing to defend the NTCA and NBWL, point to serious malfunctioning of the SBWL, and hence it must be dissolved, besides reviewing all its decisions in the past three years, particularly those pertaining to hazardous activities in sensitive areas, demanded Aditya. 444 tigers roam in 11,000 sq.km As per the Status of Tiger Report (2002), and the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2025-2026, the state boasts of 444 tigers prowling in the wild along with other menacing creatures. The state’s total protected wildlife network of 88 Notified Areas of National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Conservation Reserves - including 6 dedicated to the striped big cats – is spread over 11,092 sq. kms as per current data.

MP’s 'Karseva' call to restore history

Mumbai: Declaring an eight-day deadline to clear alleged encroachments, Rajya Sabha BJP MP Medha Kulkarni has issued a strong call for karseva to restore the dignity of a historic Pandav-era stepwell (locally known as a Barav) in Manchar, located in the Ambegaon tehsil of Pune district.


The ultimatum follows a tense standoff and a physical altercation on Friday between the MP and Pune Rural Police personnel, who intervened to stop Hindu activists from marking the disputed site and placing a photograph of a deity.


The focal point of the controversy is the ancient stepwell and an adjacent dargah. MP Kulkarni visited the site on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti to review the ground situation following growing concerns among local Hindu groups regarding the unauthorized alteration of the heritage structure.


Speaking out against the alleged encroachments, Kulkarni asserted the historical rights of the Hindu community and announced a strict course of action if the local administration fails to act.


"They [the local Muslim community] have put up boards, painted the structure, and constructed a mazaar here without any permission," Kulkarni alleged.


"We have given them an eight-day deadline, failing which Hindus will carry out karseva to reclaim possession of this place."


The situation at the site escalated rapidly during the MP's visit. According to local sources, Kulkarni urged activists from local Hindutva organizations to mark the alleged encroachments with coloured paint.


Tensions flared when activists attempted to install a photograph of a Hindu deity at the site. MP Kulkarni attempted to write the sacred symbol 'Om' on the structure to assert Hindu claims.


Anticipating a severe communal flare-up, the Pune Rural Police intervened immediately to halt these activities. This intervention resulted in a brief scuffle—involving light pushing and pulling—between the police forces and MP Kulkarni.


A video of the altercation has since gone viral on social media, further fuelling the ongoing debate. In the video a police official is seen snatching the photograph of deity from the hands of an activist and running away and the MP chasing him in her attempt to recover the photo.


Emphasizing the historical significance of the Barav, she added, "This place belongs to us, and we have ample proof to support our claim. Several proofs have already been submitted to the authorities to support that this is a Pandav-era stepwell. The place belongs to Hindus."


Following the chain of incidents, authorities have significantly ramped up police deployment in Manchar to maintain law and order. Efforts are currently underway to initiate dialogues between leaders of both communities to defuse the communal tension and find a peaceful resolution before the deadline expires.

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