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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.

Stalemate continues

Jarange gets yet another day’s extension; issues ultimatum till Sunday morning as talks fail

Mumbai: The stalemate continued over the Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, for reservation to Maratha community from OBC quota, on as the talks between the agitators and the high power committee under Justice (Retired) Sandeep Shinde failed on Saturday. While state government reiterated its willingness to resolve the issue within constitutional framework, Jarange-Patil gave an ultimatum till Sunday Morning to the government to announce the decision in favour of the Maratha quota activists.


Meanwhile, the Mumbai police extended the permission granted to Jarage-Patil to continue his agitation at Azad Maidan for yet another day even as the crowds continued to swell in South Mumbai leading to traffic disruptions in South and Central Mumbai.


In the morning, the state government extended the tenure of the lineage committees constituted under the Tahasildars at Taluka Levels till June 30, 2026. Social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat made the announcement in this regard. “The GR has been issued to extend the tenure of the committees that are primarily formed on January 25, 2024 to give Kunbi, Kunbi-Maratha caste certificates and caste validations certificates to the eligible individuals,” the minister said. The tenure of the committees had expired on June 30, 2025. After the high powered committee under Justice (Retired) Sandeep Shinde was given an extension on Friday, this committee too was given an extension in wake of Jarage-Patil’s agitation as a token of positive efforts from the state government.


Sub-committee meets

The cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation headed by water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil too held a meeting on Saturday and after the meeting the minister said that the committee has taken a few decisions, which will be communicated to Jarange-Patil. Accordingly, Sandeep Shinde along with the divisional commissioner met Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan and tried to negotiate mutually acceptable way out of the stalemate. The delegation primarily sought six months’ time to resolve the legal tangle around the issue and implement the solutions. Jarange-Patil, however, was firm that that the government should issue a resolution proclaiming that all Marathas are Kunbis by Sunday morning. Such a resolution will help Marathas get reservation under OBC quota as Kunbis fall under the OBC category.


Traffic advisory

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Mumbai traffic police issued an advisory asking people not to take the Eastern Freeway, which was still witnessing gridlocks, as Maratha protesters used the route to reach Azad Maidan, the venue of Jarange-Patil’s protest.


On Friday, the freeway was completely out of bounds for citizens as traffic was blocked, leading to a cascading effect on the Eastern Express Highway and the Atal Setu, which also witnessed traffic snarls.


There were massive traffic jams at the north end of the freeway in Chembur as well, leading the police to close down a few roads to stop protesters from taking the freeway.


Jarange-Patil, who began an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan on Friday morning over his demand for quota benefits for the Maratha community, had said earlier that he “would not back down this time”. “We will not leave Mumbai until our demands are met,” he had asserted.


"We will not decide to merely please someone, which will have a backlash in future, but will find a solution within the constitutional framework. These are decisions taken by me and Eknath Shinde. I gave the reservation first. The state government also strengthened the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation so much that we have created one and a half lakh entrepreneurs. We have been able to create Maratha youth who are not job seekers but job providers."

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister

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