Karjat: After Ambot, Bhaliwadi villagers also block land survey for Torrent hydro project

Local farmers have foiled a survey of land for an access road being built to Saydongar for the Torrent Hydraulic Power Project in Karjat taluka, for the second time. A few days ago, farmers in Ambot village had sent back Public Works Department officials without letting them survey the land. On Friday, villagers in Bhaliwadi similarly stopped Public Works Department officials from carrying out the land survey.

Torrent Energy Solution Power Project company is preparing to set up a hydraulic project in the Saydongar area of Karjat taluka. It is being said that the project has already received clearance from senior levels of the central and state governments. Because of this, the Raigad district collector's office has issued a notification for the construction of a 5.900 kilometre road from Saydongar to Bhaliwadi.

Land belonging to farmers in Bhaliwadi, Ambot, Pali, Potal and Saydongar is to be acquired for this road, and the notification was issued for this purpose. Alongside this, another road from Humgaon to Saydongar has also been proposed. To build the Bhaliwadi to Saydongar road, the state government has ordered the Karjat Public Works Department to survey the land and submit a report. Under this order, Public Works Department deputy engineer Rahul Devang has been trying to carry out the necessary land survey.

However, the hydraulic project is facing strong opposition from local residents. A few days ago, after Torrent decided to route the proposed road through land in Ambot village, Karjat Public Works Department officials had gone there to survey the site. At the time, villagers had united to oppose the survey of their land, as a result of which the department could not carry out the survey. On Friday, deputy engineer Rahul Devang and a branch engineer similarly arrived in Bhaliwadi. But within minutes, villagers from Bhaliwadi had gathered at the spot.

Mayur Patil directly asked the officials how they had entered their land at all, and told them to leave. Several other farmers then came forward and did not allow the land survey to proceed. With local opposition at the very starting point of Torrent's proposed road in Bhaliwadi, questions are now being raised over whether land for the road will be available at all.