Satara: farmers from ten villages unite against mine-crusher project near Bawdhan

A large meeting of farmers and villagers was held at Bawdhan Chawdi in Satara district against a proposed mine-crusher project in the Bawdhan area. About two and a half thousand farmers, women, students and villagers from Bawdhan and more than ten surrounding villages attended the meeting.

Residents of Bawdhan, Nagewadi, Darewadi, Kanur, Anpatwadi, Mhatekarwadi, Waghjaiwadi, Pandharechiwadi, Shelarwadi and Vyajwadi took part in the meeting. The farmers, women and students present shared their concerns and told the administration about the problems the mine-crusher project could cause. Fearing the mine and crusher would affect farming, water, roads, movement and the environment, the meeting decided to oppose the project unitedly.

According to villagers, in 2022 a survey was conducted on land adjoining land in the name of MP Udayanraje Bhosale. Villagers alleged that landowners in the area were not given full information at the time of the survey. The gram panchayats of Bawdhan, Anpatwadi and Waghjaiwadi had already passed resolutions against the mine-crusher project, yet villagers expressed anger and raised questions when the process was taken forward regardless.

Villagers said some farmers have already filed objections to the survey process with the concerned officials and have demanded that the survey be re-examined. They claimed at the meeting that MP Udayanraje Bhosale had promised during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections that the mine would not be started if villagers in the area opposed it. But they said sharp resentment remains among villagers because activity around the project has continued since then.

On the same issue, some young farmers have been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike outside the Wai tehsil office for the past ten days. The meeting demanded that, with the health of the hunger strikers deteriorating, the administration urgently address the issue and find a solution.

Villagers said they feared the mine-crusher project would affect farming, water sources, the fertility of the land, movement on roads and farmers' income in the area. They demanded that the concerned administration consider all aspects, understand the villagers' side and take the right decision on the project.

Villagers warned that if the process to approve the mine-crusher project moves ahead, they will intensify the agitation. They also said that if necessary, they would take the protest as far as the state secretariat in Mumbai.