Activists slam state over Mulshi dam nod

MUMBAI: Activists have brought into question the state water resources department’s decision to allow a private company to build a dam for its hill city project in Mulshi, near Pune. The hill station, not far from Lavasa, is spread across 5,914 acres and falls within a 10-km radius of a major portion of the Pawna and Mulshi dams, and the entire Saltar dam.

The department has granted Maharashtra Valley View Private Limited (MVVPL) permission to build a dam on the Kundalini river in order to harvest water for its project.

Activists Anjali Damania, Vishambhar Choudhary and Suniti SR along with advocate Asim Sarode, in a mail to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, questioned the move. “The last government had granted special planning authority status to a private company to develop Lavasa. Similarly, your government has granted a private company clearance to build its own private dam,” the letter states. They questioned how the clearance was granted when the Apex court and Krishna Water tribunal directives state that even the government cannot build a new project in this part of western Maharashtra.

“Given the drought in the state, how has the state handed over rights of three thousand million cubic feet [TMC] of water to a private company? The clearance smacks of impropriety and corruption,” the activists alleged.

However, the state defended the move, stating that though the project is in western Maharashtra, the dam will fall within the Konkan region.“the clearance for this dam was given after considering the state water plan following the existing norms,” said Iqbal Chahal, secretary, water resources department.