Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, 27 October strongly defended the proposed 3,000 MW Pumped Storage Hydro Project in Karjat, Raigad district, calling it an eco-friendly and technically irreplaceable component of the state's clean energy infrastructure. His remarks came in direct response to mounting opposition from environmental groups and political rivals who have raised alarms over large-scale tree felling required to execute the project.

Why Fadnavis Is Backing the Project

The Chief Minister framed pumped storage as the missing link in Maharashtra's renewable energy mix. 'While solar and wind power generate clean energy, they cannot operate 24/7,' Fadnavis said, adding that pumped storage provides a non-polluting mechanism to balance intermittent renewables and guarantee round-the-clock supply. He argued that the 3,000 MW facility offsets thermal power generation that would otherwise require the planting of 28 crore trees to neutralise coal pollution — and that running an equivalent coal-based capacity would produce emissions comparable to those of 40 million vehicles.

Fadnavis also cited the technology's longevity as a key differentiator: unlike conventional battery storage systems that last roughly 25 years, pumped storage infrastructure can operate effectively for up to 80 years, he noted, describing it as a generational investment in clean power.

Environmental Mitigation Plan

Acknowledging that tree clearing is unavoidable, Fadnavis characterised the impact as temporary and proportionate. As part of compensatory measures, the state's forest department will plant 90,000 trees, with an additional 60,000 trees to be planted directly on the Karjat project site. He stressed that establishing a durable clean energy storage system now prevents 'thousands of times more environmental degradation' in the future. The state government maintains that the project falls entirely outside the boundaries of the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Responding to Opposition and Relocation Demands

Fadnavis accused critics of politicising a vital green energy initiative without adequate technical understanding. Drawing a parallel with the Aarey Car Shed dispute — which was eventually cleared by the Supreme Court — he indicated that the government remains open to genuine concerns but will not be deterred by what he called politically motivated resistance. On demands to relocate the project to Marathwada or Vidarbha, he was categorical: pumped storage requires very specific geographical terrain and topography, making Karjat a technically assessed, optimal site that cannot simply be replicated elsewhere.

Notably, Fadnavis pointed to China's development of over 60,000 MW of similar pumped storage infrastructure as evidence of the technology's global mainstream acceptance, and said Karjat was selected through rigorous feasibility assessments.

Broader Context: Maharashtra's Energy Transition

This comes amid Maharashtra's broader push to reduce dependence on coal-based power and integrate larger shares of solar and wind into its grid — a transition that grid engineers widely acknowledge requires large-scale storage solutions. Critics argue, however, that the environmental cost of forest clearance in ecologically sensitive Western Ghats terrain demands far more scrutiny before approvals proceed. The project represents a flashpoint in a national debate over whether green energy infrastructure itself can carry an unacceptable ecological price tag. How the state balances these competing imperatives will be closely watched by energy planners and conservationists alike.