155 Acres of Forest in Igatpuri Set for Felling for Hydroelectric Project

A total of 155.02 acres within the Kalsubai Reserved Forest in Igatpuri's Bhavli region of Nashik district will be cleared for a hydroelectric power project that has received central approval. The felling will affect 6,234 trees of various species, including rare indigenous varieties such as mango, apta, jamun and karanj.

The forest area is part of the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats and harbours wildlife including leopards, hyenas, wolves and wild dogs. Environmentalists have raised concerns that the deforestation could trigger human-wildlife conflict and disrupt the local ecological balance, particularly given the forest's proximity to the Kalsubai Harishchandragad Sanctuary.

Local wildlife conservation organisations have lodged objections with the Forest Department, calling for alternative measures and emphasising the need to preserve this vital part of the Sahyadri-Western Ghats range.