New Mahabaleshwar project proposal gets 900 responses, 10% objections

PUNE: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has received nearly 900 responses within the one-month deadline since publishing the development plan for the New Mahabaleshwar Project. What’s more, only 10% of the responses are objections while 90% are suggestions according to an MSRDC official. Additionally, residents from villages around the famous hill station, designated as an eco-sensitive zone, have expressed their willingness to participate in the project.

On October 10, 2024, the MSRDC issued a notification inviting objections and suggestions from citizens to the revised draft development plan for the New Mahabaleshwar Project with the deadline set as November 10. The MSRDC has included 293 villages around Mahabaleshwar in the revised draft development plan. Spanning 1,153 square kilometre, the New Mahabaleshwar Hill Station Notified Area has been divided into four planning divisions and further categorised into 13 tourist sectors aimed at maximising tourism potential.

The plan includes establishing 20 tourism growth centres to manage tourism development effectively and 14 eco-production centres to stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities for local villagers, small businessmen, youth, entrepreneurs, and artisans.

Additionally, 44 village clusters are proposed to improve access to essential services and amenities, fostering vibrant communities benefitting from tourism and local economic activities.

Jitendra Bhopale, director of town planning, MSRDC, said, “From the responses we received, the majority were suggestions, including demands for adding new villages to the project. This demand likely stems from the project’s sustainable tourism-based model, which involves minimal destruction and almost no land acquisition.” Former chief minister Eknath Shinde had said that the project is guided by the principle of “exploring, not exploiting”.

As per the revised draft development plan, there will be facilities like ropeways and waterways to enhance connectivity while public-private partnerships with villagers will provide livelihood opportunities. Many villages are eager to join the project and inquiries about proposed initiatives in specific villages have increased. “We have also received demands from villages in Panchgani and the nearby eco-sensitive areas of the western ghats to be included in the project,” said Bhopale.

Regarding the nature of objections, Bhopale said, “Most objections are related to citizens requesting an alternative project rather than the one proposed in the published plan. These are largely individual or collective demands for project replacement.”

The next step for MSRDC now will be to hold physical hearings for the suggestions and objections received. These hearings have been planned to conclude by the end of January or first week of February, according to an official. The planning committee, comprising three retired officers experienced in town planning, an environmental expert, and a representative of the local body, will oversee the hearings. Afterward, a report based on the hearings will be submitted to the government. “We aim to submit the final development plan for government approval by the end of March or early April,” said Bhopale.

Earlier in December, a large gathering was held in Mumbai to address citizens’ concerns about the New Mahabaleshwar Project. Representatives from 105 out of the 235 proposed villages attended the meeting. Lakshman Jadhav, a social worker from Satara district who played an active role in organising the meeting, said, “We addressed the citizens’ concerns, mainly related to land acquisition and migration. After MSRDC officials explained the proposed project, including examples of successful public-private partnerships, many attendees agreed to participate.”

New proposal

Considering the demand from more villages for inclusion in the New Mahabaleshwar Hill Station Project, the MSRDC has prepared a new proposal for 293 villages.The original proposal included 235 villages from Satara district. Spanning 1,153 square kilometre, the New Mahabaleshwar Hill Station Notified Area is divided into four planning divisions and further categorised into 13 tourist sectors aimed at maximising tourism potential.The revised proposal was submitted to the state government in the first week of December. “After we published the development plan, villagers highlighted the uniqueness of their areas. Some villages possess medicinal plants, others have potential for adventure tourism, and some could become tourist destinations. Villagers urged the corporation to include their areas to access employment and development opportunities without risking land loss. Based on these demands, the new proposal was prepared and is now under the state government’s consideration,” said Bhopale.