Tata Power’s Waste Land in Mulshi Dam Area Should Be Taken Over by Government for Public Works: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar

Mumbai : Despite repeated instructions to cooperate in providing essential public infrastructure, including drinking water, irrigation, communication, and electricity, Tata Power has not received sufficient cooperation from the project-affected citizens of the Mulshi Dam area. As a result, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has directed the Pune Divisional Commissioner to survey Tata Power’s unused lands in the Mulshi Dam area and take steps to acquire the land, which has been lying fallow for years, for public works.

A meeting, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Pawar, was held today at the Ministry. Present at the meeting were Dr. Rajagopal Deora, Additional Chief Secretary of the Planning Department and Development Commissioner; O.P. Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of Finance; Abha Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department; Eknath Dawle, Principal Secretary of the Rural Development Department; Sanjay Belsare, Secretary of the Water Resources (Benefit Area Development) Department; Prabhakar Kale, Chief Officer of Tata Power’s Hydro Department; and Pune Planning Committee members Amit Kandare and Nand Kumar Valanj. Pune Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar, CEO of Pune Zilla Parishad Santosh Patil, and others joined via video conference.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawar noted that the passenger boats in the Mulshi reservoir are outdated and in poor condition. To address this, a provision of Rs 1.40 crore has been allocated from the district planning fund to purchase new passenger boats. There is also a demand from locals to construct a jetty in the area to boost tourism and provide employment. Technical approval from the Maharashtra Maritime Board should be obtained, and action should be taken immediately. Until then, the Zilla Parishad should provide alternative boats for the residents of the Mulshi Dam area, with Tata Power issuing a ‘No Objection Certificate’ without delay.

Pawar also instructed the Maharashtra Life Authority to expedite water supply projects in the Mulshi area. Phase 1 of the project covers 28 villages, while Phase 2 will include 22 villages. An additional 0.20 TMC of water was sanctioned for these villages in a previous meeting. He urged that the remaining works be completed quickly to supply water to all the villages and advised the Water Supply Department to seek assistance from the Police Department if Tata Power Company fails to cooperate.

Additionally, Pawar mentioned that in a previous meeting, it was decided to raise the height of the dam by 1 meter to provide more drinking water to residents and irrigation water for farmers in the Mulshi Dam area. To do this, 80 percent of Tata’s land and 20 percent of private land will need to be acquired. He instructed the Divisional Commissioner to begin the necessary survey by the Revenue Department immediately.

During the meeting, discussions were also held regarding the measurement and establishment of land boundaries necessary for village expansion in the Mulshi Dam area. A positive dialogue was held concerning Tata Power’s cooperation in preparing water supply schemes for various villages in the area and addressing the concerns of the affected citizens.