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Chemical zone death wish for Konkan: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena opposes CM Devendra Fadnavis' proposal to Jaitapur plant in Ratnagiri

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After the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant, the Shiv Sena and BJP are on the verge of a face-off over chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' plans to establish a chemical zone in the Konkan.

The Shiv Sena opposes the plans for establishing the massive 9,900 MW Jaitapur nuclear power plant in Ratnagiri district. The project has been opposed by local communities and fishermen, who point to the inherent risks involved. Fadnavis, while speaking in Nagpur recently, had announced plans for the chemical zone in the Konkan.

Incidentally, the region, which forms Maharashtra's 720 km coastline across five districts, has a strong support base for the Shiv Sena.

"Why are these projects, which will destroy the environment, being taken to the Konkan? (This is because) they want to use the sea to dump poison (toxins) in it, be it the Jaitapur plant or the chemical zone," said Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP and executive editor of the party mouthpiece Saamna.

"A chemical zone already exists in Raigad. Why are such projects being forced upon the Konkan repeatedly? Vidarbha needs industries, take them there," he demanded, noting that Shiv Sena MPs and state environment minister Ramdas Kadam were also opposing it.

When contacted state industries minister Subhash Desai said that despite the announcement made by Fadnavis, there were no details on the nitty-gritties of the project.

"It has not been finalised. The chief minister made a statement at Nagpur. (Details like) the location and the type of industries to be located there are not yet clear," said Desai, adding that "the reaction (opposition) from the Konkan was natural."

"We will first understand things from the chief minister and oppose it if there are problems or risks involved in it," he noted.

Environmentalist Stalin D of Vanashakti too opposed the project, describing it as the "government's death wish for the Konkan."

"It is blasphemous to even think of locating polluting industries in the Konkan... it is the last source of fresh water in Maharashtra and has abundant rich soil," he pointed out, adding that these plans revealed "complete lack of understanding of the ecology of the Konkan."

Stalin noted that the Konkan may have been chosen as it would be easy to discharge chemicals in the rivers, from where they would flow into the sea, thus affecting fishermen and farmers and playing "havoc on the life and culture in the Konkan." He stressed on the need to incentivise farming and eco-tourism in the region and said the plans for the chemical zone amounted to "harakiri."

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