A group of young scientists is diligently conducting biodiversity surveys to underscore the environmental importance of the area. (Photo credit: Joeanna Fernandes)
Around 55 km away, in a bamboo shed doubling as a tribal museum and community centre, a blue tarpaulin awaited them on the earthen floor—their bed for the weekend. Many of the men were strangers to each other, and to Vaishakhare, a village in Murbad where two projects are planned within 10-12 km of each other: the Kalu Dam and the Malshej Ghat Bhorande Pumped Storage Project (PSP), an energy storage plant. Because it is a drinking water project.), nadar flagged another issue: the 26 fish species listed in the draft EIA were attributed to a 2016 study at an entirely different Kalu Dam in Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar), more than 100 km from here. (The Murbad dam is exempt from an EIA.
MURBAD/THANE: Near midnight on a recent Friday, a dozen young men were herded into a pickup truck parked outside Titwala railway station. Both projects have been opposed by locals who fear displacement or loss of livelihood. The dam, to be built by the Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation (KIDC) and funded by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), will supply drinking water to Thane, Bhiwandi, Ambernath, and other cities.
Each field visit costs Rs 15,000–20,000, funded largely through donations. To date, some 70 researchers have done fieldwork in Murbad, and another 30 have analysed data remotely. For most biodiversity studies, photographic evidence is enough,” says Jeth Nadar, a 26-year-old zoologist. He and others hope to publish at least 20 research papers in the coming years. Around 1,419 species have been logged in the area so far, including 468 plant, 154 bird, 34 reptile and 13 amphibian species. The draft EIA mentions 2,653 affected people, but the company says this refers simply to the population of the 10-sq-km study area, not the project site. However, at least 15 villages have been served public hearing notices by the state pollution control board, says Harad. When the dam was first announced in 2009, students from TISS Tuljapur, Nirmala Niketan and colleges in Kalyan helped collect data on potential impacts. Under a karanda tree in Bhorande forest, Daulat Pardhi, 29, a guide from the Thakar community, points out a plant curled like a shepherd’s crook on the ground, called Gulabdani for its pink flower. Kalu Dam: Location: Kalu river, Murbad taluka, Thane district Benefits: Dam will supply 1140 MLD to Mumbai region’s cities Impacts: 2,258.86 ha of land and 18,000 people in Murbad, Thane Pumped Storage Project What: A PSP is a type of large-scale water battery that stores and releases electricity on demand, using water and gravity. Location: Thane and Pune district Benefits: Supply 1500 MW energy Impacts: 166.05 ha of land and 2,653 people, company says no one will be displaced
We need studies robust enough to hold up in court,” says wildlife conservationist Avinash Harad. Initially, they had invited senior scientists to conduct surveys, but their requirements were too costly, he says. Volunteers believe their data will help challenge what they see as gaps in official impact assessments. (Photo credit: Joeanna Fernandes) While the project will affect three villages, it will not displace anyone, says the company. Meanwhile, the gram sabha process for the dam is underway, says Sudarshan Pagar, Executive Director, KIDC, Thane. Currently, data on affected houses and families is being collected, Pagar says. “I didn’t realise the gravity of the situation until I came here,” says Rajas Shrikoli, 24, a marine biologist who signed up expecting a fun excursion. [Scientists may be new to the movement, but young people have long been part of it, says Indavi Tulpule, an activist and legal advocate who has led the Kalu agitation for decades. But there are also intangible benefits to the scientific effort. ] Harad says the presence of city researchers has spurred local youth to engage more deeply with their landscape, potentially opening up work as environmental and cultural guides. “My mother taught me this,” he says.
“There is no baseline data on the Kalu river and only the People’s Biodiversity Register for Bhorande forest. So the organisations backing the movement — Shramik Mukti Sanghatana and Ashwamedh Prathisthan—turned to young scientists willing to sleep on a tarp. “We don’t need complex equipment or labs. Researchers are not simply counting species but documenting the ties binding people to place: the local Thakar, Mahadeo-Koli and Katkari adivasis — the last classified as a ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group’ — hold traditional rights to forest resources. Volunteers believe their data will help challenge what they see as gaps in official impact assessments. Their data has already thrown up a discrepancy. There are also differing claims about people. Nine of them, including Bhorande, have passed resolutions opposing the project. The land acquisition proposal has been submitted to the district collector’s office and the required resolutions will be obtained as per statutory provisions, including PESA, he added. Once finalised, a rehabilitation plan will be prepared and submitted to the Divisional Commissioner, Konkan Division, he adds. For some volunteers, the fieldwork has been sobering. Tulpule hopes to deploy research data for any legal battles that might arise. The knowledge exchange has run both ways. When the flowers dry and fall, Pardhi grinds them into powder and uses it to heal wounds.
It is expected to acquire 2,258.86 hectares and impact an estimated 18,000 people. Meanwhile, the 1500 MW PSP, to be built by Adani Renewable Energy Fifty Two Limited, will acquire 166.05 ha and impact at least three villages. For the past year, 20-something botanists, zoologists, and biologists from colleges in Thane, Pune, and Mumbai, have been descending on Kalu and Bhorande, site of the PSP’s lower reservoir, to conduct biodiversity surveys and document the community’s ties to the landscape. Each field visit costs Rs 15,000–20,000, funded largely through donations. (Photo credit: Joeanna Fernandes) This is more than double the number documented in the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the storage project, published this May. Wildlife impact: Species count from draft EIA: 273 plants; 27 birds; 14 reptiles; 3 amphibians Species count on iNaturalist: 468 plants, 154 birds, 34 reptiles; 13 amphibians 1993: Chitale Committee recommends dam at Kalu 2009: Kalu Dam formally announced 2011: Shramik Mukti Sanghatana files PIL against dam in Bombay HC 2012: HC issues stay on construction work; environment ministry’s forest committee rejects clearance for dam 2013: New forest committee sets aside previous verdict, recommends in-principle clearance 2016: ACB books five engineers from KIDC and partners of FA Enterprises, given work of dam, on charges of cheating and fraud related to the dam. 2020: HC lifts stay, allowing construction to resume 2026: Land acquisition process initiated 2013: New forest committee sets aside previous verdict, recommends in-principal clearance 2016: Five engineers from KIDC and partners of FA Enterprises, booked on charges of cheating and fraudrelated to dam 2020: HC lifts stay 2026: Land acquisition initiated 2022: Memorandum of Agreement signed between Mah gov’s water resources dep and Adani Green Energy 2025: Villagers learn of project May 2026: Draft EIA released Aug 2026: Maharashtra Pollution Control Board hearing deferred. To date 9 villages have passed resolutions against project You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Thane | Silver Rate in Thane | Bank Holidays in Thane | Public Holidays in Thane | Petrol Price in Thane | Diesel Price in Thane | CNG Price in Thane | LPG Price in Thane Stay updated with the latest Thane news.
The company says it is committed to “environmental safeguards and continued engagement with local communities, while contributing to local infrastructure, livelihoods and regional development. Local opposition has recently gained an unlikely ally: young city scientists. The aim is to build research-backed evidence of the area’s environmental and cultural significance. In an email response to TOI, a spokesperson for the Adani Group rejected the allegations, saying: “Project assessments indicate no anticipated impact on local flora, fauna, livelihoods, communities or nearby cultural and tourism sites. Download the TOI App.
