Pune / Ramesh Jadhav
The Maharashtra Cabinet’s in-principle approval for the proposed Dimbhe-Manikdoh tunnel under the Kukadi Project has triggered concern among farmers in Ambegaon, Shirur and Junnar talukas. The development is being viewed as particularly unfortunate by sections of the farming community in Ambegaon, where the project has faced local opposition.
Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader and Ambegaon MLA Dilip Walse Patil has consistently opposed the Dimbhe-Manikdoh tunnel, maintaining that the interests of farmers in the region must be protected. His opposition has once again come into focus following the state Cabinet’s recent decision.
The issue came to light after it was reported that the proposed tunnel, which was not part of the original Kukadi Project, had been included in the fourth revised administrative approval for the project, estimated at ₹5,704.50 crore. The development has reportedly caused strong resentment among farmers in Ambegaon, Shirur and Junnar.
Taking immediate cognisance of the matter, former Maharashtra Assembly Speaker and MLA Dilip Walse Patil met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and conveyed the strong opposition of local farmers to the proposed tunnel.
At the state Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, September 1, the proposal for the fourth revised administrative approval of the Kukadi Project, amounting to ₹5,704.50 crore, was reportedly approved. After learning that the Dimbhe-Manikdoh tunnel was included in the proposal, Walse Patil raised his objections at the government level and before the state Cabinet.
Farmers and local residents have reportedly urged political representatives across party lines in Ambegaon taluka to adopt a united stand against the project rather than allowing political differences to come in the way of the issue. There is disappointment among sections of farmers that political leaders from different parties have not yet come together on a common platform to oppose the proposed tunnel.
Concerns over irrigation water
Walse Patil has reportedly brought to the Chief Minister’s attention the possibility that the tunnel could affect irrigation water available to farmers in Ambegaon, Shirur and Junnar talukas.
According to the concerns raised by him, the Dimbhe-Manikdoh tunnel could potentially have an adverse impact in the future on the irrigation water rights of farmers in these areas. Walse Patil has maintained that local farmers should not be subjected to injustice under any circumstances.
Against this backdrop, Walse Patil has demanded that necessary changes be made to the Cabinet decision and that approval for the Dimbhe-Manikdoh tunnel should not be granted. He personally submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in this regard.
It has been stated that, taking note of Walse Patil’s position, Chief Minister Fadnavis assured him that necessary changes would be considered in the Cabinet decision and that no injustice would be allowed to farmers in Ambegaon, Shirur and Junnar talukas.
A decisive battle for Ambegaon?
Dilip Walse Patil has represented Ambegaon for nearly four decades and has been consistently working against the proposed Dimbhe-Manikdoh tunnel, according to the report.
Whether his efforts ultimately succeed remains to be seen. For now, however, his sustained opposition to the project has assumed considerable significance for Ambegaon taluka. The coming period will determine whether his “lone battle” succeeds in preventing the tunnel from moving forward.
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