Substantial portion of the village Shivapur and Bodhare of Chalisgaon Forest Range of Jalgaon Forest Division comes under Gautala Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary, while the remaining area has been declared as a Eco-Sensitive Zone. To purchase and to use agricultural land for the industrial and commercial purpose is prohibited therein.
The JBM and AVAADA’s Fermi have set up a Power Project over 476 acres inside the Sanctuary and remaining over 594 acres in the Eco-Sensitive Zone. Deputy Conservator of Forests, Aurangabad has given permission to the Fermi Solar Company for an industrial use on a mere 300 acres of the land even though the law prohibits industrial and commercial use of the land in the Sanctuary and in the Eco-Sensitive Zone. Kishor Madhav Sonawane, Ganesh Bhasu Chavhan, Arun Hiraman Jadhav have filed PIL challenging the permission before Bombay High Court. It is alleged by Adv. Bhushan Mahajan in the petition that Fermi and JBM have beeninvolved in unethical practices of white collar crimes like forgery and impersonation while purchasing agricultural lands from Gor-Banjara farmers and vehemently argued that Govt.
Authorities have also been involved in encouraging illicit land grabbing. Due to rampant clearing of forest for industrial development resulting in Leopards coming out of the Sanctuary in search of prey, Trees are catching fire due to current leakages of the Extra High Voltage Transmission Lines. Petitioners have prayed for closure of the Solar Power Project. Hearing in this regard has been conducted before Hon’ble J. Ravindra Ghuge and Hon’ble J. Sanjay Deshmukh on 6th March. Hon’ble bench directed the collector of Jalgaon and Aurangabad to tender a confidential report in sealed cover in the court on next hearing. Next hearing will be held on 6 April at 4 pm.
JBM and AVAADA’s Fermi Solar Project inside Gautala Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary faces legal challenge in Bombay High Court over alleged illegal land purchase and environmental damage.
“Hon’ble bench noted that the Monitoring Committee though composed of 13 members, only 5 members sat in the meeting dated 07.02.2018 and passed an illegal resolution. Further it is noted that the Resolution, passed by the Monitoring Committee for the Eco-sensitive Zone in the Gautala Autramghat Wildlife Sanctuary, indicates that the permission for operating the Solar Farm is granted to Fermi. However, the said entity, which should have restricted its activity to 300 Acres, has spread Solar Farms over 1070 Acres, approximately. This area is occupied by Fermi as well as JBM, when the JBM does not even have the requisite permission. Both these entities do not have the Wildlife Clearance Certificate, Environmental Clearance Certificate or Forest Clearance Certificate.”