The Maharashtra government’s ambitious initiative to construct a 3,300-MW coal-fired power station in Dondaicha, located in the Dhule district, has been officially abandoned. This project, spearheaded by the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Ltd. (MAHAGENCO), faced significant local opposition regarding land acquisition and the revocation of coal mine allocations.
Originally envisioned as a facility comprising five 660 MW units, the power plant was expected to markedly enhance the state’s electricity generation capacity. However, difficulties related to land acquisition and fierce community resistance were deemed impossible to overcome, as noted by the Union Ministry of Power. The Ministry recently informed the Lok Sabha that MAHAGENCO had secured 540.05 hectares of land, both private and governmental, for the undertaking, yet strong objections from local communities persisted.
Farmers and residents in Dhule voiced their concerns about displacement, the loss of agricultural land, and potential environmental repercussions. The absence of a consensus with those affected ultimately led to the project’s demise.
The cancellation of the Dondaicha power plant underscores the increasing challenges of reconciling large-scale development projects with community interests and environmental considerations.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra is still pursuing other coal-based thermal projects, including a 660 MW plant in Bhusawal (Jalgaon), a 2×660 MW facility in Koradi (Nagpur), and an 800 MW plant in Chandrapur.
