Aaditya Thackeray, a legislator from the Shiv Sena (UBT), has criticized the Maharashtra government for allegedly compromising a vital tiger corridor between the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and the Indravati Tiger Reserve to promote a mining initiative in Gadchiroli district. He has called for intervention from the central government regarding this issue.
In a correspondence dated June 2 addressed to Sanjay Kumar, Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and Bhupender Yadav, the Union Environment Minister, Thackeray urged the cancellation of permits granted for the exploration and extraction of low-grade iron ore in the villages of Hedri, Bande, Parsalgondi, and Round-Parsalgondi, located in the Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli.
Thackeray also requested the disbanding of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), a comprehensive review of all its decisions made in the past three years, and the suspension and investigation of M Srinivasa Reddy, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).
During a press conference in Mumbai, Thackeray accused the state administration of effectively permitting mining activities within a critical tiger corridor. He stated, “In order to benefit a select group of businessmen, the government is causing harm to our environment and forests.” The dispute revolves around a mining proposal associated with Lloyd Metals in Gadchiroli. Thackeray contended that the region is part of a wildlife corridor that facilitates tiger movement between the two reserves.
He claimed that despite the corridor’s ecological importance, the SBWL has sanctioned mining activities and diminished the corridor’s protections. “Another tiger corridor is being transformed into a mining area by the Maharashtra government, and it is being done unlawfully,” he asserted.
Thackeray referenced the Lohardongri mining issue earlier this year, where environmentalist Bandu Dhotre had staged a hunger strike against the project, which was ultimately called off. He raised questions about how the SBWL could approve another mining proposal while a public interest litigation related to the matter was still pending in court.
“The SBWL has overstepped its authority, weakened another tiger corridor, pressured the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to retract his objections, and permitted mining within a designated tiger corridor,” Thackeray alleged.
He further questioned the authority of the SBWL, asking, “Is the SBWL permitted to weaken nationally protected tiger corridors? Is it more influential than the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the NTCA?”
Thackeray warned that the government’s decision would negatively impact local communities in Gadchiroli, claiming that Lloyd Metals would gain from the mining operations. “The villages in Gadchiroli will suffer significantly. While the Central government recognizes this as a tiger corridor, the state government has chosen to weaken its status to grant mining licenses. This decision was made on April 17,” he stated, while also suggesting that Reddy had taken inconsistent stances on the matter.
He highlighted a letter from Reddy to the Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) dated April 28, 2026, where Reddy indicated that tiger corridors were not restricted to the 32 officially recognized by the NTCA, and that areas with regular tiger movement could also qualify. Thackeray noted that this letter emphasized the necessity of approvals from both the NTCA and the National Board for Wildlife for the proposal.
However, in a later communication on May 21, 2026, Reddy retracted his earlier statements, indicating that the previous observations should not be used for official purposes until further government directions were issued. “The same official initially stated that NTCA and National Board for Wildlife approvals were essential, only to reverse that position weeks later. This raises significant concerns,” Thackeray remarked.
In his letter, Thackeray suggested that this shift in position may have been influenced by governmental pressure, commercial interests, or lobbying, and he called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this reversal.
He asserted that the two conflicting communications posed serious questions regarding the SBWL’s operations and advocated for its dissolution to prevent further actions that might affect tiger corridors and protected areas.
The Maharashtra government, SBWL, forest department, and Lloyd Metals have yet to respond to the allegations.
