Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray will visit Balkum in Thane on Tuesday to interact with residents opposing the proposed Thane Internal Ring Metro project and Amazon’s planned hyperscale data centre.
The visit comes amid growing concerns among residents over the impact of the two projects on the city’s environment and civic infrastructure. Thackeray is expected to hear residents’ objections and discuss issues related to the planning and implementation of the projects. He is also scheduled to speak to the media in the evening.
The Internal Ring Metro project has been proposed by the Thane Municipal Corporation and MahaMetro to address traffic congestion on internal roads and improve connectivity within the city. However, residents have raised concerns over the proposed tree cutting, possible impact on mangrove areas and the disruption to traffic during construction.
Opposition to the project intensified on Sunday, when residents formed a human chain along Pokhran Road No. 2, questioning the need for the proposed ring corridor and its likely impact on the city.
Thackeray will also meet residents over the proposed Amazon hyperscale data centre at Balkum. The project has faced opposition from local residents and environmental groups, who have expressed concerns over its possible impact on water and electricity supplies, traffic, noise and the environment.
The proposed facility is planned on a 53-acre site. Residents have raised concerns about the scale of the project and the additional pressure it could place on local infrastructure. Earlier reports have cited concerns over power consumption, water requirements and the number of backup generators planned for the facility.
Amazon, however, has said that its data centres in India do not use water for cooling. The company has also stated that the approved water supply for the Thane facility would be used for basic requirements such as drinking water for employees and sanitation, while power would be supplied through a dedicated high-voltage substation rather than diverted from the local distribution grid.
Thackeray’s visit is expected to bring the concerns surrounding both projects into sharper focus, with residents waiting to hear his position on the proposed developments.
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