A delegation of villagers from Codar on Thursday evening met local MLA and Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar to register their opposition to the proposed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in their village, warning it would destroy cultivable land, forests, and local livelihoods. The villagers submitted a memorandum urging the Minister to shift the project elsewhere. They pointed out that 80 per cent of the 12 lakh sq m of land earmarked for the project is cultivable, while another five lakh sq m is forested land. “Our livelihood depends on this soil. If the IIT comes here, Codar will lose its identity as an agricultural village,” they stated.
The delegation, comprising Vishram Gavkar, Saish Gavkar, Vaikuth Gavkar, Pandurang Gavkar and Prasad Gavkar, warned that the project would result in the felling of 10,000 trees, threatening wildlife habitats. “Except for two lakh square metres, all of the land is cultivable. Cashew, bagayat crops and monsoon vegetables sustain us.
The project will wipe this out,” said Visram Gavkar, speaking on behalf of villagers. They stressed that Codar’s forests, water sources, and biodiversity are under severe threat, with adverse consequences for future generations. The proposed site, known locally as ‘Wagati’- a habitat for leopards and tigers - also supports wild boar, cows, peacocks, herons and other species. “Where will these animals go if the IIT project