Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is set to resume its land acquisition survey for the 802-km-long Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, which was stalled last year due to intense protests in the lead-up to the state legislative assembly elections.
The proposed expressway has faced significant opposition from farmers and activists, who argue that it will lead to displacement and loss of fertile agricultural land. Concerns have also been raised over inadequate compensation and the lack of a thorough environmental impact study.
With the elections concluded, the MSRDC has confirmed that the survey will recommence in a fortnight across all districts except Kolhapur. A senior official told HT that Kolhapur, Solapur, and Sangli witnessed the strongest resistance since June 2024, leading the government to suspend ground activities in September. Out of the 27,000 acres required for the project, around 9,500 acres are to be acquired from these three districts.
“Land acquisition will begin immediately after the survey is completed, which is expected in the next few months,” the official stated. The state aims to complete the expressway by the end of 2029, cutting travel time between Nagpur and Goa from 21 hours to approximately 10.5 hours. If completed, this will be Maharashtra’s longest expressway, surpassing the 701-km Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg connecting Mumbai and Nagpur.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has announced plans to protest against the access-controlled expressway, arguing that it will leave farmers from 12 districts homeless despite the presence of existing routes between Nagpur and Goa. Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Satej Patil has warned that instead of pursuing legal battles, demonstrators will take to the streets. A large protest march is scheduled outside the state assembly on March 12, during the budget session running from March 3 to March 25.
The expressway will traverse Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Latur, Beed, Dharashiv (Osmanabad), Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg. Kolhapur, in particular, has emerged as a hotspot for opposition, with MLC Patil, who also heads the Kolhapur District Congress Committee, leading the resistance.
Opposition to the project is also mounting in Latur, where farmers staged protests outside Tehsil offices on January 24. Organised by the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, the protest highlighted concerns over the acquisition of 481 acres of farmland in the district, which they claim will severely impact local farmers. Similar resistance was seen during the land acquisition process for the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway in the previous decade.
The proposed expressway will originate from Pavnar, near Wardha, and extend to Patradevi in North Goa. At Pavnar, it will integrate with the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway to enhance connectivity. During a recent joint meeting, Maharashtra officials requested their Goan counterparts to permit the construction of additional kilometres within Goa, specifically near the newly operational Manohar International Airport at Mopa.