Maharashtra Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra, Sujata Saunik highlighted that the focus should be to attract investment for renewable energy projects and green industrial clusters. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
A green transition in Chandrapur-Nagpur-Yavatmal (CNY), Maharashtra’s energy hub, can unlock ₹5.4 lakh crore investment, 3.4 lakh jobs and 4% regional GDP growth, a report by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST), an environmental think tank, claimed on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) in Mumbai.
iFOREST released the Just Transition Investment Plan for the CNY region, which accounts for 100% of the state’s coal production and half its coal-based power. The report stated that the CNY region will witness a decline in coal production by 50% in the next decade due to resource exhaustion. As a solution, the closed and retiring coal mines can be converted into Maharashtra’s green industry and energy hub.
This blueprint will help turn the traditional energy cluster into a green investment destination by developing strategic economic nodes and unlocking the region’s renewable energy and industrial potential. We have to look towards the alternative, which talks about economy and environment,” said Dr. Chandra Bhushan, CEO of iFOREST, while speaking at the conference held in Mumbai for releasing the Just Transition Investment Plan report.
“The 10-year blueprint identifies three Economic Development Nodes—Bhadrawati–Wani, Rajura–Chandrapur, and Umrer- spanning over 6,000 hectares of coal mine land that can be used for developing green energy and industrial hubs, as it has the highest solar energy opportunities—37 GW. For land reclamation and repurposing, it will require ₹33,400 crore funds from public investments, coal companies and power utilities,” mentions the report.
Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra, Sujata Saunik highlighted that the focus should be to attract investment for renewable energy projects and green industrial clusters, while green transition should be “far-reaching and fair”.
Meanwhile, Chief Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister and CEO of MITRA, Praveen Pardeshi, emphasised making farmers independent as they are heavily dependent on electricity for water. “40 %of Maharashtra’s energy is used by farmers to pump water for irrigation. Moving them to solar pumps will be significant. We need innovative nudge policies and behaviour change incentives to support a transition of this scale from traditional energy sources,” said Mr. Pardeshi.
Published – June 26, 2025 09:44 am IST
