Allegations of large-scale illegal stone quarrying and crusher operations have surfaced in Ambernath taluka of Thane district in Maharashtra, prompting urgent appeals from both a local NGO and a sitting MLA. According to Shree Ekvira Aai Pratishthan, a non-profit organisation headed by environmentalist Nandakumar Waman Pawar, unregulated mining has been taking place for over a decade on both government and private lands in Mouje Sai and Valivali villages, without the mandatory legal approvals.