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Our land is not for sale: Ratnagiri village stands up to urban buyers

RATNAGIRI: The tiny village of Ambavali, nestled in Western Ghats of Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, has declared that its land not for sale — not to real estate agents, not to developers, not to ‘outsiders’. The decision, born from a deep sense of betrayal and fear of displacement, is more than just a refusal to sell, it is a powerful act of self-preservation by a community determined to protect its legacy, land, and dignity at all costs. When TOI visited this village, 250km from Mumbai located in Mandangad tehsil with its 313 hectares of fertile land, it reflected a haven of…