Parsik Hills in Navi Mumbai. Credit:
DH Photo/Mrityunjay Bose
Navi Mumbai: In an unprecedented move, the Maharashtra Government has directed the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDC) and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to demolish the 30 illegal religious structures on the landslide-prone Belapur and Parsik Hills which occupied a whopping 2.3 lakh square feet.
The State Chief Secretary has filed an affidavit to this effect at the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) which has taken suo motu notice of the media reports which spoke of possible dangers to the lives and properties due to landslides.
The commission at its third hearing closed the suo motu case taking into consideration the solemn affidavit on oath submitted by Subrao Narayan Shinde, joint secretary in the Urban Development Department (UDD), on behalf of the Chief Secretary.
Shinde said the Home department, on UDD’s request, has also directed the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner to provide adequate protection for the demolition.
Environment watchdog NatConnect Foundation, which launched an awareness campaign and filed three affidavits at the Commission, pointed out that the soil on the hills is loose and hence the hills are landslide prone.
NatConnect director B N Kumar apprehended Wayanad or Irshalwadi type disaster as hundreds of people congregate at these religious structures some of which are built on the hill slopes.
Some of the structures occupying over 20,000 sq ft to 40,000 sq ft have built halls to accommodate up to 2,000 people which is highly risky, he argued.
“The festival season has begun, and devotees are bound to visit the temples and we fear that their lives will be at stake,” Kumar pointed out to the Commission during its latest hearing.
Moreover, there are over 600 houses just below the Belapur hill, he said.
The issue has been hanging fire for close to ten years since the first complaint to CIDCO by Kalpataru Cooperative Housing Society.
The said CIDCO has now been directed to take action as per the Supreme Court ruling on illegal religious structures. The Commission comprising Justice K K Tated and member M A Sayeed said NatConnect is free to get back to the rights body in case of violations in future.
When CIDCO counsel tried to say something, Justice Tated said the entire case arose due to (inaction by) CIDCO. “What is there for you to say now,” he asked and directed both CIDCO and NMMC to comply with the government’s directive.
When Kumar pointed out that CIDCO started the demolition by razing a compound wall and stairs of a religious structure but stopped due to the fear of landslides, the commission said CIDCO must now take all precautions now.
Of the 30 illegal structures, 29 are on Belapur hill and 1 is on Parsik Hill.