Religious Encroachments Threaten Belapur Hill's Safety

More than 2.30 lakh square feet of land has been encroached by religious trusts and temples on Belapur Hill, a landslide-prone area in Navi Mumbai. This encroachment poses environmental issues and risks public safety during religious gatherings. Despite several complaints and protests, no significant action has been taken so far.

More than 2.30 lakh square feet of land has been encroached upon by 30 religious trusts and temples on Belapur Hill, Navi Mumbai, as revealed by a Right to Information (RTI) reply from CIDCO.

NatConnect Foundation founder BN Kumar, who filed the RTI plea, noted that the encroachment not only triggers environmental issues but also poses risks during large religious gatherings, potentially leading to stampedes.

The largest of these encroachments covers 43,000 square feet, accompanied by several other structures spread across 2,000 square feet each. Rampant deforestation in the area has further destabilized the soil.

Despite various citizen complaints since 2015, no effective action has been taken, according to Kumar. A 'Save Belapur Hill' rally in April prompted the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission to issue a notice to government authorities, with a hearing scheduled for July 17.

CIDCO's RTI response mentioned that demolition notices were issued to 30 sites, but a planned demolition drive in mid-June could not proceed due to a lack of police protection. Activists Aditi Lahiri and Himanshu Katkar expressed frustration over the authorities' inaction.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)