Navi Mumbai News: Save Belapur Hills Group Appeals To PMO Over Alleged Illegal Encroachments And Environmental Destruction

Navi Mumbai, Feb 14: The citizen-led Save Belapur Hills initiative has approached the Prime Minister’s Office seeking urgent intervention to stop what it described as large-scale environmental destruction and blatant illegal encroachments on forest land at Belapur Hills in Navi Mumbai.

In a detailed representation submitted to the PMO, the group alleged that forest land across Sectors 8, 8A, 8B and 9 of Belapur has been systematically encroached upon despite clear directions issued by the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC).

“The MSHRC, in its order dated August 26, 2024, had categorically directed the City and Industrial Development Corporation and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to remove all unauthorised constructions from Belapur Hills. Shockingly, instead of compliance, the violations have only intensified,” the representation stated.

Allegations of illegal constructions and ecological damage

The group alleged that illegal structures — some of them religious in nature — have mushroomed across the hill area. Activists further claimed that a local gaushala allegedly flattened a large portion of the hill using heavy machinery, including JCBs, resulting in extensive tree felling and irreversible ecological damage.

“What is deeply disturbing is that authorities continue to cite ‘lack of police protection’ as an excuse for inaction, while water and electricity connections are allegedly being provided to illegal structures on protected forest land,” the group said.

The representation also raised alarm over a natural lake located on Belapur Hills, describing it as under imminent threat.

“Debris has allegedly been dumped into the lake to create an illegal access road. This lake is a vital water source for birds and wildlife, and its destruction could significantly increase flooding risks in surrounding areas, including CBD Belapur,” the activists warned.

Environmentalists associated with the campaign cautioned that damage to the hill ecosystem could have long-term consequences for groundwater recharge, biodiversity and climate resilience in Navi Mumbai.

Demand for inquiry and restoration

In its appeal to the PMO, the Save Belapur Hills initiative demanded immediate, time-bound implementation of the MSHRC order through directions to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary.

The group also sought a central-level inquiry into the role of officials from City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, alleging that “tacit support and administrative apathy” had enabled encroachments to flourish.

“We are demanding restoration of Belapur Hills and the natural lake to their original ecological state. The right to a clean and healthy environment is a constitutional guarantee,” the representation said.

Warning of further legal action, the group added, “If state authorities continue to fail in protecting this ecologically sensitive area, we will be left with no option but to seek justice at the highest national and judicial forums.”

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Copies of the representation have also been sent to the Governor of Maharashtra, the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the National Green Tribunal, the Chief Minister and Forest Minister, senior bureaucrats, and the heads of CIDCO, NMMC and the Navi Mumbai Police.

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