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Navi Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has halted the demolition of illegal religious structures on the Belapur Hills slope fearing landslide amid the current incessant rains. The demolition of 30 religious structures started after the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) took suo motu notice of the media reports indicating landslide dangers on the hill, which threaten lives and properties on and below the hill.
CIDCO had served notices to 30 illegal religious structures covering over 3.2 lakh square feet, equivalent to a carpet area of some 400 flats of one BHK size, information obtained by environment watchdog NatConnect Foundation under the RTI Act showed. The MSRHC served notices on the state government as well as CIDCO and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to explain their position.
Meanwhile, CIDCO with the help of over 100 policemen, started the demolition, but called it off after breaking parts of two structures as the soil started giving in during heavy downpour. “It is risky to continue the operation as the heavy machinery that brings down the structures can also cause landslides,” a CIDCO official remarked. The official added that the demotion work with heavy machinery could itself cause landslides since there is a slum colony having some 500 huts in the slope.
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"With so many structures on the loose slopes, we apprehend repetition of Wayanad type tragedies as the illegal construction has also wiped out many trees which hold the soil," Director of NatConnect Foundation, B N Kumar said and called for preventive steps. Stating that it’s a Catch 22 situation for CIDCO since they are answerable to the human rights commission, Kumar said, “Video footage from the hill slope showed cracks on the way and along some walls. I agree with the CIDCO that it is a dangerous situation.”
“This is exactly what we have been apprehending and which is why we organised a silent human chain protest to focus attention on the landslide threats,” said Himanshu Katkar, a resident of Kalpataru cooperative housing society below the hills.
Kumar expressed his shock that the illegal structures, against which the first complaint was lodged in 2015, was allowed to go on for nine years though the construction could be seen from CIDCO headquarters.
In its affidavit filed before MSHRC, CIDCO said the demolition work could not be carried out as planned due to the lack of police security. “We needed security as running bulldozers over religious structures is a sensitive issue,” CIDCO said.
NatConnect, therefore, appealed to the Commission to make even the police commissioner a respondent in the case and ask him for his version. NMMC on its part committed that it would cooperate with CIDCO in the demolition.
The State Revenue Department has informed the rights body that the hills have been handed over to CIDCO, while the planning agency said NMMC is the planning authority for the area. In view of this dispute, the MSHRC asked the State Chief Secretary to make the government stand clear. The next hearing is slated for August 26.
