The unrestrained destruction of greenery atop the Belapur hills as well as the construction of religious structures on the landslide prone slopes of the hills has got environmentalists concerned.
Officials alleged failure to take any action against the destruction happening of the hill has prompted the environmental group to once again rise up to the occasion and conduct a second human chain.
Accordingly, the event is to be held on Sunday.
“ Total of 30 temples have been built illegally atop the hill thereby violating a series of orders given by the supreme courts as well as of the Maharashtra State Human Right commission (MHRC) . The failure of the authorities concerned, be it CIDCO or the Urban development Department, to take cognisance of the illegal activities is alarming.” said NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar
The human chain will be held from 8 am to 9 am on Sunday at Abhyudaya Bank circle, CBD Belapur (near the fire brigade) and more than 100 people are expected to be part of it, said activist Himanshu Katkar. All are concerned over the destruction of the hill slopes, he said and pointed out that "we have already experienced landslides". With the soil becoming loose due to the uprooting of the trees, we fear that the next landslides could be disastrous," he said.
CIDCO records submitted to the MHRC show as much as 2.3 lakh square feet area has been illegally occupied by various temples and the demolition notices served on them expired long ago. “ The opposition is not to temples but it cannot be at the cost of destruction of nature,” adds Kumar.
We are not opposed to any temples, but they can be relocated in a safer area and without playing with nature. The human chain is a means for environmentalist to bring awareness about the issue and get the authorities act,” Kumar said
The MHRC had in May last year taken suo moto notice of media reports on the activists’ fears of landslide dangers and summoned the State Chief Secretary and CIDCO, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). “ We are hopeful that the second human chain will at least prompt officials to look into this area,” adds a local resident, Kapil Kulkarni, who pointed out that temples atop the hills are built with capacity to accommodate 1000 to 15000 people during religious ceremonies. “ In event of any calamity and if there is to occur a landslide the kind of disaster to occur will be unthinkable,” adds Kulkarni.
