Navi Mumbai: Alarmed by the continued inaction from CIDCO against alleged illegal temples seen on the landslide-prone slopes of Belapur Hills, environmentalists have once again approached the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC), warning of the potential for disaster as monsoon approaches.
Activists reinstated that despite clear orders from the HRC in August 2024 directing CIDCO and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to act against 29 temples on Belapur Hill and one on Parsik Hill, no significant steps have been taken.
"These religious structures, built in violation of court and state directives, continue to operate even as landslide risks increase due to rampant deforestation and loose hill soil. These are not just small shrines—some of these illegal temples can accommodate over a thousand devotees. Their lives are at serious risk,” said B N Kumar, director of the NatConnect Foundation, who filed the latest petition with the HRC. He urged the commission to compel CIDCO to file an immediate action taken report.
Kumar reminded the HRC that the state government, CIDCO, and NMMC had assured the Commission last year that appropriate action would be taken, following the body’s suo-moto notice triggered by media reports and public outcry.
"We are not against any religious structures,but the lives of the people who visit as well of those who live below the hill matter," the application said
Repeated attempts by residents to highlight the issue—including forming human chains twice to draw attention to the risks—have met with apathy. “The hill slopes have weakened drastically after hundreds of trees were cut for construction. Still, CIDCO hasn’t moved,” said activist and advocate Himanshu Katkar, who also raised the matter with Chief Vigilance Officer Suresh Mengade. “He only assured us he’d look into it.”
Activist Krishnan Potti added that despite receiving notices, some of the temple operators have gone ahead with expansion work. “It’s blatant defiance,” he said.
CIDCO and NMMC last year had jointly surveyed the Belapur hill temples, which fall into the demolition category. Notices have been issued, but enforcement remains pending.
Local resident Kapil Kulkarni expressed frustration: “Are they waiting for another Irshalwadi-type tragedy?” he asked, referring to the July 23, 2023 landslide in Raigad district that killed nearly 80 people and wiped out an entire village.
Records obtained by NatConnect under the RTI Act confirm that the State Urban Development Department has repeatedly instructed CIDCO and NMMC to follow through on demolition orders.
However, CIDCO has attempted to shift responsibility to NMMC—a claim rejected by the state government, which clarified that the hill area falls under CIDCO’s jurisdiction.
